Removing the prefix from a forwarded email ?

[Blue Max]

When forwarding an email, how do we remove the prefix character, attached to
the front of each line of the quoted email, without changing the prefix
configuration? Isn't there a way to remove just the column of prefixes?
Alternatively, is there a way to resubmit the email, so it appears as an
original, versus forwarding the email? All we want to do is send the same
email, with a few changes, to another distribution group as if it were an
original.

 

[Bill R]

which version of Outlook?
For 2007:
Tools | Options | Preferences tab .. email options button .. in the "on
replies and forwards" section.

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you for the reply, Bill. I recognize that this is where the option is
enabled or disabled, but how do you remove the prefix after it has been
placed there? We want to leave the feature enabled, but are curious whether
the prefix can be manually removed once it is placed into the reply or
forwarded email.

Thanks

*********************

 

[Diane Poremsky {MVP}]

you'd have to use find and replace to remove the reply characters.



** Please include your Outlook version, Account type, and Windows Version
when requesting assistance **

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you, Diane. However, I am still curious. Why can't the user simply
manually select the prefix character, like any other character, and delete
it? We don't seem to be able to drag or shift-arrow over the character to
select and delete it.

Thanks

********************

 

[Diane Poremsky {MVP}]

You should be able to, but it takes longer. I often click after the caret
and backspace. I never tried drag or shift arrow and its as fast to
backspace.



** Please include your Outlook version, Account type, and Windows Version
when requesting assistance **

 

[Blue Max]

Hello Diane,

That is interesting, because our backspace removes the line return, but not
the prefix character, which in our case is a vertical pipe character "|".
Furthermore, if we re-insert the line return, that prefix character
reappears at the beginning of the new line.

For example, we cursor to the right of a prefix character, backspace to
delete it (the character plus the line return both disappear and the second
line is now appended to the line above), then we reinsert just the line
return (both the line return and prefix character reappear and the second
line returns back beneath the first just as before - prefix character and
all).

Worse yet, if we delete all the blank lines above the quote, we cannot write
anything new without the prefix character appearing, even if we delete the
whole quote and are left with a blank message.

Thanks,

Richard

**********

 

[Diane Poremsky {MVP}]

are you using HTML and have the blue pipe? Those are harder to remove so I
don't bother trying.



** Please include your Outlook version, Account type, and Windows Version
when requesting assistance **

 

[Blue Max]

Yes, it is HTML and the pipe is blue. So what are they doing to make this
suffix so persistent? Is it a format code of some kind, like you might see
for outline bullets or line numbering? Can we delete the format?


***************

 

[LowRent]

When forwarding an email, how do we remove the prefix character, attached to
the front of each line of the quoted email, without changing the prefix
configuration? Isn't there a way to remove just the column of prefixes?
Alternatively, is there a way to resubmit the email, so it appears as an
original, versus forwarding the email? All we want to do is send the same
email, with a few changes, to another distribution group as if it were an
original.

 

[LowRent]

Having read through this thread, the vertical blue "pipe" frustrates the heck
out of me too when trying to forward an email. Sometimes I get emails with
three or four of these danged vertical pipes. Sometimes I've had luck
removing them by highlighting the vertical pipe portion of the email to be
forwarded and clicking "Clear Formatting" under the "Styles and Formatting"
function listed under "Format" in the Menu Bar on top of the screen--
however, this often freezes Outlook and I have to exit and restart it.
Another way that usually works is (after I've hit "Forward") to Copy the
portion of the email I want to forward and Paste it at the top of the Forward
in the area that usually does not have any blue pipe (and it will usually
Paste without the blue pipe). Then I simply delete the rest of the Forward
and am left with only the desired portion without the blue pipe. However,
this is tedious, and there's got to be a simpler way. Any help?

 

[Blue Max]

Thanks, LowRent! Some very good ideas. I have experienced a few of the
same irregularities such as being able to delete some of the prefixes yet,
on other occasions, not being able to delete them. My solution, I fear, is
a little more simplistic. At this point, I intend to simply turn OFF the
prefix characters.

I am finding that the program already separates the forwarded quote with a
nice horizontal line between the quote and my new message. Of course, this
may not help if the original email I am forwarding already has column after
column of pipe characters.

I also dislike the fact that Outlook 2007 often adds double-spacing in the
quoted email, where there was none before.

Thanks,

Richard

********************

 

[Jan Groshan]

Have you tried http://www.papercut.com/emailStripper.htm

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you, Jan, this appears to be a promising utility. Perhaps, Microsoft
should incorporate something similar as a convenience to users.

Thanks

*************************************

 

[LowRent]

Tried emailStripper and it works, except that it eliminates all formatting
and all pictures.

I found something else that works to eliminate the vertical blue and/or
black lines without disturbing other elements when forwarding an email that
already has these lines in it:

1. Doubleclick on the message you want to forward and click Forward
2. Delete extra lines of text at top and bottom that you don't want to send
(if any)
3. Open the Microsoft Script Editor (click View>Toolbars>Web Tools, then
click Microsoft Script Editor. This may not have been installed when you
first installed Outlook on your computer, so you might need the installation
disk to install it now.)
4. There'll be all kinds of code, but just scroll down a ways to where the
"body" property begins (after which the attributes will probably be in red
font and the string following each attribute will be in blue font).
5. Continue down a bit till you find something like "border-left:solid blue
1.5 pt" or "mso-border-left..." in the blue font string. This will occur
after "style=" (red font) in something like a "body" "div" or "blockquote"
attribute. Highlight and delete everything from "style=" through
"border-left" and on until the next red font attribute you come to, or if
none, through the single quote (') at the end (just before the ">".
6. Close the Script Editor.
7. Click Yes when a save changes dialog box opens.
8. Click Cancel when the Save As dialog box opens.
9. Close the Script Editor again, and your Forward should be fixed.

NOTE: If there is more than one blue and or black line to remove, you will
have to find and delete a "style= ... border-left ..." for each line. If you
have removed extra lines as you started this process, they should be fairly
close to each other in the code.

IT'S A PAIN, BUT IT WORKS.

 

[Blue Max]

Thanks, LowRent!

Some very novel solutions, but as you said, frustrating. Amazing that one
cannot simply remove this style option. I guess that's why I have always
loved the old 'Reveal Codes' pane in WordPerfect.

Thanks,

Richard

*******************

 

[Blue Max]

Thanks, LowRent!

Some very novel solutions, but as you said, frustrating. Amazing that one
cannot simply remove this style option. I guess that's why I have always
loved the old 'Reveal Codes' pane in WordPerfect.

Thanks,

Richard

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