Instructions on how to use OWA. If you would like to suggest another item to be added to this list, please contact Student Computing Support Desk by filling out an online form.

• Connecting to OWA
• Changing Your OWA Password via MyCourses
• Changing Your Webmail Link to OWA in MyCourses
• Configuring Your OWA Options
• Understanding the OWA Toolbar and Buttons
• Deleting Emails in Consecutive or Random Order
• Recovering Deleted Items
• Adding to a Contact List
• Creating Distribution Lists
• Setting Up Plus Pack Features
• Send Signature on Outgoing Mail
• Ordering Address Books
• Creating New Folders & Moving Messages to Folders
• Deleting Folders
• Checking Mailbox Folders and Mailbox Size of Your OWA Account

For more general information about your HMS email account, go to the Email Issues FAQs page.

Connecting to OWA

1. Launch a web browser such as Internet Explorer 6.0 or Firefox.
2. Connect to OWA at http://email.med.harvard.edu/

3. Click on the button, Login, and a window will pop up. Type in your MyCourses/eCommons username (your initials and some number e.g., RR3) and your case-sensitive password. Make sure that the Caps Lock is not enabled.

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Changing Your OWA Password via MyCourses

Note: In order to use Outlook Web Access, all matriculated pre-doctoral students must change their MyCourses/eCommons password to one which is acceptable under the new syntax rules.

1. Launch a web browser such as Internet Explorer 6.0 or Firefox.
2. Connect to MyCourses homepage at http://mycourses.med.harvard.edu/ and authenticate.
3. Click on the link, Preferences in the upper left corner to get to the Preferences page below.


4. Click on the link, Password to change your MyCourses/eCommons password.
5. Click on the link, here in the Change Your MyCourses Password dialog box in the figure below.

6. Enter your new MyCourses/eCommons password in the textbox as in the figure below. Students must have an eCommons password that reflects the current new syntax rules.

7. Test your new MyCourses/eCommons password by logging into all of your accounts.
Note: Your username and case-sensitive password will be used to log into MyCourses, eCommons, OWA and the student workstations.

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Changing Your Webmail Link to OWA in MyCourses

1. Launch a web browser such as Internet Explorer 6.0 or Firefox.
2. Connect to MyCourses homepage at http://mycourses.med.harvard.edu/ and authenticate.

3. Click on the link, Preferences in the upper left corner to get to the Preferences page above.
4. Select the radio button, Use Alternate Web Site and enter in the URL: http://email.med.harvard.edu.
5. Click the button, Save E-Mail Account.
6. Test by clicking the link, Webmail, in the upper left corner of the screen.

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Configuring Your OWA Options

1. Connect and log in to OWA as described above.
2. Click the Options icon on the left side column under Shortcuts as in the figure below.

3. Configure the following: Out of Office Assistant, Date and Time Formats, Calendar Options, Reminder Options, Contact Options, Recover Deleted Items, Plus Pack, Spell Check, New Mail, Signature, Address Books, and Mail Size.

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Understanding the OWA Toolbar and Buttons

1. Click the New icon to compose a message, access contacts, make distribution lists, etc.

2. Click the Check Mail icon for any incoming messages.

3. Click the Move Mail icon to move messages into folders.

4. Click the Delete Mail icon to delete messages.

5. Click the Delete Mail Permanently icon to delete messages.

6. Click the Show/Hide Pane icon to display the body of messages in the lower pane.

7. Click the Address Book icon to select names from the Global Address List or your Contacts list.

8. Click the View icon to view messages as read, unread, by sender, by subject, etc.

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Deleting Emails in Consecutive or Random Order

1. In Consecutive Order: Highlight consecutive emails by holding down the Shift key. Click on the first email.
2. Continue holding down the Shift key. Highlight the last of the consecutive emails and click on it. All emails in between will be highlighted.

3. Press the Deletion icon to move these emails into the Trash.

1. In Random Order: Highlight random emails by holding down the Ctrl key.

2. Continue holding down the Ctrl key and select other emails to be deleted.
3. Press the Deletion icon to move these emails into the Trash.

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Recovering Deleted Items

1. Click on Options in the left column.
2. Scroll to the Recover Deleted Items and click the View Items button.

3. Highlight the email messages that you want to recover.
4. Click on the button, Recover. Your message will be sent to the Deleted folder listed under Folders in the right side column.

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Adding to a Contact List

1. Click on the New menu arrow and choose Contact list icon.

2. Enter information of the person whom you want to add as a contact.

3. Click on the Save and Close button to save your contact.

4. Click on the tab, Shortcuts, to view your contact list. To change or add information to a contact, double click on the name of the person and it will pop up the dialog box for that person.
5. Click on Save and Close at the top left of the dialog box.

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Creating Distribution Lists

1. Click on the New menu arrow and choose Distribution List.

2. Enter a distribution list name in the List Name: textbox.
3. Enter an email address in the Add to Distribution List: textbox or enter names by clicking Address Books or Find Names buttons.
4. Click on the button, Add. The email address will appear in the textarea.
5. Click on Save and Close at the top left of the dialog box.
6. Click on your distribution list under Contacts.

8. Send mail to the list by clicking the Send Mail to List icon next to the Deletion button in the above dialog box.

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Setting Up Plus Pack Features

1. Scroll to the Plus Pack option and click the Setup button.

2. Select to download the features onto your local machine.
3. Click on the button, Proceed.

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Customizing Your Personal Signature

1. Select the checkbox, Send Signature on Outgoing Mail.
2. Click the Edit button to customize your signature.

3. Enter your information and click Save.

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Ordering Address Books

1. Click the button, Order Address Books.
2. Highlight the address book that you want to order or removet.

3. Change your information and click the Save icon.

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Creating New Folders & Moving Messages to Folders

1. Click the button, Move between the Search and Delete buttons.

2. Create a new folder by clicking on the button New....

3. Enter the name of your new folder in the Name textbox and click the OK button.

4. Move the emails to new folder by clicking on the Move icon and select the correct folder in which you want to save the email message to the Move/Copy the selected items to the folder: dialog box.

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Deleting Folders

Right click on the folder that you no longer want.

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Checking Mailbox Folders and Mailbox Size of Your OWA Account

Click the button, Mailbox Size to display the sizes of your folders and the overall size of your OWA account, which is 50mb.

Note: If you have 40mb, you will receive an email stating that you are near the maximum quota of 50mb and requesting deletion of any unnecessary emails throughout your OWA account. If you go over the 50mb mark, your account will be locked down. Please make sure that you delete unwanted emails when you receive the email warning you that you are at 40mb.

Please call the Student Computing Support Desk at 617-432-0066, ext. 1 during office hours, and let us know your account has been locked down.

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