Your Email in Outlook

What's Changing

Your email is moving from HCL Notes to Microsoft Outlook. Think of it as upgrading to a new car - the steering wheel is in the same place, the road is the same, but the dashboard looks a bit different.

Your @seaway.ca email address stays exactly the same. The main change is the app you use to read and send email. What Notes calls a memo is simply an email in Outlook.

What Stays the Same

• Your email address - your @seaway.ca address does not change
• Your email history - past emails are migrated over
• How email works - compose, send, reply, forward - all the same concepts

One welcome change: no more Notes ID file or separate Notes password. You sign in once with your Microsoft 365 account (plus MFA), and that single sign-in covers Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint.

Getting Started with Outlook

Opening Outlook on Your Computer

1. Click the Outlook icon on your desktop or taskbar
2. If you don't see it, search for "Outlook" in the Windows Start menu
3. Sign in with your work email and your Microsoft 365 password

Opening Outlook on the Web

1. Go to outlook.office.com in your browser
2. Sign in with your work email address
3. You'll see your inbox right away - this replaces iNotes for reading mail in a browser

The Outlook Layout

Here's what you'll notice right away:

• Inbox is front and center, just like in Notes
• Folders are on the left - these replace the folders and views you used in Notes
• The reading pane shows your selected email on the right
• New Email button is at the top left - this replaces "New Memo"

Notes to Outlook - Quick Comparison

Understanding Focused Inbox

Outlook has a feature called Focused Inbox that automatically sorts your email into two tabs:

• Focused - emails Outlook thinks are most important (messages from people you interact with regularly, direct messages to you)
• Other - newsletters, automated notifications, and less urgent items

There is no equivalent in Notes, so this will be new. It works well once it learns your habits, but some people prefer to see everything in one list. To turn it off:

1. Click View in the ribbon
2. Click View Settings
3. Turn off "Sort messages into Focused and Other"

Setting Up Your Email Signature

Your email signature is how colleagues and external contacts identify you. Set it up right away:

1. Click the Settings gear (top right of Outlook)
2. Go to Accounts > Signatures
3. Create your signature with your name, title, department, phone number, and your @seaway.ca address
4. Set it as the default for new emails and replies/forwards

Your Calendar Lives Here Too

Your Outlook Calendar and your Teams Calendar are the same calendar - they are always in sync. Any meeting booked in Teams shows up in Outlook and vice versa. Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar of Outlook to see your schedule without leaving the app. This replaces the Notes calendar.

Troubleshooting: Email Not Showing Up?

If you can't find an email you're expecting:

1. Check the Other tab - Focused Inbox may have sorted it there
2. Check Junk/Spam - look in the Junk Email folder on the left sidebar
3. Search for it - use the search bar at the top and type the sender's name or subject. This is faster than scrolling, and it replaces the All Documents view
4. Give it a moment - after migration, it can take a few hours for all emails to appear
5. Check Shared Mailboxes - if it was sent to a shared department address, it appears in that mailbox's folder, not your personal inbox

Where Shared Mailboxes Appear

In Notes, your team may have used mail-in databases for shared addresses. In Microsoft 365 these become shared mailboxes. They appear as separate sections in your left folder panel - below your personal inbox folders. They don't mix into your regular inbox. Click the shared mailbox name to expand it and see its own Inbox, Sent Items, and folders.

Tips for SLSMC Staff

• Shared mailboxes (like a department or operations address) replace Notes mail-in databases - IT will set these up for you
• Calendar invites come right into Outlook - email and calendar live in one app
• Local mail archives - if you kept local Notes archives (.nsf files) on your computer, check with the SLSMC IT Service Desk about what happens to them. Do not assume they migrate automatically
• Right-click for options - right-clicking any email, folder, or contact gives you a menu with useful actions (move, flag, categorize, etc.)
• Drag and drop works everywhere - drag emails into folders, drag attachments onto the desktop, drag files into new emails

Handy Keyboard Shortcuts

• R - Reply
• F - Forward
• E - Archive
• Ctrl + N - New email
• Ctrl + Enter - Send

Need Help?

If you can't find something or something doesn't look right:

1. Check the Quick Start guide on this site
2. Ask a colleague who has already been migrated
3. Contact the SLSMC IT Service Desk