Normally, Outlook 2003 supports and displays HTML and Rich Text Format (RTF) e-mail, making a few default modifications to increase security and privacy such as not displaying images by default. However, it is still possible, depending on known operating exploits and how well patched a system may be, that reading an HTML or RTF message could trigger a rendering engine exploit that causes damage to your machine. If HTML and RTF is not required by your home or office and you want to disable this feature for added security and privacy, do the following.

1. Choose "Tools" then "Options".
2. When the "Options" multi-tabbed dialog box appears, select the "Preferences" tab.
3. Click "E-mail Options".
4. Check "Read all standard mail in plain text".
5. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

Note that changing this option just changes how messages are displayed, not how they are stored. When a message appears containing HTML or RTF, an option will appear in the message allowing you to view the selected e-mail in HTML or RTF format. Also, even in plain-text mode, some URLs still show up as hyperlinks.

For more information, such as problems that may occur if you read digitally signed e-mail, visit the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=831607

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