Configure the newsreader

A common problem for people who are new to Outlook Express is that messages seem to disappear. This happens because the program's default configuration is set to hide messages that have been read.

While there are many options that one can configure (see Tools | Options... and the other items under View menu), at the very least set the options under View | Current View ► as shown below.

Make sure you have Show All Messages selected and Group Messages by Conversation are both checked.

Use the Show Replies to my messages to toggle between seeing all messages and just those that are responses to your messages.

Options

In the Tools | Options... dialog box, there are many options that allow for personalization of the Outlook Express environment. Those below are ones that appeal to me. As you become familiar with the program, you may want to explore on your own. Just remember not to hold me responsible for what happens to your computer!

Unless you use Windows Messenger, uncheck the option for Automatically log on to Windows Messenger. Also, unless you use Outlook Express for mail make sure it is not the default mail handler.
One of the more useful features of OE is a watched discussion. [Learn how to have OE watch all your discussions.] Set the color for watched messages to whatever you like. I chose green.
Options on the Receipts tab apply only if OE is used for email.
Remember that unless you know otherwise, good Internet etiquette (also called netiquette) is to use Plain Text for newsgroup messages.
The Compose tab contains options that let one customize an outgoing message. However, they don't apply to text-only messages!.
It might be a worthwhile investment to set up a signature. If you do, please keep it short -- no more than four lines. The signature will be added at the bottom of all your messages.
It never hurts to check spellings before sending your messages!
Given the potential of a virus damaging your computer and files, it might be smart to keep the options as set by Microsoft.
The settings on the Connection tab reflect how you connect to the Internet and should be similar to the configuration in whatever program you currently use for mail.
Depending on your preferences on managing disk space, you may want to keep more or fewer days of messages.

How to make effective and efficient use of Outlook Express