Digital Streets

Outlook is Microsoft’s popular personal information manager and part of Microsoft Office.  It has email, calendar, contact management, task and note taking functionality.  I’ve been a long-time user of Outlook and really enjoy the latest version of the application. Here’s the third part of the list of the tutorials on Outlook 2007 at Tech-Recipes:

• Give a Message an Expiration Date - You can give messages generated in Outlook an expiration date. Once the message has expired, the header will still be visible when viewed in Outlook, however it will have a strikethrough. The message can still be opened, but will give the recipient the indication that the email is no longer relevant.

• Color-Code Messages in Your Inbox for Easier Discovery -Using color-coding of your Inbox messages can easily help you find emails from important senders, such as your boss or spouse. Outlook makes this a simple process to set up by utilizing the Organize functionality.

• Manage IMAP Inbox by Manually Purging Deleted Items - When you delete a message in your IMAP inbox, it isn’t removed. Instead, it is displayed using stikethrough text. IMAP folders require purging for the removal of deleted items. To manually purge your IMAP folder, follow these steps.

• Share RSS Feeds List with IE7 - Instead of running separate RSS feeds lists for Outlook and Internet Explorer 7, you can use the same list for both applications. Use the following steps to use the Common Feed List to maintain subscriptions for Outlook and IE7.

• Use Multiple Column Headings to Sort your Inbox - Trying to get to information in a crowded Inbox (or other folder) can be a rather frustrating process. Outlook makes it easier by allowing you to sort your messages by using multiple column headings as your sorting criteria.

• Disable Time and Date Display on Notes - By default, Outlook shows the date and time from the most recent changes to your Note. If this information is unnecessary or a distraction for you, you can turn this option off and have a cleaner looking Note.

• Assign Shortcut Keys for Categorizing your Mail and Task Items - By giving each category a shortcut key, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to categorize an inbox full of email as well as a lengthy list of tasks. To assign shortcut keys to your categories, follow these steps.

• Add Images to your Contacts - At first, adding an image to each of your contacts seems to be just a way of dressing it up. It actually can be quite useful in helping you find the contact you are looking for. By adding a photo of the person or the logo from their company, you can have an easier time locating the desired contact. If you use photos, it can be a major help when you remember what they look like but can’t remember their name!

• Change the Subject Line of Received Emails - Have you ever received an email containing information that is valuable to you but the subject line in no way reflects the contents of the message? It makes going back and looking for that email a major pain. By changing the subject line of the received email, you can have it better reflect the information contained within.

• Change the Screen Location that the Desktop Alert Appears - By default, Outlook displays the Desktop Alert above the system tray on the desktop. Since I run a multiple monitor setup, I found myself rarely noticing the Desktop Alert because I was focused on applications on the other monitor. by changing the location that the Desktop Alert appears, it was more easily noticed and better served its purpose.

• Set AutoPreview to Preview Unread Items for Better Visibility - By default, Outlook’s AutoPreview is set to No Preview. This will give the Inbox the stereotypical look where the sender, subject, and date are shown. I much prefer setting AutoPreview to the Preview Unread Items setting. I like that I can easily scan my Inbox and get a better feel if an email needs my immediate attention. A side effect of using this setting is that your unread items will standout from the rest and will be easier to focus on (which is why I don’t set AutoPreview to Preview all items, then they would all look the same once again).

• How To Disable Toolbar ScreenTips - Once you have mastered the functionality of each toolbar button in Outlook 2007, the ScreenTips can become somewhat annoying and distracting. You can easily disable ScreenTips so that they no longer appear when you mouseover the buttons on your toolbar.

• Upgrade to Color Categories - If you have upgraded your Outlook to the 2007 version, you will need to perform an upgrade to Color Categories to maintain a consistent look for marking and categorizing your emails. If you don’t, you will have a mixture of bars and squares that make for a confusing Inbox.

• Apply a Theme to All New Messages - If you’re bored with the look and feel of your email messages, you might want to consider using the themes in Outlook. By selecting a default theme, you can add a little personality to your messages. The theme will be applied to all new HTML email messages.

• Change Where Archived Items are Saved - By default, Outlook’s AutoArchive moves your old items to the Outlook folder buried in the Local Settings directory of your profile. This makes it very easy to forget to copy out when you need to reload your computer (or someone else’s) or change systems. I recommend changing the location to the My Documents folder (Documents if you’re using Vista), since it is very likely you will need to copy this directory when you are preparing for the reload/new system.

• Make a Backup Copy of your Rules - Rules are conditional actions that you can create to help with organizing your email and keeping you notified of certain messages or events. You can spend quite a bit of time creating these rules, so it is wise to create a backup of your work. With a backup, reloading your system or moving to a new computer will be less labor intensive and your Outlook will be up and running in a much shorter amount of time.

• Print a Phone Directory of Your Contacts - While it can be advantageous to have your contacts’ phone numbers in your email client, there are times when a hard copy is necessary. Outlook makes it easy to print out a phone directory of any or all of your contacts.

• Print a Blank Calendar - Sometimes you need a hard copy of a calendar to use for various planning tasks. If you don’t want your appointments listed on the calendar, you can print a blank calendar by following these steps.

Part 1 | Part 2