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Outlook 2007 Tips

Customizing the appearance of Outlook

Organizing your inbox

Time savers

Tools

Other

Quick Tips

 

Customizing the Appearance of Outlook

Arrange Reading Pane/To Do Bar/Navigation Pane

  • The Reading Pane (preview) can be placed to the right or below the message list. From the menu, select View-->Reading Pane-->Bottom or Right
  • The To Do Bar can maximized to show a mini-month calendar, upcoming appointments with details, and task list; or minimized for more e-mail viewing space using the << and >> icons in the bar header.
  • The Navigation Pane in the left column includes the Folder List and Buttons to Outlook features. Drag the divider bar between folders and buttons to change the number of buttons displayed. Show, hide or reorder buttons using the down arrow configure button in the pane footer. Minimize or maximize the Navigation Pane using << and >> icons.

Remove Instant Search prompt

From the menu, select Tools-->Options-->Other tab-->Advanced Options


Set font size for e-mail and message list

Outgoing: select Tools-->Options-->Mail Format-->Stationery & Fonts-->New mail messages

List view: select View--> (for Outlook 2003 only: Arrange By-->) Current View-->Customize Current View...-->'Other Settings'-->'Row Font'. Optionally, change the font for the column headings as well by clicking 'Column Font'.


Stationery is not recommended

Using stationery adds an attachment to every message (sometimes it is helpful to sort/search by existence of an attachment), and non-Outlook users get blank space before the message.  To remove stationery select Tools-->Options-->Mail Format-->Stationery & Fonts. In the Use this stationery by default list, select <none>.


Add folder to favorites list

Select the folder to add, right-click on the folder and select 'Add to Favorites Folder'

Change the color of Outlook

Open Microsoft Word. From the menu, select the Office Button (upper left)-->Word Options-->Popular--Color scheme.

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Organizing your inbox

Flag mail that needs attention

  • A single click of the Flag Status turns the flag red and automatically adds the message to your To Do list for attention today.

  • Right-click the flag to select from other due dates, no date, set reminders, and customize the one-click option and other actions to associate with the reminder.


Color categorize

The Category column can display one or more color swatches to indicate categories for e-mail, appointments, tasks and contacts. In the Inbox you may need to expand the category column by dragging the column header dividers. (Note that clicking any column heading will sort by that column -- click the Received column to resort by date.)

  • Ad hoc categorizing: Right-click on an e-mail-->select Categorize from menu-->choose color/category. Or click the category icon in the toolbar.
  • Categorizing by rules: see Creating Rules from messages below

Create Rules from messages

Right-click message-->Create Rule-->Advanced Options...-->Select condition(s)-->Next-->Select action(s)-->Edit rule-->Next-->Select exception(s), if any-->Next-->Review Rule setup-->Finish


Highlight mail sent from a particular person (e.g., boss)

Special font (e.g., color) can be applied to messages from a specifed person:

  • Select a message from the desired sender (this is defaults the person selected, but is not required). Select Tools-->Organize-->select Using Colors Tab-->Choose either 'sent to' or 'from'-->type name of person-->select color from menu-->select Apply Color. Click the X next to Automatic Formatting... to close the Organize Inbox window.

or

  • Select View-->(for Outlook 2003 only: Arrange By-->)Current View-->Customize Current View... Select Automatic Formatting. Click the Add button.

    Enter "Highlight from [sender name]" or other identifier under Name. Select Font... and choose the desired formatting. Select OK. Select the Condition ... button. Select the From... button and choose the Sender whose e-mails you wish to highlight.

Highlight mail sent only to me (no cc's)

  • Select Tools-->Organize-->select Using Colors Tab-->beside the second bullet (Show messages sent only to me) select color from menu-->select Turn on. Click the X next to Automatic Formatting... to close the Organize Inbox window.

or

  • Select View-->(for Outlook 2003 only: Arrange By-->) Current View-->Customize Current View... Select Automatic Formatting. Select the Add button.

    Enter Me as sole recipient or similar identifier for Name. Select Font... and choose the desired formatting. Select OK. Select the Condition... button. Check the Where I am box. Select the only person on the To line from the drop-down menu. Optionally, go to the More Choices tab and check Only items that are unread to restrict special formatting to new messages.

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Time savers

Drop an e-mail onto a calendar date to create a calendar entry

Expand the To-Do Bar on the right to display the mini-calendar. Drag and drop an e-mail onto any date to create a calendar entry with details from the e-mail. Drag-and-drop a calendar event to reschedule, rather than opening the event to set the new time/day.

Drag-and-drop an e-mail into contacts to create a contact entry

Select and drag an e-mail from a folder or inbox to the contacts tab.


Drag-and-drop files into a new e-mail message to add an attachment

Open the folder containing the file you want to attach in Windows Explorer. Make sure your Inbox is open in Outlook. Select and drag the file from Windows Explorer with your mouse and drop it on your open Inbox.


Add Calendar and availability to an e-mail

While composing the body of an e-mail, select the Insert tab-->Calendar and specify the calendar information to be added.


Quick Parts for boilerplate e-mail text (e.g., form letters, directions, policy notification)

While composing the body of an e-mail, select the Insert tab on the ribbon-->select Quick Parts from the Text group --> select Save Selection to Quick Parts Gallery to create a quick part OR to use an existing Quick Part, select the one you'd like to insert. 

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Tools

Search all mail

Highlight All Mail Items in left navigation pane-->type keyword(s) in search field.


Quickly find all mail from a particular sender

Highlight a message from the sender in any folder. Select Tools->Instant Search-->Messages from Sender. (In Outlook 2003, select Tools-->Find-->Messages from Sender.)


Recall or replace a message sent to another SF State Exchange user

In the Mail Navigation Pane, select Sent Items. Open the message that you want to recall or replace. On the Message tab, in the Actions group, select Other Actions, and then select Recall This Message. The recall can only be successful if the recipient has not already read the recalled message. Depending on the recipient's mail settings and whether the original message had already been read, the recipient may receive notification that a message recall was attempted.


Thesaurus/dictionary

Select New item-->Alt+click word or phrase-->select Proofing group-->click Spelling, and then click Research.


Optimize junk mail filter

  • From the menu, select Actions-->Junk E-mail-->Junk e-mail options...-->select the level of filtering and options needed. (To turn off the junk mail filter select 'No automatic filtering'.)
  • To "teach" the junk mail filter to better recognize junk mail, 1) Open the Junk Mail folder, right-click any messages which are not junk-mail, select Junk E-mail-->Add Sender (or Sender's Domain) to the Safe Recipients List. 2) Right-click junk messages which were not delivered to the Junk E-mail folder, select Junk E-mail-->Add Sender to Blocked Senders List

Delete an attachment without deleting a message

Open the e-mail message then right-click or hit Shift+F10 to open the context menu and select 'Remove'. Select 'save' to save the message without the attachment.


Enhance address lookup

From the menu, select Outlook-->New Message-->Select To:-->Select More Columns.


Display several calendars side-by-side

Create a new folder under the Calendar folder in the Outlook folder list and give it a name. Now, you will have another calendar that appears and scrolls side-by-side with your current calendar.


Display several days side-by-side in my calendar

In the date picker (the Calendar in the top left corner), drag over the dates that you want to view with your mouse or Ctrl+Select the dates.

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Other

Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses (default requires semi-colon)

From the menu, select Outlook-->Tools-->Options-->Advanced Email Options-->Allow comma as address separator.


Enable BCC

From the menu, select Outlook-->New Message-->Options-->Show Bcc.


Clean up my mailbox

While in full-client Outlook, from the menu select Tools-->Mailbox Cleanup. From here you can

  • Select 'Find items larger than' a certain size and select 'Find'. A list of  messages will appear with a 'size' column you can use to indicate the large messages. Select messages you would like to delete and use the delete key to send them to the Trash. See here if you would like to delete an attachment but not a message.

  • Select 'AutoArchive' to automatically have Outlook archive messages older than a certain date onto your computer, saving space in your mailbox.

  • Select 'Empty' to empty the deleted items folder and free up space.

Remove an unwanted address from Autocomplete

Select the unwanted address, press delete.


Manually initiate an address book update

On the Tools menu, select Send & Receive, then select Download Address Book...


Create a distribution list

  1. Open Outlook.

  2. From the File menu choose New ... Distribution List.

  3. In the Name box, enter the name of the new distribution list.

    • Ex: Agents List

  4. Click Select Members.
    • This will open the Select Members dialog box.
    • Please NOTE: if the person is using the College's Exchange Server, you should select their name in the Global Address Book. If the person is not using our Exchange Server, then you can find them in your Contacts folder.
  5. In Outlook 2007, select the appropriate Address Book (either Global Address list or Contacts) from under Address Book.
    In Outlook 2003, from the Show Names from the drop-down list, select the appropriate Address Book (either Global Address list or Contacts)

  6. In the Name list select the name from the list that appears or type in the name you want to add to the distribution list in the Type Name or Search box.

  7. Click Members button to copy the name to the Distribution List.

  8. When you have added all of the names, click OK.

  9. Click Close and Save. 


Use a distribution list

  1. Open Outlook.

  2. Select New in the Standard Toolbar.

  3. In the To line, type in the name of the distribution list.

    • Or if needed, select To and then choose Contacts under the Address Book drop-down list.
    • From the Name list, select the distribution list you want.
      • Ex: Agents List
  4. Select To.

  5. Select OK.

  6. Enter a subject and enter your message text.

  7. Select Send when ready.


Create a distribution list by copying names from an e-mail message

  1. In the message that you want to copy the names from (not preview pane), select the names in the To and Cc box.

  2. Right-click your selection, and the click Copy on the shortcut menu.

  3. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and under Create New Outlook item, click Distribution List.

  4. On the Distribution List tab, in the Members group, click Select Members.

  5. At the bottom of the Select Members dialog box, in the Members box, right-click and the Paste on the shortcut menu.


Redo recurring calendar entries moved from Lotus Notes

Requires permission of Administrator.


Automatically add holidays to my calendar

On the menu, select Tools-->Options-->Calendar Options-->Add Holidays.


Edit a received message in Outlook

Open the desired message. In Outlook 2007, select Other Actions-->Edit Message. In Outlook 2003, select Edit-->Edit Message. Make all desired changes and the save the message by selecting save or pressing Ctrl+S.


Set up an 'All mail' folder in Outlook

From the menu, select File-->New-->Search Folder. Highlight 'Create a custom Search Folder' at the bottom under Custom in the 'Select a Search Folder' area. Select 'Choose...'  under 'Customize Search Folder' and type 'All Mail' under 'Name'. Select 'Browse'. Make sure both the top folder (e.g. Personal Folders) and 'Search Subfolders' are checked. Select ok. Select ok again. Select yes in response to Outlook's warning that 'All messages in the folders you have selected will appear i this Search Folder'. Select ok.


Default calendar delegation permissions are not honored.

The default is defined as Free/Busy Permission Level but after you share your calendar with another user it does NOT use the default but instead Full Details.

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Quick Tips

Common keyboard shortcuts

A list of keyboard shortcuts is available from Microsoft's web site. In addition, a video course is available on how to use the keyboard in Outlook.

  • Advanced Find (Ctrl + Shift + F)
  • Create a new message (Ctrl + N)
  • Move Messages to a folder (Ctrl + Shift + V)

Speed up Outlook with the latest Microsoft Office Service Pack

Get the latest service pack from Microsoft's web site for speed increases and more benefits.


 More tips and tricks from around the web

Free training from Microsoft on Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003
How to access Gmail with Outlook
Outlook Tips, Tricks, and Secrets
Pictorial guide to sharing your Outlook 2007 calendar (PDF)
Top 10 Outlook Boosters
View the complete message source in Outlook

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