Customization tips of Microsoft Outlook

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Hi, I am continuing my work with some useful tips that is help to customize Microsoft Outlook. And I also want to share my Experience with Computer Help.

There are following tips ……

• Start Outlook in a folder other than Inbox On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab. In the Advanced Options dialog box, set the startup folder that you want.
• Do you travel between time zones? Add a second time zone and switch between time zones for all Windows-based programs. Click Swap Time Zones in the Time Zone dialog box (Tools menu, Options dialog box, Calendar Options dialog box).
• Quickly change the time zone for all Windows-based programs Right-click the space at the top of the time bar when you view days in Calendar, and then click Change Time Zone on the shortcut menu.

More Tips for Customization

• Reuse custom views If you change a view by adding columns or changing the format and want to save it for reuse, type a new view name in the Current View box on the Advanced toolbar, and then press ENTER.
• Quickly add contact information that isn't represented by existing fields To add custom fields, in the contact, on the All Fields tab, click New and then specify the field's name, type, and format.
• Quickly create a contact with the same company name and address as another contact Select the existing contact in your Contacts list, and then on the Actions menu, click New Contact from Same Company.
• See details about the view you are using For details such as which fields are in place and if the view is filtered or sorted, right-click the table header and then click Customize Current View.
• Missing some items? Adjust your view filter settings Items that don't match the filter settings won't appear. To remove the filter, on the View menu, point to Arrange By, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View. Click Filter, and then click Clear All.
• Want a custom view of your information, sorted or filtered in a different way? On the View menu, point to Arrange By, point to Current View, and then click Define Views.
• Customize the names of the voting buttons On the View menu in the message, click Options. In the Use voting buttons box, type the names you want on the buttons, separated by semicolons.
• Save time when you change print styles If you frequently change a print style before printing, create a custom print style instead. On the File menu, point to Page Setup, and then click Define Print Styles.
• Customize the buttons in the Navigation Pane for one-touch access To add or remove buttons that appear in the button tray at the bottom of the Navigation Pane, click Configure buttons, click Add or remove buttons, and then click the button you want.
• Customize the name of a duplicate .pst file to avoid confusion You can change the name of the Outlook data file (.pst) that appears in the Navigation Pane from Personal Folders to something more identifiable. Right-click Personal Folders, click Properties, click Advanced, and then type a new name in the Name box.
• Customize how Outlook archives items On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Other tab, and then click AutoArchive.
• Change the size of the buttons at the bottom of the Navigation Pane You can make the large buttons in the Navigation Pane smaller by dragging the splitter bar down toward the bottom of the Navigation Pane. The large buttons turn into small buttons in the button tray.
• Move Desktop Alerts to a different monitor If your desktop spans more than one monitor, you can make Desktop Alerts appear on any monitor you use. When an alert appears, rest the pointer over it and then drag it to the part of your desktop that is displayed on the monitor where you want to view the alert.
• Turn off New Mail Desktop Alerts Right-click the Outlook icon in the Microsoft Windows notification area. To clear the check mark, click Show New Mail Desktop Alert.
• Access any Outlook folder from your Windows desktop Create a shortcut to an Outlook folder on the Windows desktop by dragging the folder from Outlook to your Windows desktop. Make sure you press CTRL before you release the mouse button. When you double-click the new shortcut, Outlook will open to that folder.
• Make New Mail Desktop Alerts less visible You can change the transparency level and duration of the New Mail Desktop Alerts. On the Tools menu, click Options. On the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options and then click Advanced E-mail Options. Click Desktop Alert Settings. Change the duration and transparency levels to the settings you want.
• Shade group headings When you turn on shaded group headings, it makes it easier to distinguish the different groups, such as Yesterday and Last Week. In Mail, on the View menu, point to Arrange By, click Custom, click Other Settings, and then select the Shade group headings check box. Click OK twice.
• Display folders at the top of the mail folders view To group a set of folders at the top of the mail folders list view in the Navigation Pane, precede each folder name with the underscore (_) symbol.
• Alphabetize the order of the mail folders in the Navigation Pane By moving the folders that you want up to the Favorite Folders pane, you can place them in any order that you want. To move a folder up to the Favorite Folders pane, just drag it there.
• Shrink the Favorite Folders pane Remove all the folders in the pane, making it smaller and allowing the All Mail Folders list to move up in the Navigation Pane. To remove a folder in the Favorite Folders pane, right-click the folder and then click Remove from Favorite
• Quickly remove a column from the view Drag the column title away from the column heading row until an X appears, and then release the mouse button.