How to Minimize Outlook to the taskbar

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The notification area feature was introduced with Microsoft Windows XP and is not available in Microsoft Windows 2000 or earlier. The notification area is also known as the system tray.

• On the title bar of the active window, click Minimize Button The program window is minimized to a button on the taskbar.

You can change the default setting to hide the taskbar button, so that it only shows as an icon in the notification area. You can also hide the icon in the notification area.

The Outlook icon in the notification area, at the far right of the taskbar.

The default settings are to display the Outlook taskbar buttons and icon. Therefore, if you are not seeing an Outlook button or icon, it might have been turned off.

How to create a desktop shortcut for an Office program

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Microsoft Office System does not automatically create a desktop shortcut for each Office program that is installed. However, you can easily create a desktop shortcut. And some how I have to sketch out the details once again before this Monday for a official presentation. But then what i want to share here with you is my experience of sharing the Microsoft Outlook and providing computer Help

Create a desktop shortcut

1. Using Microsoft Windows® XP, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, and then point to Microsoft Office program_name 2003.

Note If you are using Microsoft Windows 2000, you point to Programs instead of All Programs.

2. Right-click Microsoft Office program_ name 2003, point to Send To, and then click Desktop (create shortcut).

A shortcut for the Office program appears on your desktop.

To learn about additional ways to customize your desktop, click Start, and then click Help and Support (in Windows 2000, click Help)

How to locate missing .msi files

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

An .msi file is a database of all the files, settings, and configuration information for the associated application. When you install Office on your computer, the .msi file is saved in a hidden folder. Without this file, Windows Installer cannot update your configuration, install optional features, or apply software updates. Office cannot be installed, repaired, or updated if the .msi file is not found.

Why is the .msi file missing?

The most likely reason for Windows Installer to require the installation CD is because the saved version of the .msi file for Office has been inadvertently or deliberately deleted from your computer. It is also possible that the file is damaged or corrupted.

Occasionally, changing the drive letters associated with partitions on your hard disk can cause this problem to occur — such as changing drive C: to a different letter or moving the hard disk drive from one computer to another. Other possible causes are a damaged or corrupted hard disk or registry file.

What to do when prompted for a missing .msi file

If you are prompted for the location of a missing .msi file, you must provide the original installation CD used to install Office on your computer.

1. Make sure that you have inserted your Office installation CD into the CD drive of your computer.

If you installed Office from a network, browse to the network location from which you installed Office.

2. Click Retry.

In most cases, these steps should resolve the problem and Office can complete the installation and configuration of the needed component.

Office 2003, Office XP, and Office 2000 provide the Detect and Repair command. You can find the Detect and Repair command on the Help menu of almost all Office programs. Using this command corrects identifiable problems such as missing files, corrupt files, registry omissions, or damaged registry entries. It replaces the .msi file if it was deleted, damaged, or is the wrong version. Using the Detect and Repair command usually requires you to provide the installation CD for the version of Office currently installed on your computer.

How to prevent similar problems in the future

To help avoid this problem in the future, use the following guidelines:

• Do not delete hidden folders or files from any drives on your computer.
• Do not move drives or change their disk identifier (for example, C: to D:).
• Install all needed applications as Run from My Computer instead of using Install on Demand (available from custom installation within Setup).
• Occasionally run the Windows Disk Defragment program to repair cross-linked files, recover lost clusters, and remap bad sectors on your hard disk. Any data present in a bad portion of the hard disk is usually lost and commonly associated with physical damage to the disk. This is most likely the result of high-vibration environments, such as the computer being struck, dropped, or kicked.

If you have Microsoft Windows XP as your operating system, consider using the System Restore option to restore your system to a previous configuration. Consult the Help and Support option of Windows XP for more information on System Restore. You can go for Computer Help

How to Use calculator with Office

Thursday, May 8, 2008

All versions of Microsoft Windows include a calculator. You can copy and paste results from the Windows Calculator into any Microsoft Office program.

In Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows 2003 Server

Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Calculator.

• Many newer keyboards include a button that automatically starts the Windows Calculator.
• To switch to a scientific calculator, on the View menu in Calculator, click Scientific.

In Microsoft Windows 2000

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Calculator.

• Many newer keyboards include a button that automatically starts the Windows Calculator.
• To switch to a scientific calculator, on the View menu in Calculator, click Scientific.

Copy and paste your calculator results into an Office program

1. In Calculator, on the Edit menu, click Copy.
2. In your Office program, on the Edit menu, click Paste.

Alternative calculators

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Excel 2003 offers a multitude of ways to do both simple and advanced calculations. For Excel 2003 users, Training on Microsoft Office Online offers the course Get to know Excel to help you explore how to use Excel as your calculator.

Microsoft Power Toys for Windows XP Available only for Windows XP, Power Toys includes Power Calculator, which you can use to graph and evaluate functions as well as perform many different types of conversions.

Note This tool is not a part of Windows and is not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support and Computer Help is unable to answer questions about Power Toys.

Insert smileys and other emoticons

Monday, May 5, 2008

2003 version of the following Microsoft Office programs: Excel 2003, FrontPage® 2003, InfoPath™ 2003, OneNote™ 2003, Outlook® 2003, PowerPoint® 2003, Project 2003, Publisher 2003, Visio® 2003, and Word 2003 2002 version of the following Microsoft Office programs: Excel 2002, FrontPage® 2002, Outlook® 2002, PowerPoint® 2002, Project 2002, Publisher 2002, Visio® 2002, and Word 2002

If you've used an instant messenger or chat service, you've seen the ubiquitous smiley and frowning faces used to represent happy and sad. These symbols are called emoticons, a combination of the words "emotion" and "icon," and you can insert them to add a personal touch to most Office documents.

The following are some ways that you can insert emoticons, depending on which Office program you are using.

• Insert the emoticon symbol by using the Symbol command on the Insert menu.
• Insert the emoticon symbol by using the Microsoft Windows® Character Map tool.
• Type the keyboard shortcut for the symbol, and then change the symbol to the correct font.
• Use the Office AutoCorrect feature to translate the text of your choice into your chosen symbol.

Insert a symbol by using the Symbol command

Note This feature requires Excel, FrontPage, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word, or Visio.

1. On the Insert menu, click Symbol.

Note In Outlook, use the Insert menu in the message window. This requires that you be using Word as your e-mail editor and that your message format be either RTF or HTML. You cannot use symbols with the Plain Text message format.

2. In the Symbol dialog box, on the Symbols tab, in the Font box, click Wingdings.
3. Scroll to where you will find the happy, sad, and disappointed emoticon symbols, and then double-click the symbol that you want.

12 Tips for better e-mail etiquette

Monday, April 28, 2008

I remember opening my first e-mail account and thinking how much fun it was to send a message to a friend. However, most people now no longer find e-mail simple or fun. E-mail messaging now exceeds telephone traffic and is the dominant form of business communication. Some workers tell me that handling e-mail consumes half of their day. A recent Wall Street Journal report indicates that soon employees will spend three to four hours a day on e-mail.

Don't you wish that every person who received a new Microsoft Outlook e-mail account had to agree to follow certain rules to use it? There are certain professional standards expected for e-mail use. Here are some things to keep in mind regarding professional e-mail conduct:

1. Be informal, not sloppy. Your colleagues may use commonly accepted abbreviations in e-mail, but when communicating with external customers, everyone should follow standard writing protocol. Your e-mail message reflects you and your company, so traditional spelling, grammar, and punctuation rules apply.
2. Keep messages brief and to the point. Just because your writing is grammatically correct does not mean that it has to be long. Nothing is more frustrating than wading through an e-mail message that is twice as long as necessary. Concentrate on one subject per message whenever possible.
3. Use sentence case. USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LOOKS AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING. Using all lowercase letters looks lazy. For emphasis, use asterisks or bold formatting to emphasize important words. Do not, however, use a lot of colors or graphics embedded in your message, because not everyone uses an e-mail program that can display them.
4. Use the blind copy and courtesy copy appropriately. Don't use BCC to keep others from seeing who you copied; it shows confidence when you directly CC anyone receiving a copy. Do use BCC, however, when sending to a large distribution list, so recipients won't have to see a huge list of names. Be cautious with your use of CC; overuse simply clutters inboxes. Copy only people who are directly involved.
5. Don't use e-mail as an excuse to avoid personal contact. Don't forget the value of face-to-face or even voice-to-voice communication. E-mail communication isn't appropriate when sending confusing or emotional messages. Think of the times you've heard someone in the office indignantly say, "Well, I sent you e-mail." If you have a problem with someone, speak with that person directly. Don't use e-mail to avoid an uncomfortable situation or to cover up a mistake.
6. Remember that e-mail isn't private. I've seen people fired for using e-mail inappropriately. E-mail is considered company property and can be retrieved, examined, and used in a court of law. Unless you are using an encryption device (hardware or software), you should assume that e-mail over the Internet is not secure. Never put in an e-mail message anything that you wouldn't put on a postcard. Remember that e-mail can be forwarded, so unintended audiences may see what you've written. You might also inadvertently send something to the wrong party, so always keep the content professional to avoid embarrassment.
7. Be sparing with group e-mail. Send group e-mail only when it's useful to every recipient. Use the "reply all" button only when compiling results requiring collective input and only if you have something to add. Recipients get quite annoyed to open an e-mail that says only "Me too!"
8. Use the subject field to indicate content and purpose. Don't just say, "Hi!" or "From Laura." Agree on acronyms to use that quickly identify actions. For example, your team could use to mean "Action Required" or for the Monthly Status Report. It's also a good practice to include the word "Long" in the subject field, if necessary, so that the recipient knows that the message will take time to read.
9. Don't send chain letters, virus warnings, or junk mail. Always check a reputable antivirus Web site or your IT department before sending out an alarm. If a constant stream of jokes from a friend annoys you, be honest and ask to be removed from the list. Direct personal e-mail to your home e-mail account.
10. Remember that your tone can't be heard in e-mail. Have you ever attempted sarcasm in an e-mail, and the recipient took it the wrong way? E-mail communication can't convey the nuances of verbal communication. In an attempt to infer tone of voice, some people use emoticons, but use them sparingly so that you don't appear unprofessional. Also, don't assume that using a smiley will diffuse a difficult message.
11. Use a signature that includes contact information. To ensure that people know who you are, include a signature that has your contact information, including your mailing address, Web site, and phone numbers.
12. Summarize long discussions. Scrolling through pages of replies to understand a discussion is annoying. Instead of continuing to forward a message string, take a minute to summarize it for your reader. You could even highlight or quote the relevant passage, then include your response. Some words of caution:
• If you are forwarding or reposting a message you've received, do not change the wording.
• If you want to repost to a group a message that you received individually, ask the author for permission first.
• Give proper attribution.

Use these suggestions as a starting point to create e-mail etiquette rules that will help your team stay efficient and professional. I want to share my experience with Microsoft outlook Help Computer Help and Technical Support.

How to use Command-line switches

Thursday, April 24, 2008

The command that starts Microsoft Outlook is Outlook.exe. A command-line switch is the addition of a forward slash (/) followed by the switch name and any parameters the switch has.

1. Search for the Microsoft Outlook executable file, Outlook.exe, and make a note of the path to Outlook.exe. For example, the path might be C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type the complete path you noted in step 1, including the file name. Press the SPACEBAR once, and then type a forward slash mark (/) followed by the switch.

For example, if you want to use the Clean Reminders switch, the command you type in the Open box should look like this:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe" /Cleanreminders

Note Paths that include spaces between words must be enclosed in quotation marks (") and are case sensitive.

4. To run the command, click OK.

It post describes How to use Command line Switches in Microsoft Outlook. I want to share My Experience computer Support and Technical Support

HTML and RTF message security

Sunday, April 20, 2008

To help protect you from viruses that might be contained in HTML-format and RTF-format messages, both scripts and ActiveX controls contained in these kinds of messages are deactivated automatically, regardless of the security zone setting. This is because Microsoft Outlook places all incoming messages in the Restricted Sites security zone by default. The default setting for the Restricted Sites zone is High. This disables automatic scripting and prevents ActiveX controls from opening without permission.

Changing the zone setting to something other than the default is not recommended.

If you need to run the script on an individual message when the security zone is set to Restricted Sites, you can work around the default protection by following these steps:

1. Open the message.
2. On the View menu, click View in Internet Zone.
3. Click Yes when you are prompted about running the script.

You can now run the script.

This post help to HTML and RTF massage Security.But what i want to share here with you is my experience of sharing the Microsoft Outlook and providing a computer support assistance.