On your way out for a business trip--and you don't have a map? Not
to worry--assuming you have an exact address, Outlook can map out any
route for you (with a little help from Microsoft Expedia Maps).
Inside the Contacts folder, double-click the contact you're
planning to visit, and make sure the correct address appears in the
address box. (If not, click the down arrow below the Address button
and select Business, Home, or Other). At the top of the window, click
the Display Map Of Address button or select Actions, Display Map Of
Address. Your browser window opens to Microsoft Expedia Maps and
displays a map of that exact address.
In our next tip, we'll tell you how to map out a route.
In our last tip, we showed you how to use Outlook (and Microsoft
Expedia Maps) to produce a map of any contact's address: inside the
Contacts folder, double-click the contact you're going to visit, make
sure his or her correct address appears in the address box, then click
the Display Map Of Address button. Your browser window opens to
Microsoft Expedia Maps and displays a map of that exact address.
So how do you actually get to point B from point A? While you're
still on the Microsoft Expedia Maps page, click the Driving Directions
link. Fill in the Starting Point and Destination, then click Go.
(Note: You may get prompted to fine-tune these locations. If so,
select the appropriate locations from the lists given, then click Go
again.) Wait a few minutes and you've got your directions, including
time estimates at given intervals.
In our last tip, we showed you how to use Outlook (and Microsoft
Expedia Maps) to produce a map of any contact's address: Inside the
Contacts folder, double-click the contact you're going to visit, make
sure his or her correct address appears in the address box, then click
the Display Map Of Address button. Your browser window opens to
Microsoft Expedia Maps and displays a map of that exact address.
Great, you have a map. But how do you actually get to point B from
point A? Why, with directions, of course. Still on the Microsoft
Expedia Maps page, click the Driving Directions link. Fill in the
Starting Point and Destination, then click Go. (Note: You may be
prompted to fine-tune these locations. If so, select the appropriate
locations from the lists given, then click Go again.) Wait a few
minutes and you've got your directions (including time estimates at
given intervals). Just don't forget to print them out!
Do you frequently use the commands in the View, Current View menu
to sort or organize the contents of the current folder? With the
Advanced toolbar onscreen (select View, Toolbars, Advanced), you can
cut the View and Current View commands out of the equation. Just click
the drop-down arrow next to the text box on the toolbar, and take your
pick. Good luck!
"When saving attachments, the default folder always opens to My
Documents. How can I change the default folder to one of my choice?"
Unfortunately, you need to set the default folder for each work
session. When you use the Save As command to save an attachment, use
the resulting window to navigate to your folder of choice, then name
the file and click Save. That default folder sticks for the rest of
the current work session, until you close and reopen Outlook or until
you navigate your way to another folder.
Microsoft confirms this shortcoming (that's what it is, as far as
we're concerned):
As you look at the icons on your Outlook toolbars, you'll notice
that some have text and some don't. Why? Because Microsoft said so,
that's why. But that doesn't mean it has to be that way. You have the
last say in whether an icon includes a text label or not. Feels good,
doesn't it?
Select View, Toolbars, Customize to open the Customize dialog box.
(Note: The commands we're about to show you won't work unless this box
is open.) Right-click any icon on any toolbar and take your pick of
display options. For example, to add text to a button, select Image
And Text. To remove the text from a button, select Default Style.
Repeat these steps for each icon you want to change. When you're done,
click Close to exit the Customize dialog box.
In our last tip, we showed you how to add text to or remove it from
your Outlook toolbar buttons: Select View, Toolbars, Customize (this
box must be open); right-click any icon on any toolbar and take your
pick of display options.
While you're at it, notice the Change Button Image command on the
right-mouse menu for most icons. (You can't change some, such as Send
And Receive.) Select this command, choose an icon, and that button's
got a brand-new look!
(Note: You'll probably want to display the text for that changed
icon until you get used to the new image. Also, to return a button to
its original look, right-click it--with the Customize dialog box open,
of course--and select Reset.)
While you're there, you'll notice a myriad other downloads
available for Outlook 98--templates, updates, add-ins, and more. In
this series of tips, we'll discuss some of these downloads in more
detail--what they are and how to use them.
First, though, let's back up a bit. Assuming you land at the main
Microsoft Office Update page at
here's how to get to the Outlook downloads: On the left side of the
screen, click Outlook, then click Downloads.
>From here, narrow your choices down a bit. Assuming you have
Office 98, click the radio button next to Outlook 97/98 Downloads at
the top of the screen under Show Me, then wait a minute as Outlook
re-creates a shorter list of downloads. If you want, click the check
box next to Show All Descriptions for a bit more detail. Again, you'll
need to wait a minute for the information to appear.
Over the next tips, we'll discuss some of these downloads in more
detail.
Take a look at the Type column on the right side of the list, and
you'll notice that it lists a good percentage of the downloads as
Templates. A template, or form, is nothing more than a means of
collecting information electronically. If you've ever sent an e-mail,
you've used a form--the New Message template.
Scroll through the list of downloads and click the Download Now
link below any form you might find useful--we'll use the Diet Record
Form as an example. (Note: You'll need to complete the registration
information, if you haven't already. Then go back and select the file
you want to download again.) When the download is complete,
double-click the resulting EXE file to install the form.
In our next tip, we'll show you how to use a new form.
In our last tip, we showed how to download template forms in which
you collect information electronically--from the Microsoft Office
Update Web site at
Assuming you've just downloaded the Diet Record Form, here's how to
use it. Select File, Open, Personal Folders File, and in the resulting
dialog box navigate your way to the Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office folder. Inside, you'll find your new template (*.pst
file). Double-click it, and you'll see that its folder now appears in
your folder list. Click the plus sign next to it to expand the
folder's contents, then select the Diet Record folder.
To create a new entry based on this template, select File, New,
Choose Form. Click the down arrow next to Look In, select the
corresponding form--here, Diet Record--and click Open. When you've
completed the form (be honest!), click Post.
With the new millennium right around the corner, you'll want to
make sure you've updated everything on your system with the
appropriate Y2K patches. One such update is the Outlook Import/Export
Date Fix. If you frequently import or export data using
Outlook--specifically, text files that include dates in the two-digit
format--you'll want to install this update to make sure Outlook
interprets the dates correctly.
You can find this update on the Microsoft Office Update Web site at
You've probably heard all the recent hoopla about viruses arriving
on your system via e-mail attachments. To help out, Microsoft has
released an update to make it harder to release these viruses onto
your system. The E-mail Attachment Security Update adds more warnings
to the attachment-opening process. In addition, once you've installed
the update, it requires you to save certain attached files, such as
EXE files, on the file system before opening them.
You can download the E-mail Attachment Security Update from the
Microsoft Office Update Web site at
Want to add some sound to your Outlook chores? If you thought
Windows sound schemes added a lot of spunk to your workday, you ain't
seen nothin' yet. Microsoft has designed an entire set of sounds that
when installed attach themselves to various Office or Outlook events.
You can download the Office 97 Sounds for Word, Excel, Outlook, and
PowerPoint from the Microsoft Office Update Web site at
Once you've downloaded and installed the sounds.exe file, select
Tools, Options, and click the Other tab. Click Advanced Options,
select Provide Feedback With Sound, and click OK twice. (Keep in
mind--this setting affects all Office applications at once.)
(Note: You can edit individual sounds in the Control Panel's Sounds
Properties dialog box. We'll show you how in our next tip.
Wish Outlook were a bit more entertaining? Just as Windows sound
schemes add some zip to your workday, a downloadable set of sounds
adds life to Outlook and other Office programs.
You can download the Office 97 Sounds for Word, Excel, Outlook and
PowerPoint from the Microsoft Office Update Web site at
Once you've downloaded and installed the Sounds.exe file, from
inside Outlook, select Tools, Options. Click the Other tab, click
Advanced Options, select Provide Feedback With Sound, and click OK
twice. (Note: This setting affects all Office applications.)
You can edit individual sounds in the Control Panel's Sounds
Properties dialog box. We'll show you how in our next tip.
In our last tip, we pointed out that you can download Office 97
Sounds for Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint from the Microsoft
Office Update Web site at
Once you've downloaded and installed the Sounds.exe file, from
inside Outlook, select Tools, Options, click the Other tab, click
Advanced Options, select Provide Feedback, With Sound, and click OK
twice.
Not thrilled by all the sounds? You can turn individual sounds on
and off or attach new ones to particular events. All it takes is a
trip to the Windows Control Panel.
Select Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-click Sounds.
Inside the Sounds Properties dialog box, scroll down the list of
events until you find those listed under Microsoft Office. To turn off
a sound, select the event to which it's attached and select (None)
under Name.
To attach a new sound to an event, select that event, then click
the down arrow under Name and select your sound of choice. (To preview
the selected sound, click the arrow button under Preview.) If you
don't see the sound you want in the list (by default it points to the
Windows\Media folder), click the Browse button, navigate your way to
the desired *.wav file, and click OK. Repeat these steps for each
sound you'd like to change, then click OK.
Note: The changes you make will affect all Office applications.)
Just finish entering all the information for a new contact? Don't
click the Save And Close button just yet. If you have another contact
to enter, you can save the current information and start a new entry
all in one fell swoop. Clever, huh? Simply click the Save And New icon
just to the right of Save And Close. Who knew?
In the last series of tips, we covered finding and participating in
newsgroups using Outlook 98. However, no newsgroup discussion would be
complete with mentioning Netiquette. In case you haven't heard the
word, Netiquette is a set of rules on good manners with respect to
newsgroups.
Here's an example: Before you dive in and start responding to the
first message you see, or drafting a message about a topic that's been
on your mind, lurk for a while. That means you hang around for a few
days and simply read the postings. That way, you learn what the common
topics are without the risk of posting an irrelevant or recently
answered question.
In our next tip, we'll give you more Netiquette guidelines.
In our last tip, we told you about a set of rules called Netiquette
that outlines good manners with respect to newsgroups. For example,
before jumping right into a newsgroup, you should lurk for a while to
make sure you're aware of the latest topics and don't ask a recently
answered question.
Here's another guideline: When replying to a posting, avoid quoting
the entire message to which you're replying. Only include the part
that relates to your response.
Can't see all your toolbar buttons while working in a smallish New
Message window? Instead of fiddling with the size of that window, make
a palette.
Assuming you're inside a new message window, hold your mouse
pointer over the left edge of the Standard toolbar, then click and
drag it out of the window. (Alternatively, double-click a blank area
of the toolbar.) The toolbar expands to full size, completely separate
from the message window. To reposition the bar on your screen, click
and drag it by the title bar.
Note: This trick works in any open Outlook window.
In our last tip, we showed you how to change the sort order of the
items in a File, Save As (or File, Open, Personal Folders) dialog box:
Click the icon with the red check mark on it, select Sorting, choose a
sorting criteria under Sort Files By, select Ascending or Descending,
then click OK.
If you think you'll be doing lots of sorting-- for example, if
you're looking for a particular item and might need to try a few
different arrangements to find it--you might find the Sorting dialog
box a bit tedious. Instead, switch that dialog box to Details view,
just as you would in a regular old Explorer window.
Click the fourth icon from the right (hold your mouse pointer over
it first to make sure it says Details), and four columns of
information appear for each item listed. Click the column heading of
any column to sort by that column; click it again to reverse the sort
order. To switch back to the default List view, click the icon just
left of the Details icon.
If the first thing you do when you start Outlook 98 is check your
mail, then Inbox--the default starting folder--is a good place to
start. However, if you head straight for your Tasks list or some other
folder at the start of every work session, ask Outlook to start there
instead.
Select Tools, Options, click the Other tab, and click the Advanced
Settings button. In the drop-down list under General Settings, select
the folder you'd like to start with, then click OK twice. The change
takes effect the next time you open Outlook.
In our last tip, we showed you how to display Back and Forward
buttons in your Outlook window, for easy navigating back and forward
through previously visited folders: Select View, Toolbars, Advanced,
and you'll see Back and Forward buttons in the toolbar that appears.
Not willing to sacrifice a whole row of toolbar space for these
buttons? Before you hide that Advanced toolbar again, try squeezing
all your buttons into one row.
See the two vertical bars on the left edge of the Advanced toolbar?
Click them, then drag the toolbar straight down to the Standard
toolbar. Presto--the first five icons from the Advanced toolbar appear
on the left side of the Standard bar. (Note: If you drag the Advanced
toolbar to the right and then down, its icons appear on the right side
of the bar.)
You know how you can sort the items on your desktop or in a folder
window by Name, Size, Date or Type (right-click a blank area, select
Arrange Icons, then choose an option)? Well, you can perform the same
sorting operation from inside the File, Save As (or File, Open,
Personal Folders) dialog box--for example, if you want to view all the
messages in a particular desktop folder by date.
See the icon on the far right side of the box--the one with the red
check mark on it? Click it, then select Sorting in the resulting menu.
Select a sorting criteria (under Sort Files By), select Ascending or
Descending, then click OK. Outlook rearranges the items in the
original dialog box to match your request.
Just finish entering all the information for a new contact? Don't
click the Save And Close button just yet. If you have another contact
to enter, you can save the current information and start a new entry
all in one fell swoop. Simply click the Save And New icon--the button
just to the right of Save And Close.
Ever try to right-click an item in your folder list and find that
nothing happens? Don't worry--you haven't broken anything. If you
don't have your folder list showing permanently (in other words, you
have to click the current folder's name to display the folder list,
which then disappears after you select one), these commands don't
work.
If you want right-mouse control over your folder list, you'll need
to stick it to the screen: Either select View, Folder List, or click
the pushpin icon at the top-right corner of the list (as described in
a previous tip).
In our last tip, we showed you how to turn the standard toolbar
into a floating palette--for example, if you're working in a very
small new message window and still want access to every tool. Hold
your mouse pointer over the left edge of the Standard toolbar, then
click and drag it right out of the window.
Want to return that toolbar to the window? Double-click the
palette's title bar, and it's back where it started.
Tired of scrolling down the Outlook Bar to get to the shortcuts you
use most? (In case you aren't familiar with the Outlook Bar, select
View, Outlook Bar to make it appear.) Wish you could switch some
shortcuts from My Shortcuts to Outlook Shortcuts or vice versa? Time
for some rearranging--you can move any shortcut to any location on the
bar using a simple click-and-drag.
Click the shortcut you want to relocate and--without letting go of
the mouse button--drag it up or down the Outlook Bar to your location
of choice. (A black line will appear when you're hovering over a
legitimate spot.) Let go, and the shortcut slides into place.
To move a shortcut from Outlook Shortcuts to My Shortcuts or vice
versa, click and drag the shortcut to the bottom of the bar (right
over My Shortcuts), wait for this area to appear, then drop the
shortcut in your location of choice.
Do you frequently use the commands in the View, Current View menu
to sort or organize the contents of the current folder? With the
Advanced toolbar on screen (select View, Toolbars, Advanced), you can
cut the View and Current View commands out of the equation. Just click
the drop-down arrow next to the text box on the toolbar, and take your
pick.
If you were using Outlook Express before you installed Outlook 98,
you'll notice that after the installation the Outlook Express icon
disappeared from your Quick Launch toolbar (assuming you have
one--it's the group of icons to the right of the Start button).
Outlook Express is still there--the only thing that's gone is the
icon. To restore the Outlook Express icon to your Quick Launch toolbar
or to the desktop, just create a shortcut to msimn.exe--typically
located in the c:\Program Files\Outlook Express folder--in either
location. And of course, make sure to rename the shortcut.
When you need to move a message from one folder to the next, you
CAN right-click the message, select Move To, choose a folder in the
resulting list, and click OK. But there's a much faster way. Select
the message(s) you want to move, then click the Move To Folder icon.
(It's on the toolbar between Print and Delete.) In the drop-down list
that appears, select the destination, and you're finished.
Note: The order of the folders in the Move To Folder list changes
as you use this command. The most recent destination appears at the
top of the list. If you don't see the folder you want, use the Move To
Folder command at the bottom of the list.
In our last tip, we showed you how to jump directly to your Inbox
folder without the Outlook Bar or folder list: Press Ctrl-Shift-I on
your keyboard. Here are two more Ctrl-Shift shortcuts you should know
about:
Press Ctrl-Shift-E to create a new folder inside the currently
active folder.
Press Ctrl-Shift-B to open your Address Book.
In our last tip, we told you that pressing Ctrl-Shift-M from any
Outlook folder opens a new message window. Outlook offers similar
shortcuts for creating new appointments, meeting requests, contacts,
tasks, task requests, journal entries, notes, or Office
documents--again, inside any Outlook folder. For the complete list,
select File, New from any folder. Shortcuts appear on the right side
of the resulting menu, next to their equivalents.
Want to make sure that other people who have access to your Outlook
folders can't access your personal business? Mark any task, contact,
journal entry, or appointment private, and no one but you can see it.
(Note: This tip assumes you are using Outlook with Microsoft Exchange
Server, and have given another person access to your folders.)
Double-click the item you want to make private, and in the lower
right corner of the resulting dialog box, select Private. Click Save
And Close, and you've made that item safe from prying eyes.
Wish you could send someone a message without revealing your
identity? We'll show you how, using anonymous remailers (a third party
that strips the message of its return address). Just please don't use
this technique to send people nasty messages. Bad karma.
The first thing you need is a list of available remailers. Point
your Web browser to
Do you find it difficult to lay your mouse on the tiny buttons on
Outlook's toolbars? You can put some meat on those buttons with a
simple setting change. Select View, Toolbars, Customize, and in the
Options tab, select Large Icons.
Need to jump up one level, to the parent of the folder you're
in--for example, from the Personal folder you created inside Inbox,
back up to Inbox? Outlook 98 has an Up One Level command, just like
Windows Explorer. It's not in plain sight (unless you have the
Advanced toolbar displayed, as described in our last tip--select View,
Toolbars, Advanced). To make the jump, select Go, Up One Level.
Do you find the Office Assistant--you know, that strange little
paper clip that tries to offer advice--a little annoying? By default,
Outlook keeps it onscreen, ready to offer help unless you say
otherwise.
To keep the Assistant out of sight, right-click its title bar and
select Hide Assistant (or click the X in its upper-right corner). If
and when you do need help, you can always summon the assistant with a
quick click. Either click the question-mark button on the right side
of the Standard toolbar, or press F1.
In our last tip, we showed you how to change the Office
Assistant--that strange little paper clip that always tries to offer
help: Right-click its title bar, select Choose Assistant, click Next
to view the two Office Logo options (one that moves and one that
doesn't), then click OK.
(Note: If you don't see the Assistant, click the question-mark
button on the right side of the Standard toolbar or press F1.)
Want a more entertaining Assistant? Head over to Microsoft's Office
Update Web site for more options:
Select one of the Assistants (look for the word Assistant in the
Type column), such as Office 97 Assistant: Earl The Cat; then follow
the download and installation instructions.
In our last tip, we showed you how to send a new mail message using
one of Outlook's ready-made stationery choices: Select Actions, New
Mail Message Using, More Stationery; select a Stationery in the list;
click OK; then complete the message as usual. Not happy with your
options? Microsoft offers more choices--8, to be exact--online.
Assuming you just selected Actions, New Mail Message Using, More
Stationery, click the Get More Stationery button. Your browser window
will open (after you establish an online connection) to the Outlook
97/98 Stationery page. Click the Download Now! link below any
stationery you'd like to download, and when the download is complete,
double-click its *.exe file to start the installation.
To try out your new stationery, open the Select A Stationery dialog
box as usual. You'll find the new addition(s) inside.
(Note: Remember that the recipient has to be able to view HTML
messages in order to enjoy your work of art.)
Do you prefer keyboard shortcuts to menu commands or buttons? If
you can't always remember them, Outlook offers some good reminders. By
default, when you hold your mouse pointer over a toolbar button, a
small yellow box called a ScreenTip appears with that button's name
inside. You can ask Outlook to display that button's keyboard
shortcut, if any, inside its ScreenTip.
Select View, Toolbars, Customize and click the Options button.
Select Show Shortcut Keys In ScreenTips, then click Close. To try out
this new option, hold your mouse pointer the over Send and Receive
button--there's that F5 shortcut we all know and love.
In our last tip, we showed you how to jump backward or forward
through recently visited folders: Select Go, Back to jump back one
folder at a time; then use the Go, Forward command to move ahead
again.
Wish you had back and forward buttons in your Outlook 98 window,
just as you do in your browser? You do--they just aren't visible at
the moment. Select View, Toolbars, Advanced, and in the toolbar that
appears between the menu bar and the standard toolbar, you'll see two
buttons with arrows on them--these are the Instant Back and Forward
buttons. (The Forward button appears grayed out, since you can't move
forward until you move back.)
You can also click the arrow on the right side of the Back button
for a drop-down list of all folders. Select one, and off you go.
Want more Outlook commands at your fingertips? The Advanced toolbar
is a row of buttons that turn many menu-driven commands into one-click
operations. To see for yourself, select View, Toolbars, Advanced, and
a new row of buttons appears just below the menus. (Available commands
vary depending on the folder you're viewing.) Hold your mouse pointer
over each button to see what it does.
In our last tip, we showed you how to rearrange your Outlook Bar:
Click and drag any shortcut to the desired location (in the My
Shortcuts or Outlook Shortcuts areas), let go, and the shortcut slides
into place. While you're at it, why not delete some of the shortcuts
you never use to make room for the ones you do?
Right-click any unwanted shortcut, select Remove From Outlook Bar,
then click Yes to confirm. If you decide you need it later, you can
always access it from the folder list. Or put it back on the Outlook
Bar as follows: Right-click it in the folder list and select Add To
Outlook Bar.
In our last tip, we showed you how to remove the icons you don't
use from your Outlook Bar to make room for the ones you do:
Right-click any shortcut you want to remove from the bar, select
Remove From Outlook Bar, then click Yes to confirm.
Can't find any icons you can do without? There's another way to
squeeze more icons into the bar. Right-click a blank area on the
Outlook Bar and select Small Icons. If you ever change your mind and
want to switch back to the big ones, just right-click the bar and
select Large Icons.
To fit more items on the Outlook Bar, right-click a blank area of
the bar and select Small Icons.
Do you keep the folder list hidden to allow maximum viewing of your
message list and preview pane? If you ever change your mind and want
the folder list back on your screen, there's no need to go anywhere
near that View menu. Just click the name of the currently open folder
to display the drop-down folder list, then click the pushpin in the
upper-left corner to make it stick. When you're done, click the X in
the folder list's upper-right corner to send it back into hiding.
In our last tip, we showed you how to add text to, or remove it
from, an Outlook toolbar button: Select View, Toolbars, Customize
(this box has to be open); right-click any icon, and take your pick of
display options, such as Image And Text or Default Style.
While you're at it, notice the Change Button Image command on the
same drop-down menu (for most icons, anyway--you can't change some,
like Send And Receive). Select this command, choose an icon, and that
button's got a brand-new look!
To return a button to its original look, right-click it--with the
Customize dialog box already open--and select Reset.
In our last tip, we showed you how to hide the Office
Assistant--that strange little paper clip that always tries to offer
help: Right-click its title bar and select Hide Office Assistant (or
click the X in its upper-right corner). If you like having help there,
but find the paper clip's movement distracting, choose an Assistant
that doesn't move a muscle.
Right-click the Assistant's title bar and select Choose Assistant.
Click Next until the Office Logo with Absolutely No Moving Parts
appears, then click OK. Ah, peace of mind.
Did you know that you can navigate your way through Outlook 98,
just as you can through your browser window? Select Go, Back, and
you'll jump back to the last folder you were viewing. Continue
selecting this command and you'll keep jumping backward through the
current work session. Now select Go, Forward (repeatedly, if
necessary), and you'll jump ahead again to wherever you started.
Tired of manually sizing the columns of your e-mail folders up (and
down again) to accommodate wide entries--for example, those under
Subject? Don't waste your time clicking and dragging column edges left
and right. Instead, let Outlook autosize your columns for you.
Right-click any column, select Best Fit, and Outlook enlarges (or
shrinks) the column to fit the widest entry.
If you use Windows 98 or beyond, then you already know about
animated menus: Right-click the desktop or an icon, or select any menu
command in an Explorer window, and the resulting menu rolls onto the
screen. Not surprisingly, Outlook 98 offers the same effect.
Select View, Toolbars, Customize and click the Options tab. In the
box next to Menu Animations, click the down arrow and select one of
three options--Random, Unfold, or Slide. Click Close, then click any
menu at the top of your Outlook window. (Those submenus get in on the
action, too.) When you start to get dizzy, go back to the Menu
animations list and select (None).
"If you're using the Outlook 98 Inbox, you don't have to close it
to view your contacts. All you have to do is right-click the Contacts
button and choose Open in New Window. While fooling around with the
right-click menus, I also found that you can even open another Inbox
window if you want."
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