Outlook gurus look in!

[Waylander]

just moved from Office XP to Office 2003, few questions about Outlook:

#1 in XP there was a desktop icon for Outlook - i cant seem to find it for Outlook 2003. Sure i can [and have so far] dragged the quicklauch icon onto the desktop but that has that annoying little arrow in the corner. Where do i get the "proper" one?

#2 my main use for Outlook is the Calender. i am putting all my engagements/on-calls etc on it:

a) is there any way that i can make the calender in my user profile [admin] available to my wife in her log-in when she clicks on the outlook icon [limited account]? this way we can keep a synchronised master calender [and she gets to keep tabs on my "diary"

b) is there anyway i can set up shortcuts so that [for example] when i click on "new appt" in the calender an i type "oc" it automatically knows that this means "on call" in the description and "unitl 9pm" and it should use the blue "busy" highlighter etc? just get to be a pain typing and clicking the same thing again and again. there must be a more efficient way

cheers

[A8_Tony]

Hi Riz1,

The first problem you have is that to access shared calendars in Outlook 2003, you'll need to have a server running Exchange on it. This acts as a central repository for all of your e-mail, calendar, task etc. information. This would enable you to share all the information you could ever need.

Re the shortcuts. You could create a custom form that has all of this information programmed in. Sounds like heavy work, but it's not really. (I've created one you can use if you like, just pm me with your e-mail addy)

This can then be selected by selecting the form from the Choose form menu (I'd add it to a custom menu first), thus making the access much easier.

[Waylander]

yes i saw in the help files it kept talking about using MS Exhange server. thing is, its a home PC so can still setup a local "server" on it and if so how?

pm on its way

[RobK]

To get your icon back on the desktop, copy this text into notepad, and save it as icon.reg

[ QUOTE ]

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

@="3"

[/ QUOTE ]

Then double click on it and click yes when it asks if you want to merge it into the registry. I think you might have to log off and back on before the icon appears.

[RobK]

I think your wife should to open your calendar. Your mailbox is stored in a .PST (personal folders) file in your "documents and settings\username" folder on your system drive. I can't remember the exact path but you'll need to enable "view hidden folders" to find it. Then you can give permission to the file to your wife, and then she would be able to open it in Outlook using File > Open > Outlook Data File.

[A8_Tony]

Path should be something like:

C:\Documents and Settings\riz1\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The only problem with this would be that your wife would be able to see everything.

You could add it as a second set of data folders to your wife's system.

Try this (all performed on your wifes login) and afer giving her permission to access your data file as described above.:

1. Tools/Options

2. Mail Setup tab Click on Data Files

3. Click on Add

4. Select Office Outlook Personal folders file(.pst)

5. Browse to your settings directory as shown above and look for the file called Outlook (hopefully the only one there)

6. When you click on OK, give the directory a name, it'll already be called Personal Folders. Call it something like Riz's Files

7. click on the Calendar, and then select Calendar in Riz

Job's a good 'un

Only thing you'll have to make sure of? Close Outlook before you log off, otherwise, she'll not be able to access the folder anyway.

[Waylander]

thanks boys i will sort this tonight if i am still sane after this on-call!

Outlook is only really used to store contacts and for the calender [we use OE for mail] so i dont have a prb with her seeing everything and to be honest if would make life much easier if we could both access and write to the same .pst file...will play around to see if that is possible too

cheers for the speedy and detailed advice

[A8_Tony]

Oooh you wanna get rid of OE for mail Riz, Outlook is much better. Transfer the lot m8, you'll be happy you did

[RobK]

You could create a new PST just for your shared calendar, and save it somewhere she has access to. I agree you should ditch OE.

[A8_Tony]

[ QUOTE ]

You could create a new PST just for your shared calendar, and save it somewhere she has access to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good call

[Waylander]

[ QUOTE ]

Oooh you wanna get rid of OE for mail Riz, Outlook is much better. Transfer the lot m8, you'll be happy you did

[/ QUOTE ]

i did try in the past when i used Outlook XP but then switched back. It is a family machine and i found that with OE i could do the following things that i just couldnt do with outlook:

#1 reply to a "new" person and the address is auto-added to the address book. with outlook had to "manually" add each address/new contact

#2 OE has been setup so that all the mailboxes are in a communal folder hence Inbox has sub-boxes for "me" and "wife" [by duplicating the mail acccount but only synching one of them] so when mail comes in rules sort to the appropriate box

#3 similar to #2but when i check "my" OE i can use a drop down box to select which of my email accounts [pipex or freeserve] i use to reply from but didnt seem to be able to do that with Outlook.

hence outlook was more "polished" but Oe was more cheerfully user friendly which was important for family use

[Waylander]

[ QUOTE ]

Path should be something like:

C:\Documents and Settings\riz1\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The only problem with this would be that your wife would be able to see everything.

You could add it as a second set of data folders to your wife's system.

Try this (all performed on your wifes login) and afer giving her permission to access your data file as described above.:

1. Tools/Options

2. Mail Setup tab Click on Data Files

3. Click on Add

4. Select Office Outlook Personal folders file(.pst)

5. Browse to your settings directory as shown above and look for the file called Outlook (hopefully the only one there)

6. When you click on OK, give the directory a name, it'll already be called Personal Folders. Call it something like Riz's Files

7. click on the Calendar, and then select Calendar in Riz

Job's a good 'un

Only thing you'll have to make sure of? Close Outlook before you log off, otherwise, she'll not be able to access the folder anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

job certainly was a good 'un!

i found that i didnt have to alter any permissions for her as she was able to see it anyway. i imported it to her folder as well and got it so that my calender is opened by default when she clicks outlook

now i just gotta sort out little annoyances [for her] like making both calenders [ie her default and mine] different colours (not that she will even use hers but still )) and not leave mine as that "yucky" green colour [sigh!]

ps that template was great thanks tony - just gotta learn where to save it now! I also stumbled by accident on making your own drop-down options to assign colours to so i could even just make on-call an actual even with its own colour...

maybe at some stage i will

[Waylander]

and then at 1am i managed to delete all the entries in my calander from her account so had to input them again ..suffice to say i am knackered.

the on call template came in very handy

[eolair]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

Oooh you wanna get rid of OE for mail Riz, Outlook is much better. Transfer the lot m8, you'll be happy you did

[/ QUOTE ]

i did try in the past when i used Outlook XP but then switched back. .... Oe was more cheerfully user friendly which was important for family use

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG - OE is the devil of all mail clients. It leaves the machine open to so many exploits, in spite of any AV / firewalling you have.

Seriously, there are many good alternatives out there - Pegasus, Eudora, Netscape Mail, Thunderbird, and plenty more.

Friends don't let friends use OE or IE

[Waylander]

hehehehe

i have already made the switch to Firefox and wife took to it quite easily. havent fully immersed myself in geekdom with Thunderbird etc but i am sure i will look at it over the next month or so...

in the meantime figure i shold learn to take advantage of Outlook gazzilions of features

[A8_Tony]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

Path should be something like:

C:\Documents and Settings\riz1\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The only problem with this would be that your wife would be able to see everything.

You could add it as a second set of data folders to your wife's system.

Try this (all performed on your wifes login) and afer giving her permission to access your data file as described above.:

1. Tools/Options

2. Mail Setup tab Click on Data Files

3. Click on Add

4. Select Office Outlook Personal folders file(.pst)

5. Browse to your settings directory as shown above and look for the file called Outlook (hopefully the only one there)

6. When you click on OK, give the directory a name, it'll already be called Personal Folders. Call it something like Riz's Files

7. click on the Calendar, and then select Calendar in Riz

Job's a good 'un

Only thing you'll have to make sure of? Close Outlook before you log off, otherwise, she'll not be able to access the folder anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

job certainly was a good 'un!

i found that i didnt have to alter any permissions for her as she was able to see it anyway. i imported it to her folder as well and got it so that my calender is opened by default when she clicks outlook

now i just gotta sort out little annoyances [for her] like making both calenders [ie her default and mine] different colours (not that she will even use hers but still )) and not leave mine as that "yucky" green colour [sigh!]

ps that template was great thanks tony - just gotta learn where to save it now! I also stumbled by accident on making your own drop-down options to assign colours to so i could even just make on-call an actual even with its own colour...

maybe at some stage i will

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad you found it useful Riz, don't hesitate to ask again if you need any help!!