Outlook+Training+Agenda

=Outlook Training Agenda=

Demonstation Section

 * **General Description of Outlook**
 * Personal Information Manager
 * Helps you organize e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes
 * **Drag and Drop**
 * Many of us use outlook to schedule our lives. This can be done even more quickly by dragging email into the calender, contact, or task sections of outlook.
 * Right Drag and Drop will provide additional options
 * **Categories**
 * A category is a keyword or phrase that helps you keep track of items so you can easily find, sort, filter, or group them. Use categories to keep track of different types of items that are related.
 * __The Master Category__
 * Outlook contains a default Master Category List to which you can add your own categories to suit your personal needs. You can find the Master Category List under the Edit/Category menu command. Use the Master Category button in the Category window to add and remove categories in the Master Category list. When you remove a category from the Master Category list, the items that have been assigned to the category remain unchanged. You can continue to group those items using the deleted category.
 * A good practice is to assign one or more categories to your Outlook item by selecting the category from the Master Category list. You could simply type a category in the category field of your item, but most likely you will not refer to the category in the same manner for each item thus defeating the purpose of using them.
 * For example, the first item you want to categorize, you type MS Office. A few days later, you have new item for that same category. This time you type, Microsoft Office. Outlook interprets this as a NEW category.
 * Using the Master Category List assures consistency and avoids misspelling.
 * __Assigning Categories to Items__
 * You can assign one or more category to any type of Outlook item. With the exception of the email message form, you will see a Category field and button on every Outlook form. To assign categories to email items, you must go to the email options to find the category field.
 * To assign categories during the creation of the item, click on the Category button on the form (or Options button on an email item) and check off all categories in the Master Category list that apply; then click on OK. Open any existing item and proceed as described above to add a category after creation.
 * You can assign categories to multiply items in a list. Select all items to which you want to assign the same categories. Right click on the blue selection, and select Categories from the shortcut menu. Check all categories that apply; then click on OK.
 * __Remove Categories from Items__
 * Open the item from which you want to remove the category. Click on the Category button and remove the selection check mark from the category you want to remove. You can remove categories from multiple items in a list by pre-selecting the group of items; selecting Categories from the right click shortcut menu; deselecting the categories you want to remove; then, clicking on OK.
 * **Searching and Organizing E-Mail**
 * Columns (fields)
 * Right Click on Columns to change the criteria you are sorting by
 * You can also select "Show in Groups" to reduce the amount visible on the screen
 * Notice the column changes
 * Want More than two columns?
 * Move or Hide the Reading Pane
 * Add Additional Columns with Field Chooser
 * After the reading pane has been removed or move, you can right click on a column and field chooser will be available.
 * Drag fields on to the columns
 * Folders
 * Many People group e-mails into subfolders to better organize them.
 * Folders can be dragged into the favorites folder area to allow you to easily drag future items into them.
 * Search Bar (Find Now)
 * You can use this to sort through various e-mails
 * Search Folders
 * One of the more handy features in Outlook 2003 is the ability to set up Search Folders, also known as Smart Folders. These are folders that allow you to specify folder contents based on search criteria. In other words, the folders dynamically update. The three largest benefits of using Search Folders (at least in my opinion):
 * Search Folders save time. Never again will you have to spend time sorting emails into folders based on project, sender, subject, etc…
 * Prevent lost emails and errors. With search folders you won’t wind up in a situation where an email was mistakenly placed in the wrong folder, and therefore hidden from view.
 * Emails can be in multiple folders. You might want to have an email in two folders. For example, one email might belong in the “From Boss” folder, and in the “Project: Server Upgrade” folder. Traditional folder management doesn’t allow this. Since search folders are based on search criteria, a single email can appear in multiple folders as long as it meets the search criteria of that folder.
 * Using Search Folders
 * Open Outlook, and find the Search Folder in the list of folders. By default, Outlook contains several built in Search Folders including For Follow Up, Unread Mail, and Large Mail.
 * Right click on Search Folders, and select New Search Folder. Alternatively, select File > New > Search Folder. Finally, for those who prefer keyboard shortcuts, Ctrl+Shift+P will work as well.
 * Once the New Search Folder wizard appears, you’ll see that Outlook provides a bunch (13 to be exact) pre-configured Search Folders you can choose from. These are broken down into the following categories: Reading Mail, Mail from People and Lists, and Organizing Mail. If one of the canned search folders works for you, select it, follow the directions given by the wizard - and you’re good to go.
 * You can also create a Custom Search Folder: to do this, select Create a custom Folder, and then click Choose to select your criteria.
 * Name your Search Folder, select the search criteria to use for the search folder, and then select OK.
 * Once your search folder has been created, you can view the search folder and all messages meeting the defined criteria by expanding the Search Folders in Outlook.
 * Rules
 * Allows Outlook to automatically perform actions upon messages when they arrive or are sent
 * Some of the available criteria are:
 * From:
 * Sent to Specific Person
 * Words in Subject, Body, or e-mail addresses
 * Contains an attachment
 * Date Ranges
 * Any many others
 * Some of the available actions are:
 * Move it (or a copy of it) to a folder
 * Assign it to a category
 * Delete It
 * Forward it to another address
 * Reply with a template
 * Mark it with a importance level
 * Flag it
 * And Many Others
 * **Using Signatures**
 * You can have Outlook automatically place a signature line at the bottom of your e-mail therefore saving you the time of having to enter in this information at the bottom of your e-mail.
 * You can set seperate signatures for new e-mails versus replies and forwards.
 * You can manually add these signatures into any e-mail.
 * **Recovering Deleted Items**
 * In corporate server environments, you may be able to recover your deleted items for a period of time after deleting the item from your deleted items folder. This feature is called Recover Deleted Items.
 * This feature must be enabled by your sytems administrator and typically only keeps items for an additional 7 days after removal from your deleted items.

Hands On Section

 * If you are on a Office 2007 PC, you must partner up with a person with a Office 2003 PC.

References [|Microsoft's Outlook Help and How To's] [|Drag and Drop - http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/228/drag_and_drop_for_quick_outlook_tasks] [|Categories - www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43045.asp] [|Right Drag and Drop - http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/features/37279/Outlook_DragandDrop_Secrets.html] [|Search Folders - http://davidbrunelle.com/2006/08/27/how-to-use-search-folders-in-microsoft-outlook-2003/] [|Outlook 2003 Create a Rule - http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HP052428971033.aspx] [|Signatures - http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=421]