Microsoft Outlook Rules

In Outlook, it is often in your best interests to create rules that will send specific emails or types of emails into folders so that you can view them later. It helps to keep your Inbox clean and free of clutter, and groups emails of a like nature together for easy access and reading.

You can easily create a rule, either from a template or from scratch. For example, if you are a member of the popular mailing list Freecycle you may want to make sure all of your Freecycle emails end up in one folder together. It's as easy as adding the Freecycle email to your contacts, and then creating a rule in a few clicks:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/create-a-rule-HP005242897.aspx

Managing your email by using rules has been around as long as Outlook has been. Outlook can easily help you to stay organized and up to date.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/manage-email-messages-by-using-rules-HA010355682.aspx

If you can't find the assistance you need in Outlook by pressing F1 (help), Microsoft themselves are extremely helpful:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291608

Additionally, there is tons of help just a quick Google entry away:

http://voices.yahoo.com/understanding-outlook-rules-create-edit-and-492780.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Manage-Email-Using-Microsoft-Outlook-Rules
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000781.htm
http://www.cba.org/bc/practice_resources/main/outlook.aspx (you may find this one especially helpful as it's written for lawyers, so even a child of five could understand this [law humour] - someone fetch me a child of five!)
http://smarterware.org/4057/three-microsoft-outlook-rules-that-prioritize-your-email

And if you overdo your rules, create rules that conflict, create so many that they can't run, they're very easy to disable.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/turn-on-or-off-a-rule-HP005242975.aspx

If you ever want to get rid of all rules at once and start over, it's this simple:

Windows XP and older: Start > Run > outlook.exe /cleanrules
(note the space between outlook.exe and /cleanrules)

Windows Vista and newer: Start > Start Search > outlook.exe /cleanrules
(note the space between outlook.exe and /cleanrules)

And as always, you can always ask me here or on Facebook, Twitter, or even LinkedIn.

Social Engineering and Outlook

Note: all links are in red to offer you more information and make them more noticeable for you.

First, let's define social engineering:

Social engineering is the act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.

Online criminals can use sophisticated technology to try to gain access to your computer, or they can use something simpler and more insidious: social engineering.

Social engineering is a way for criminals to gain access to your computer. The purpose of social engineering is usually to secretly install spyware or other malicious software or to trick you into handing over your passwords or other sensitive financial or personal information.

Some online criminals find it easier to exploit human nature than to exploit holes in your software. That is to say, they would rather trick you into giving up information than trick your computer because it's easier.

New scams appear daily. To keep up with the latest scams, check Microsoft's fraud section HERE. You can also learn to familiarise yourself with some of the more obvious telltale signs of a scam.

Scams can contain the following:

• Alarmist messages and threats of account closures.
• Promises of money for little or no effort.
• Deals that sound too good to be true.
• Requests to donate to a charitable organisation after a disaster that has been in the news.
• Bad grammar and misspellings.

What does a scam email commonly look like? Read HERE. What are some popular scams that never seem to die down? Read on!

Scams that use the Microsoft name or names of other well-known companies. These scams include fake emails or websites that use the Microsoft name. The email might claim that you have won a Microsoft contest, that Microsoft needs your logon information or password, or that a Microsoft representative is contacting you to help you with your computer. (These fake tech-support scams are often delivered by phone.) For more information, see Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently. This also applies to AOL, Norton, IBM, Facebook, and your bank among others.

Lottery scams. You might receive emails that claim that you have won the Microsoft lottery or sweepstakes. These emails might even look like they come from a Microsoft executive. There is no Microsoft Lottery. Delete the email. For more information, see What is the Microsoft Lottery Scam? This also applies to the Nigerian 419 scam and so many others.

Rogue security software scams. Rogue security software, also known as "scareware," is software that appears to be beneficial from a security perspective but provides limited or no security, generates erroneous or misleading alerts, or attempts to lure you into participating in fraudulent transactions. These scams can appear in email, online advertisements, your social networking site, search engine results, or even in pop-up windows on your computer that might appear to be part of your operating system, but are not. For more information, see Watch out for fake virus alerts.

The bottom line to social engineering is to at least recognize certain principles: poor spelling and grammar, scare tactics, you may not know the sender or it would be unusual to receive an email from them, the email contains a link that you are not familiar with and that you didn't solicit, and more. A great trick is to hover your mouse over a link to see if the actual link matches the information given.

Here is a great visual to demonstrate the items in an email that should set off warning bells and BIG RED FLAGS.

 

What Happens When Outlook Won't Open

A recent post on the Microsoft Outlook forum caught my eye, about Outlook not opening. It happens to the user regularly and the application won't open from the desktop shortcut, the Start Menu, or the pinned location. The user had to restart to get Outlook going again, but the problem would re-occur. They wanted to know if there was a patch or hot fix for the problem.

Actually, the problem is usually pretty easy to troubleshoot and doesn't require a fix or patch.

First, make sure that Outlook is actually closed before you try to open it. Check by opening your Task Manager and then clicking on the Processes tab. Look for OUTLOOK.EXE. If it's running while Outlook is closed, this is why you can't open it.

Usually, if you have to restart the whole PC in order to open Outlook it's because it hasn't closed properly when you exited the program. Something is holding it open.

Shutdown issues are not always readily apparent and will show with sometimes confusing symptoms. You have to restart the PC in order to open Outlook, your nickname (often called auto complete or auto suggest) cache is corrupted and comes up empty, you may see data files issues or messages stating that Outlook did not close down properly and may have errors, you may notice a "gears" icon in the bottom right corner of Outlook, you may be unable to back up your data file. You may also notice Navigation Pane resets or corruption, or the Outlook icon in the system tray/notification area may have an X through it. There are a host of funky little behaviours that result from Outlook being unable to close properly.

So what do you do? First, ensure Outlook is closed. If it isn't, end the process in the Task Manager. Then instead of opening Outlook as you usually would, you would follow these instructions:

Vista, Windows 7: Start > Start Search > outlook.exe /safe
(note the space between outlook.exe and /safe)
Then hit enter.

Windows XP and earlier: Start > Run > outlook.exe /safe
(note the space between outlook.exe and /safe)
Then hit enter.

What this does is to disable all Add Ins that integrate with Outlook; FAX software, sync software that works with your smart phone, anti virus (don't worry, you are not left unprotected - more on that later), anti spam software, etc. This disables all of them all at once. If Outlook performs normally and as desired, then you know an Add In is the culprit and it's a matter of finding it, and usually that's the case.

Close Outlook and open it normally. Find your Add Ins (where they're located depends on the version you're using). Disable them all manually and restart Outlook. Enable one Add In at a time, and test Outlook by sending/receiving, and closing/opening. Test each Add In the same way until you find the one that broke Outlook's functionality.

Anti virus is a common culprit. You don't need to have it integrate with Outlook at all. Your real time AV scanner will catch everything it's updated for. Scanning your mail with anti virus causes more headaches than it prevents.

From an old post of mine:

Turning off your anti virus integration with Outlook is not a security issue
or it wouldn't be recommended. If your anti virus engine is updated regularly
and kept current, your real time scanner will catch anything it's updated
for since any attachment will be saved to the HD first before opening and
scanned. When you integrate anti virus with Outlook it also acts as a proxy
between Outlook and your mail server, hence the frequent problems
*especially* if your polling frequency is short.

Outlook's Command Line Switches

Outlook's command line switches are manually typed commands that help you to troubleshoot or even repair Outlook when it has problems. Some of them will allow you to automate Outlook's behaviour to a certain degree.

For example, you may have a reminder that just won't dismiss or maybe you find that you're sending multiple copies of an email you sent only once. Perhaps Outlook's behaviour and funtion has suddenly changed. The active window opens in the background instead of the foreground. For these behaviors and more, there are command line switches to either fix or help you troubleshoot the problem.

How you get to the command line to type in a switch depends on your Operating System. If you are using Vista or later, you can click on Start > Start Search and enter the command there. If you're using Windows XP or earlier, you can click on Start > Run > and then enter the desired command there.

For example, you have a reminder that won't go away and it annoys the heck out of you. There's a simple fix:

Windows XP and earlier: Start > Run > outlook.exe /cleanreminders (or click the Windows Logo + R)
(note that there is a space between outlook.exe and /cleanreminders)

Windows Vista and newer: Start > Start Search > outlook.exe /cleanreminders
(note that there is still the same space between outlook.exe and /cleanreminders

Above is a problem solving command.

A troubleshooting command would be to open Outlook in safe mode. A good reason for opening Outlook in safe mode is to disable all third party Add Ons to Outlook that might interfere with its normal function. Some operating systems will allow you to open Outlook in safe mode by simply holding down the Ctrl key while you open Outlook. Outlook then prompts you and asks if you want to continue opening Outlook in safe mode. Otherwise, you can type the command as follows:

Windows XP and earlier: Start > Run > outlook.exe /safe (or click the Windows Logo + R)
(note that there is a space between outlook.exe and /safe)

Windows Vista and newer: Start > Start Search > outlook.exe /safe
(note that there is still the same space between outlook.exe and /safe)

There are all kinds of things that can interfere with Outlook's normal function; antivirus that actively scans incoming/outgoing email, anti-spam, FAX software, synch software that works with your handheld, etc.

There are even command line switches that you can use for (limited) automation, such as always opening with Outlook displaying your calendar.

Here is a list of Outlook switches and what they can do for you:

Outlook Command Line Switches

And a great tutorial is found here: Outlook Command Line Switches Tutorial

As always, feel free to comment on my blog and even ask questions.

  

Easy Outlook Workarounds

Outlook errors with Hotmail too many devices synching

After configuring Outlook to use a Hotmail account on multiple devices or an account with a large number of folders an error occurs when you try to synch:

There are too many devices syncing with this account. To synch using Outlook, try removing another device that is connected with this account such as a phone or another computer.

There is a limit placed on the total number of folders, including subfolders that can sync with Hotmail including use of multiple devices. The more devices you use to sync a large number of folders, the more likely you are to reach this limit.

Workaround: Sync only the folders you absolutely need.

Empty Deleted Items can cause full Exchange Mailbox deletion

When you try to empty your Deleted Items folder, the entire contents of your Exchange mailbox (all content and folders) can be deleted. This issue can occur for the following reasons:

1. Outlook 2010 is installed with an Exchange account in Online Mode, but with an .OST file associated with the profile that could be created after switching from Cached Mode at some point in the past. Or you installed Outlook 2013 (upgrade or side-by-side) and use the Online Mode profile.

• The Exchange account must be in Online Mode (not Cached Exchange Mode) and the Cached Exchange Mode Sync Settings administrative template policy setting is configured.

Workaround Download and install the MSI-based Setup update to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 Preview to fix this issue.

Important This download is only for people who installed the MSI-based Setup version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013. Anyone who installed using Office Click-to-Run automatically receives this update.

Search isn’t returning results

When you do a search in Outlook, no results are returned. Instead search returns the following message.

We couldn’t find what you're looking for.

Workaround Office Setup isn’t setting the registry keys correctly or not all keys are configured. You can do a repair to reconfigure the registry keys by doing the following:

2. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
3. Click Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 > Change > Quick Repair.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Give some time to make sure indexing has time to work, and then test search.

Error when connecting to Exchange 2003

When you configure Outlook 2013 for an Exchange 2003 account, you can get the following error message:
The resource that you are trying to use is located on an unsupported version of Microsoft Exchange. Contact your e-mail administrator for assistance.
Workaround Outlook 2013 isn’t supported on Exchange 2003 and connectivity is blocked. Please connect Outlook 2013 to Exchange 2007, 2010, or 2013.
This is no different than Outlook 2000 being unable to connect to Exchange 2010. You have to upgrade.

Adding a new Hotmail account times out

When adding a new Hotmail account to Outlook the operation never completes or times out with an error "An encrypted connection to your mail server is not available
Workaround Manually add the Hotmail account by doing the following:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Click File > Account Settings > Account Settings > New > E-Mail account.
3. Select Manual setup or additional server types, and click Next.
4. Select Exchange ActiveSync, and click Next.
5. In the Server Settings dialog box, enter your account information.
6. In the Mail Server field, enter m.hotmail.com and click Finish.

Vertical scrollbar is missing

The vertical scrollbar is missing.
Workaround Edit the registry and delete the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Options\WordMail\VerticalScrollbar registry key, and then restart Outlook.
NOTE: This edits the registry, proceed with caution and always make a backup.

Backing up Outlook Data

Most people don't think of it until they learn it the hard way. They have not backed up their Outlook data! Fortunately, this task is relatively easy and can be done on a regular basis.

I have a great go-to website for teaching Outlook back up step by step, and making it pretty painless.

The data you want to back up includes everything from your Deleted Items folder to your Sent Items folder, and everything inbetween. The folders are kept alphabetically. This will include any folders that you create to make your mail more organized, and used for filing purposes.

Note that the Deleted Items folder is not recommended as a filing folder or a holding folder. These items are "trash" and this folder should be emptied regularly.

My favourite links for Outlook back ups are as follows:

Outlook Back Up and Restore

Back Up Your Outlook Account Settings

Outlook Files and Settings Guide

You can even recover items you've deleted if you're using Outlook Personal Folders:

Recover Deleted Items

So you see there are many options for ensuring that your important Outlook data is kept up to date and always available, even if you have a hard drive crash.

Outlook Message Recall

Today I'm going to cover how Message Recall works in Outlook. This is only of interest to you if you have an Exchange server mailbox since this feature requires Microsoft Exchange mail server running in the background in order to work. Most home and personal accounts do not use Exchange.

Message recall is an excellent tool if you've sent an email in error. Perhaps you've made a terrible spelling error or forgot to attach an important document. Email is a great way to share communications, schedule meetings and events, and even share documents.

Side note: I do not recommend emailing documents to your co-workers. If you're on the same network, rather than clutter up their mailbox and yours with needless attachments, you should instead place the document in a folder in a network location that everyone can access and simply email a hyperlink to it.

Back to recalling a message! Sometimes your day is so busy and rushed, you may fail to include pertinent information, a critical document, or misspell words which comes across as very unprofessional. What if you sent the email to the wrong person? It's only after you hit the SEND button that you realize your mistake!

How do you fix this? You want to recall the original message and send another with the correct information included and/or to the correct intended recipient. For anyone who hasn't opened the email yet, you can perform a little bit of trickery and pull the email out of their Inbox quietly and replace it.

What steps does it take to do this? Read the following:

1. In Mail, in the Navigation Pane, click Sent Items.
2. Open (double-click, don't simply highlight) the message you want to recall or replace.
3. On the Actions menu, click Recall This Message.
4. Click Delete unread copies and replace with a new message.

Note If you are sending the message to a large number of people, you may want to consider clearing the Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient check box.

5. Click OK, and then type a new message and include the attachment.
6. Click Send. 

What if you don't see Recall This Message on the Actions menu? Make sure you are in the Sent Items folder. The command will also not appear if you are using a POP3, IMAP, or HTTP e-mail account, including MSN Hotmail. Remember, Recall This Message only works if you have an Exchange mailbox.

In some scenarios, you simply wish to Recall This Message and choose Delete Unread Copies of This Message. Say you sent out an invitation to a party for your co-workers, but you chose the wrong date. Simply recall and delete the message quickly.

Here's your next big question: Will my recall be successful?

Whether or not your recall works will depend on several factors. The settings your recipient has configured in Outlook, whether or not you requested a response to notify you whether or not the recall failed, and the time it takes for your message and even your recall to reach the recipient.

Here are some different situations you may run across:

You send an email. You perform the steps to recall and replace it. In your recipient's copy of Outlook, they have selected Process Requests and Responses Upon Arrival in Tracking Options.
What happens next is that both the original email and the recall request arrive in their Inbox. Assuming that the original email has not been read, your original email is deleted and your recipient is notified that you deleted the message from their Inbox.
NOTE: If your original message is marked as read, then when the recall message is processed the recipient is informed that you wish to recall the message. However the message remains in your recipient's Outlook Inbox. Viewing the email in the Reading Pane does not constitute being read.

You send an email. You perform the steps to recall and replace it. Your recpient does NOT have Process Requests and Responses Upon Arrival selected in Tracking Options. Your recipient receives both the original email and the recall. One of two scenarios happens for your recipient:

• If your recipient opens and reads your recall message first then the original email is deleted. The recipient is informed that you deleted the email from their mailbox.
• If your recipient opens and reads your email first, the recall fails. Both the email and the recall remain in their mailbox and are available to them. Again, viewing the email in the Reading Pane does not constitute being read.

You send an email. You perform the steps to recall and replace it. Your recipient has moved your email to another folder, either by a rule or manually by dragging and dropping. The recall message remains in the Inbox, or is moved to another folder. If the recall message and the original email exist in separate folders, the recall attempt fails. This happens no matter what settings are configured in Outlook. This leaves both the original message and the recall available to the recipient.

You send an email. You perform the steps to recall and replace it. Your recipient has either manually moved both emails to the same folder, or used a rule to move both messages to the same folder (not in the Inbox). This will cause Outlook to behave as though it's NOT set to Process Requests and Responses upon Arrival. One of two scenarios happens for your recipient:

• If your recipient opens and reads your recall message first then the original email is deleted. The recipient is informed that you deleted the email from their mailbox.
• If your recipient opens and reads your email first, the recall fails. Both the email and the recall remain in their mailbox and are available to them. Again, viewing the email in the Reading Pane does not constitute being read.

If your recipient reads the mail and then marks it as unread, Outlook will treat the email as though it has never been read.

You send an email to a Public Folder on Exchange. You perform the steps to recall and replace it. One of the following scenarios will occur:

• If the recipient reading the recall message created and has read access to all the items in the public folder, and didn't read the original message, the recall succeeds, and only the new message remains. You, the sender, receive a message indicating that the recall succeeded.
• If the recipient has already marked the original message as read, he or she is informed that the recall failed, and only the recall message is deleted.

If a user with different or any other Public Folder rights opens the recall message, the recall will fail. Both the old and new messages will stay in the Public Folder. In a Public Folder, it is the Reader's Rights, not the Sender's, that determine if a recall attempt succeeds or fails.   

The Outlook Toolbar

A menu displays a list of commands. Some of these commands have images next to them so you can quickly associate the command with the image. Most menus are located on the menu bar which is across the toolbar at the top of the screen.

Toolbars can contain buttons, menus, or a combination of both.

Microsoft Outlook automatically customizes menus and toolbars based on how often you use the commands. When you first start Outlook,. only the most basic commands appear. Then as you work, the menus and toolbars adjust so that only the commands and toolbar buttons you use most often appear.

To look for a command that you don't use often or have never used before, click the double down-facing arrows at the bottom of the menu to show all the commands. You can also double-click the menu to expand it. When you expand one menu, all of the menus are expanded until you choose a command or perform another action. When you click a command on the expanded menu, the command is immediately added to the short version of the menu. If you do not use the command often, it is eventually dropped from the short version of the menu.

 

 

Welcome to Microsoft Outlook

What is Microsoft Outlook?

Outlook is an information and communication manager that primarily handles messaging, calendaring, and contacts.

Basic Outlook Overview

• The mail component lets you send, receive, and manage email messages. Messages can be sent to other email users with a valid email address and can include file attachments and hyperlinks to webpages.
• The calendar is used to keep track of appointments and plan meetings with other email users. On a personal level, it can be used to record appointments, events, and other important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries. You can even use it to remind you to do a task every day. On a group level it can be used to schedule and track meetings with others at a time convenient to all.
• Contacts are used to maintain address, phone, FAX information, etc.

Outlook's Additional Components

• Tasks provide to-do lists comprising jobs that can be assigned to other Outlook users, tracked and scheduled in your calendar. You can check the status of a task and set tasks that recur at specific intervals.
• Outlook can also be used to record notes for any textual information. Notes can be posted on your desktop as constant reminders and can be forwarded to other users or even included in Word processing documents.

Your Outlook View

• You can customize your Outlook View
• To manage Outlook it's often easiest to view two toolbars (standard and advanced), the Outlook bar, and the folder view.
• You should also view mails in your Inbox without the preview pane as a security measure but include the following fields: importance, icon, flag, attachment, From, Subject, Size, and Date.

Outlook Options

• Outlook options are where you set your signature, how you read your email, what format you use, how you choose to empty your Deleted Items folder, spellcheck, etc.
• Options are the way you can customize some Outlook behavior.
• Located under Tools on the Menu Bar, using options allows you to set some email preferences, format, spelling, and many other items.

Outlook Format

• The Outlook format, while found under Options, should be identified separately since incorrectly formatted emails may lead to several avoidable problems.
• The default format on older versions of Outlook (95 - 2002) is Rich Text. Rich Text format is Outlook specific, that is to say that email recipients not using Outlook may not be able to read this format. They may even receive blank emails and if you include an attachment, they probably won't receive it since improper formatting may strip it out.
• The format I recommend is either plain text or HTML.

Outlook Signature

• A signature goes out at the bottom of all of your emails. It should tell the recipient your name, title, telephone number including extensions if applicable, and your website if you have one. There is no need to include your email address since every email you send includes it already.
• Don't make your signature too long or people will ignore it. If it's too cute, people may not take you seriously.
• Keep the font simple and legible. Don't use all capitalized letters.
• Your signature should not be sent on replies and forwards.

Outlook Organization - Folders and Rules

• To organize your mail and keep your Inbox uncluttered, create folders to hold common emails.  For example, if you receive mail from Microsoft on a regular basis create a Microsoft folder.
• To further keep your Inbox clean, create rules that make Outlook automatically move emails into your important folders. Make sure you keep the folders up to date and delete anything not required (example: Merry Christmas from your boss in 1999 is not required).

Outlook Size

• If you are in an Exchange environment (at work or at many schools), you may face a mailbox cap. When you are close to your limit you will receive email notifications from the System Administrator. If you ignore the warnings and exceed your limit, you will be unable to send email. If you continue to ignore the warnings, eventually you will not be able to receive email.
• Outlook itself does not have a cap, depending on which version you use and what type of mail account you have created. For a home user, older versions of Outlook (2002 and older) do have a Personal Folders maximum size of 2 GB though it can become pretty flakey at around 1.6 GB. In Outlook 2003, they did away with this cap by changing the format from ANSI (American National Standards Institute) to Unicode. This allowed the PST file in Outlook 2003 & 2007 to become a maximum size of 20 GB (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830336).
• To determine how much mail you have, view the properties of Outlook Today in the folder view. This will show you what you have and where the bulk of your mail is stored.

Outlook Deleted Items

• Emptying your Deleted Items folder regularly helps to maintain your mailbox or PST size. It is not to be used as a filing system.
• To this end, if you delete an email and discover later that you need it, if you're in an Exchange environment you may be able to recover by clicking on Tools > Recover Deleted Items. If Deleted Item Retention is turned on, you have a chance of getting your email back depending upon how long it's been since you deleted it.
• If you delete an email and you have a POP3 or IMAP account, you can try the following but it is unpredictable at best if you are not trying to recover a deleted email immediately: http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/restoredeleteditemsfromanoutlookpst.htm 

Outlook PST (Personal Folders)

• These can be helpful in an Exchange environment if you have a mailbox cap but should be used with caution. The Outlook PST is created automatically in a non-Exchange environment (say you're a home user and you create a POP3 for your ISP email).
• If you're in an Exchange environment, all email moved to Personal Folders removes it from the Exchange mail server. This means it reduces your mailbox size but it is not being backed up anymore.
• Whether you're a home user or in an Exchange environment, it is in your best interests to regularly back up your PST (aka Personal Folders). The procedure is easy, with Outlook closed, simply copy your PST to another location that is not on your C drive (on a network you can use your User or Home drive, if you're at home you can put it on a CD or USB key or on your D drive - away from your operating system drive which is usually C).
• How to find your Personal Folders: http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm#Locating_the_pst-file 
• How to back up and restore your Personal Folders: http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm 

Outgoing Email Requests

• Request a delivery receipt to verify it was delivered to the email address that you specified.
• Request a read receipt to verify that an email has been read by the recipient. Use this with caution. A recipient may deny this read receipt or their email server can.
• Voting buttons
• Delayed delivery
• Filing outgoing mail
• Recall an outgoing email that you wish to revise or delete (this usually only works in an Exchange environment and only if the recipieint has not read the email).

The Outlook Calendar

• Use the calendar to schedule meetings, reminders, events.
• All scheduled items can be single instance (once) or recurring.
• Invite others to your meetings.
• As the recipient of a meeting request, you can accept/decline/tentative.
• Use the calendar to schedule with people ahead of time. Don't surprise them at the last minute. Give people time to prepare!

Attachments

• If you're in an organization, sending a document by email eats up everyone's mailbox space. Share the document, spreadsheet, PDF, presentation, etc. on the network in a common location that everyone can access. Instead of including the attachment in your email, insert a hyperlink to the location of the attachment.
• Often, incoming and outgoing attachment size is limited. Take note of the size of the attachment size that you wish to send. Sending a huge file can also tie up your own outgoing email.

Email Etiquette

• I am covering email etiquette for several reasons; professionalism, courtesy, efficiency, and liability.
• By using proper language and correct spelling, we portray an image of professionalism.
• Emails that get to the point are much more efficient than poorly-worded ones.
• Since text-based communication has no tone of voice or body language to associate with it, take extra care to be courteous.
• Awareness of email risks protects you from lawsuits.

What Are the Rules?

• Be concise and to the point.
• Answer all questions and pre-empt further questions.
• Use proper spelling, grammer, and punctuation.
• Make it personal.
• Do not attach unnecessary files.
• Don't type in all capitalized letters.
• Add a signature to your outgoing email.
• Read and re-read your email before you send it.
• Double-check that you're sending to the correct recipient.
• Do not forward chain emails and hoaxes.
• Don't use email to discuss confidential information.

Outlook Caution

• Never send or forward emails that contain libelous, defamatory, offensive, obscene, or racist remarks.
• Use the Reply to All button only when all recipients require the information you convey.
• Don't reply to SPAM.