Do you often set up meetings for the same set of people? The Calendar group schedule in Microsoft Outlook® makes it easy for you to see the combined schedules of a number of people or resources at a glance.

You can create and save multiple group schedules, each showing a group of people or resources. For example, one group schedule might contain all employees in a department. Another might contain all conference rooms in a building.

To create a group:

1. Click Calendar on the Folder List (or in the Outlook Shortcuts bar).
   
2. Click Schedules in the Advanced toolbar.
   
3. In the Group Schedules dialog box, click New .
   
4. Type a name for the new group schedule, and then click OK .
   
5. In the dialog box that appears, click the Add Others button, and then click either Add from Address Book or Add Public Folder .
   
6. Select the names or the public folder, and then click Save and Close .

To view the group calendar, select the group schedule you want to view, and then click Open

Put Outlook Notes on Your Desktop

In Microsoft Outlook® version 2002, notes are the electronic equivalent of paper "sticky" notes. You can use notes to jot down questions, ideas, reminders, or anything you would write on note paper.

To create a note in Outlook:

1. On the File menu, point to New , and then click Note .
   
2. Type the text of the note.
   
3. To close the note, click the × in the upper-right corner of the note.

You can also make Outlook notes accessible from your Microsoft Windows® desktop by creating the following shortcut:

1. Right-click the desktop, point to New , and click Shortcut .
   
2. In the Type the location of the item box, type the following path: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.stickynote
   
3. Click Next , name the shortcut, and then click Finish .

Now, when you double-click the shortcut, an Outlook note will appear on your desktop.

Display Nonconsecutive Dates in Outlook Calendar

The Microsoft Outlook® Calendar displays dates consecutively-usually in single week or month view. But sometimes it's useful to see several nonconsecutive (but key) dates at a glance. For example, if you met with the same client on January 12 and 19, March 31, and April 4, you might want to view those dates in a single pane, giving you easy access to meeting summaries, attachments, and lists of attendees.

To view nonconsecutive dates:

1. On the right side of the window in the Date Navigator (the small calendar that displays the current month), click the first date you want to view.
   
2. While holding down the CTRL key, click any other dates you want to view. (To remove a date, click it again.)

You can display up to 14 nonconsecutive days!

Save Multiple Attachments Simultaneously

When you receive an Outlook message containing several attached files, you don't have to open and save each file separately. You can save multiple attachments to the same location in a single step. Here's how:

1. Click Save Attachments on the File menu.
   
2. When the Save All Attachments dialog box opens, click OK .
   
3. Then select the folder where you want to save the files, and click OK .

Editor's Note : When you use this shortcut, you must save all the files to the same folder. To save each attachment to a different folder, you will need to save them individually.

More Calendar-Viewing Shortcuts

After reading Kendra Dionne's tip for customizing your Outlook Calendar view, I did some research on my own and found the following shortcuts. In Outlook Calendar, do the following:

• Press ALT+MINUS SIGN (-) to display the current week.
  
• Press ALT+EQUAL SIGN (=) to display the current month.

Change Your Calendar View in Two Keystrokes

Did you know you can use a keyboard shortcut to modify the number of days visible in your Outlook calendar? Just press ALT and any number between one and 10. The number determines how many days will be displayed, starting from the current date. So, for instance, to see an eight-day span, just press ALT+8.

For this tip to work, you must use the number keys on the keyboard, not the numeric keypad.

Open Web Pages Within Outlook

With Microsoft Outlook version 2002, you can view a recently visited Web site without minimizing or closing Outlook. When you select a Web site address from the Address Bar, the Web page appears within Outlook. It is a quick, easy, and great new feature.

To open a Web page from within Outlook:

1. On the Address Bar (located above and to the right of the area where your e-mail messages appear), click the vertical line next to Address , and then slide it to the left until you see the Address box and the Go , Stop , and Refresh buttons.
   
2. Do one of the following:
   
   • In the Address box, type the address for the Web page you want to display (such as http://www.microsoft.com/office/using/tips/winners.htm), and then click Go .
     
   • Select an address from the list.
     
3. To return to the Outlook folder you selected prior to viewing the Web page, click the Back button on the Address Bar.

Use vCards to Send Your Business Contact Information

Microsoft Outlook supports the use of vCards, the Internet standard for creating and sharing virtual business cards. By adding a vCard to your e-mail signature, you can include your business contact information with each e-mail message you send. If you receive a vCard and would like to save the information it contains, simply double-click it, and it will open as a contact item that you can easily save to your Contacts folder.

To include a vCard with your e-mail signature:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options , and then click the Mail Format tab.
   
2. Under Signature , click Signatures , and then click New .
   
3. Select the options you want, and then click Next .
   
4. Under vCard options , select a vCard from the list or click New vCard from Contact .

Get Rid of Space-Stealing Files in Outlook

I work for a support help desk, and my tip helped reduce one of our most common calls: mailboxes that have exceeded our company's size limit.

When it's time to clean up their mailboxes, most people have trouble finding and deleting the messages that take up the most space, such as those with large attachments. Here's a fast way to expose the space stealers hiding in your Outlook folders.

To create a customized search file in Outlook:

1. On the Tools menu, click Advanced Find , and then click the More Choices tab.
   
2. In the Look for box, click Messages .
   
3. In the Size list, click greater than , and then type a number such as 500 (for files that are 500 kilobytes or larger).
   
4. Select the remaining search options you want, and then click Find Now .

When the search is complete, you can save it as a shortcut. Here's how: Click Save Search on the File menu of the Advanced Find dialog box and save it somewhere you can find it easily later, such as your desktop. Then, the next time you want to run this search, just double-click the shortcut.

Color-Code Your Calendar

In your Outlook Calendar, you can use colors to help you manage your appointments. For example, you can choose colors with predefined labels such as "Personal", "Needs Preparation," or "Must Attend;" or, you can create your own labels. Here's how:

To color an appointment or meeting with a predefined label:

1. Click Calendar.
   
2. Right-click an appointment or meeting, point to Label on the shortcut menu, and then click a color-coded label in the list. (To remove the color from the appointment or meeting, in the Label list, click None .)

To create your own colored label:

1. Click Calendar.
   
2. Right-click an appointment or meeting, point to Label on the shortcut menu, and then click Edit Labels .
   
3. Pick the color you want to rename, type in your new label name, and then click OK .

Quarantine E-Mail Messages from Unknown Sources

Want to keep e-mail messages from people that you don't know out of your Inbox? You can set rules to move messages from unknown sources to a separate folder where you can sort through them at your leisure.

First, create a new folder in your Inbox to hold any mail sent by an unknown source:

1. In the Folder list, right-click Inbox and click New Folder . (If your Folder list is not visible, click Folder List on the View menu.)
   
2. Type a name for the folder, such as Unknown Sender , and click OK .

Next, create a new rule with the Rules Wizard:

1. On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard .
   
2. Click New , and then click Start from a blank rule .
   
3. Click Check messages when they arrive , and click Next .
   
4. In the Which condition(s) do you want to check? box, select the on this machine only check box.
   
5. Click Next .
   
6. In the What do you want to do with the message box, click move it to the specified folder .
   
7. In the Rule description box, click specified , click the folder you created (such as Unknown Sender ), and then click OK .
   
8. Click Next .
   
9. In the Add any exceptions box, select the except if sender is in specified Address Book checkbox.
   
10. In the Rule description box, click specified .
    
11. In the Add Address List dialog box, choose Outlook Address Book , click Add , and then click Next .
    
12. Type the name of your rule, click Finish , and then click OK.

Smart Tags Bring Outlook Features to Word

You can use Microsoft Word smart tags to update your Outlook Address Book and more.

When you type a person's name, Word 2002 recognizes it and marks it with a smart tag indicator. When you click the Smart Tag Actions button, a list of several possible actions appears. For example, you can choose to add the person to your Outlook Contacts list, send an e-mail message, or schedule a meeting.

Editor's Note: To turn this feature on or off, on the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options , then click the Smart Tags tab, and select or clear the Person names (English) .

Find Related Messages in Outlook

Do you end up scanning your Outlook folders to find messages you've previously sent or received as part of an extended e-mail conversation? Outlook can find and display these messages for you, if they are part of the same conversation string.

1. Select one of the messages in the e-mail conversation.
   
2. On the Actions menu, point to Find All , and then click Related Messages .

There's also a shortcut that you can use to find related messages. When you open an e-mail message that you have already replied to, a yellow information bar indicates the date and time you replied to the message and provides a link you can use to find all related messages. Just click the information bar to view related messages.

Editor's Note: In Outlook version 2002, the information bar also indicates whether the sender is currently online, and if that sender is an Instant Messenger contact.

Return Meeting Responses to the Right Person

Most administrative assistants have permission to send meeting requests from their bosses' accounts-but sometimes, responses to those meeting requests end up in their bosses' mailboxes. Here's a way to return responses to the administrative assistant:

You can grant someone permission to send e-mail requests for you by using the Delegate Access feature: On the Tools menu, click Options , click the Delegates tab, and then click the Add button. With that done, it's easy to specify that responses be returned to that person as a delegate.

To return responses to delegates:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options , and then click the Delegates tab.
   
2. Select the Send meeting requests and responses only to my delegates, not to me .

Editor's Note: There are many ways to set up delegate access. To learn more, search under delegate access in the Microsoft Outlook Help file. Please note that the Delegate Access feature requires Microsoft Exchange.

Remove Outdated Names from the List in Outlook

As you start typing an e-mail address into the To , Cc , or Bcc boxes of a message, Outlook version 2002 offers a list of names and e-mail addresses that match what you've typed so far. That way you can choose from the list instead of continuing to type. I like to use the DELETE key to remove outdated names from the list.

To delete a name from the list:

1. Use the UP ARROW key or DOWN ARROW key to select the name.
   
2. Press DELETE.

Editor's Note: Only those names/e-mail addresses that you have previously sent e-mail to will appear in the list.

Manage Multiple E-Mail Accounts with Outlook 2002

The great thing about Web-based e-mail accounts (such as MSN® Hotmail®) is that you can access them anytime and anywhere you have access to the Web. On the other hand, the Web interface offers a much less powerful and flexible way to manage your e-mail messages.

If you use Outlook to store and manage your Web e-mail, you get the best of both worlds. With Outlook 2002, you can easily access your Web-based e-mail. Here's how:

1. On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts .
   
2. Click Add a new e-mail account , and then click Next .
   
3. Click HTTP , and then click Next .
   
4. Add your e-mail account information (enter your user and logon information and select your mail service provider), and then click Next .
   
5. Click Finish to set up your account.

Now your Web-based account will appear alphabetically in your Folder List. If your Folder List is not currently visible, click Folder List the View menu.

Use Multiple Signatures in Outlook 2002

With previous versions of Outlook, you could create attractive signatures to place at the bottom of new e-mail messages. Outlook version 2002 expands this feature, enabling you to add signatures to replies and forwarded messages too. You can even choose one signature for new messages and another for replies. Here's how you set it up:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options , and then click the Mail Format tab.
   
2. Under Signature , click the Signature for new messages drop-down menu, and then click the signature you want to use.
   
3. Click the Signature for replies and forwards drop-down menu, and then click the signature you want to use.
   
4. Click OK .

Discourage Junk E-Mail Senders

You can tell junk e-mail senders that there's nobody home. How? When you empty the contents of your Deleted Items folder, Outlook 2002 gives you the option to accept or decline to send the reply requested by the sender. (Outlook 2002 also gives you the chance to do this as soon as you read the message.) Many senders request a reply to confirm that they've reached a working e-mail address. The best practice is to discard these messages without responding. If senders perceive your e-mail address is no longer valid, they might remove it from their lists, which could mean less junk e-mail in the future.

Editor's Note: Outlook 2002 includes many features you can use to limit the junk e-mail you receive. Get tips from the Assistance Center .

Open, Dismiss, or Snooze Multiple Reminders at the Same Time with Outlook 2002

Did you know that you could act on more than one reminder at a time in Outlook 2002? Your reminders are listed in the Reminders window, which is accessible from the View menu. From there you can open, dismiss, or "snooze" multiple reminders with a single click.

To work with multiple reminders:

1. Select the first reminder.
   
2. Hold down CTRL .
   
3. Select any additional reminders.
   
4. Click Open Item , Dismiss , or Snooze .