Tips for Outlook 2010
This week I have compiled a few of my favorite updates in Microsoft Outlook 2010. Try them out and let me know what you think. 
Integrate Social Networks Into Outlook
Outlooks "Social Connector" feature lets you integrate LinkedIn and Facebook updates (other social networks slated to appear in the future), but the method for setting this up isn't obvious. You'll need to download and install Social Connector http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/outlook-social-connector-partner-listing-FX101812910.aspx?assetid=FX101812910 for Outlook. This feature links to LinkedIn and Facebook and pulls photos of your contacts into Outlook for you. This option also shows all messages and attachments from someone grouped together.
Print Only One page of an Outlook Message
Other Office apps let you print the current page (or one or more numbered pages) directly from the Print menu in Backstage (File Tab) view by clicking the down arrow next to the Print All Pages button to see the page-range options. Outlook doesn't offer those options on its Print menu; instead, you must click the tiny Print Options button on the Print menu, then select a Page Range option.
Quick Steps
While Quick Steps will jump right out at you, you may not immediately understand just what Quick Steps are or why you should use them. Quick Steps are a means to make tasks that you perform regularly quick and easy. For example, you may regularly send email to your team - perhaps a group of employees or co-workers. The Team E-Mail Quick Step is easily customized to have the proper recipients. Send a message to the team is now as simple as clicking the Team E-Mail Quick Step. Other Quick Steps may move or copy messages to a specific folder, reply to a message and then delete it, or forward the message to a group and then delete it. On my screen, the Quick Step area will accommodate 9 Quick Steps without having to scroll to access them all. This week I will be thinking about what 9 actions I want to use my Quick Steps for to make email handling more efficient.
Conversation View
Conversation View is not so obvious, but I think I will find this to be extremely helpful. I regularly find myself sorting my email by who it is from so that I can find previous messages in the thread. Of course, a few minutes later, I'm sorting by date so I can see new messages easily. I probably re-sort my messages at least a half dozen times every day. Conversation View will list all messages that are part of the same thread together. You must turn this feature on to take advantage of it, and you can turn it on only for selected folders. You access this feature, and the related options, from the View tab. (Simply click the box nest to Show as Conversations). Once you have turned it on, you will see arrows in front of messages that are part of conversations. Click on the arrow to see all of the messages in the conversation. When you move to a different message in the folder, the messages are once again collapsed. I have noticed that some conversations automatically expand and others do not. I haven't figured out exactly why. And the initial expansion shows only messages from others to you. Expanding again will show your replies as well.
Keep checking us out for more tips on Office 2010 and Widows 7. (I am stockpiling and sharing a little at a time.)
Tips for Outlook
We have talked about keeping the Inbox clean in previous posts, here are a few more tips that can help out. From quickly moving messages between folders to creating templates and undeleting messages to create rules for automatic filing in folders. Hope you enjoy!!
Move Email Messages Quickly in Outlook
Keeping your messages organized takes some moving around, from one Outlook folder to another. An easy and fast way to transfer a message is with a handy keyboard shortcut.
To file mail fast in Outlook:
o Press Ctrl-Shift-V
o Highlight a folder with the mouse or the up and down keys.
o Press Enter
You can also create a new folder directly in this dialog by selecting the New... button.
Create and Use an Email Template in Outlook
About to click Send, it dawns on you: the email you have composed looks a lot like email you wrote yesterday. And, who knows, perhaps you'll write the same message again next week?
Wait. Do not click Send yet. Save the message as an Outlook template first, and next week's email will be that much faster starting from that template.
To save an email message as a template in Outlook:
o Create a new message and enter the desired Subject: and content.
o Click the Office button and select Save As.
o In Outlook 2003, select File | Save As from the menu.
o Select Outlook Template under Save as type: in the Save As dialog.
o Type the desired template name (if different from the email subject) under File name:
o Click Save.
To compose a message using the new template:
o In the Outlook Inbox, select Tools | Forms | Choose Form... from the menu.
o Select User Templates in the File System under Look In:
o Double-click the desired message template.
o Address, make any changes, and send the email.
Undelete a Message Quickly in Outlook
It happens to me all the time: I hit Delete and the message is gone. In the very same nanosecond, I spot something in the email that catches my interest. Too late.
Too late? No, because Outlook makes it really easy to recover a message you have just deleted. It works just like undoing something in Word, for example.
o To undelete a message fast from the keyboard in Outlook:
o Press Ctrl-Z.
If you have mistakenly deleted a message previously, you can move it from the Deleted Items folder to any other folder to restore it.
Filter One Sender's Mail to a Certain Folder Automatically in Outlook
Whether it's mail from your daughter, best client, oldest friend, boss, co-worker or must-read newsletter: wouldn't it be great if it went to the right folder, right away?
Outlook can send all incoming messages to any folder automatically using a filter. Fortunately, it's easy to set up, too especially if you have a message from the sender ready.
o To have Outlook file a particular sender's messages automatically:
o Click with the right mouse button on a message from the sender whose messages you want to filter.
o Select Create Rule... from the menu that comes up.
o Make sure From {Sender} is checked.
o Also check Move the item to folder:.
o Click Select Folder....
o Highlight the desired target folder.
o Click OK.
o Click OK again.
o To move all existing messages from the sender (only in the current folder) to the filter's target folder right away, check Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder.
The rule will automatically file the sender's all newly incoming messages in the future, of course.
Click OK once more.