1. Rules
  2. Desktop Alerts
  3. Reminders

Rules: Server-side -vs- Client-side  to top

Outlook allows you to set rules to manage your email messages automatically. You can set rules to automatically alert, file, forward or reply to messages as they arrive. You can create more complex rules easily by using Outlook's Rules Wizard. You can even create a separate set of rules to manage your messages while you are out of the office!

Outlook allows you to create two types of rules:

  1. Server-side rules - These rules are stored on the Exchange Server, can be accessed via the Outlook Web Access client, and will run even when Outlook is closed on your PC or your PC is off.
  2. Client-side rules - These rules are stored on your PC and will only run when your PC is on and Outlook is open on your desktop.
You don't have to worry about which type of rule you are creating. Outlook will tell you when a rule is client-side only. When it does, you need to remember that client-side rules will only run when your PC is on and Outlook is open on your desktop. Otherwise, all other rules are server-side rules which will run at any time

Setting Up Rules  to top

Additional information about rules can be found by typing "Rules" in the "Type a question for help" box in the upper right-hand corner of the Outlook Inbox. The documents "About managing messages with rules" and "Troubleshooting rules" are particularly helpful.

There are three ways to set a rule:

  1. From within a particular message
  2. From within the Out of Office Assistant
  3. From within the Rules & Alerts tool
To set a rule from within a particular message:
  1. Right-click on the message in the message list and select Create Rule or...
  2. Click the Create Rule icon or choose Actions > Create Rule from the menu bar in the message itself.
To set a rule from within the Out of Office Assistant:
  1. Select Tools > Out of Office Assistant from the menu bar in the Inbox
  2. Click the Add Rule button
To set a rule from within the Rules & Alerts tool:
  1. Select Tools > Rules & Alerts
  2. Click the New Rule icon
In the Outlook Web Access client, you can set rules from within a particular message by following the steps above. You can also create rules by selecting the Rules section button and clicking the New icon.

Desktop Alerts - Settings & Functions  to top

Definition: notification given to users when they receive a new email, or a meeting or task request. The information in the alert depends upon which kind of Outlook item is sent.

  • E-mail message: The alert displays the name of the sender, the subject, and the first two lines of the message. (Note: If you receive an encrypted or digitally signed message, the desktop alert won't display its contents. To view the message, you have to open it.)
  • Meeting request: the sender, subject, date, time, and location for the meeting are displayed.
  • Task request: the sender, subject, and start date of the assigned task are displayed.

Setting/modifying Alert Notification Options

  1. Open the Advanced Email Options window: Tools menu > Options > Email Options > Advanced Email Options
  2. Under When new items arrive in my Inbox:
    1. To play a sound when messages arrive, select the check box next to Play a sound.
    2. To change the mouse cursor when a message arrives, select the check box for Briefly change the mouse cursor.
    3. To show the envelope indicating new messages in the taskbar notification area (far lower right of the screen), select the check box next to Show an envelope in the notification area.
    4. To display an alert for new messages, select the check box for Display a New Mail Desktop Alert (Note that this is for the default Inbox only).

      (Note: deselect any of the above to turn them off.)

Modifying the Desktop Alert Settings

  1. Open the Advanced Email Options window: Tools menu > Options > Email Options > Advanced Email Options.
  2. Under When new items arrive in my Inbox, click on the Desktop Alert Settings... button.
  3. In the Desktop Alert Settings window:
    1. To change the length of time the alert is visible, use the mouse to move the indicator arrow between Short (3 seconds) and Long (30 seconds) to the desired duration.
    2. To change the transparency of the Desktop Alert, move the indicator arrow between Solid and Clear to the desired transparency.
    3. To change the position of the Desktop Alert window (as well as to check duration and transparency), click the Preview button, hold the mouse down over the Desktop Alert window which appears, and drag the window to the desired location.
    4. To accept your settings, click the OK button in each open window.

Desktop Alert Window Options

The Desktop Alert Window has a number of functions to help you work with your email messages.

  1. To open a message, click on an open area in the alert window.
  2. To delete a message, click on the delete icon (X) in the alert window.
  3. To flag a message, click on the flag icon in the alert window.
  4. For the following functions, click on the Options icon (down arrow) at the upper right of the Desktop Alert window:
    1. To mark the message as having been read, select Mark as Read on the Options drop-down menu.
    2. To turn off the Desktop Alert window, select Disable New Mail Desktop Alert in the Options drop down menu. To turn it back on, follow the steps under Setting/modifying Alert Notification Options above.
    3. To modify the alert window settings, select Desktop Alert Settings... in the Options drop-down menu. In the window which appears, you can change the settings as described in Modifying the Desktop Alert Settings above.

Reminder Options  to top

The default for reminders on appointments is set to "on" - if you never want a reminder box checked on an appointment you can turn off the default.

Go to: Tools > Options and uncheck the default reminder box in the calendar section. You can adjust the default reminder time length here as well.

To turn reminder display and sound on/off "when a reminder comes due"

Go to: Tools > Options > Other tab > Advanced Options > Reminder options

If you have Outlook play a sound when a reminder comes due you can change the sound file here.

The reminder window:

When the reminder window opens you can:

  • Dismiss all reminders - if you have reminders for many things that pop up at once you can dismiss them all.
  • Open the item - click to open the appt. This does not dismiss the reminder box.
  • Dismiss this reminder - clears/ends the reminder
  • Press the snooze button for a set length of time - the reminder box will pop back up after the length of time that you've set.

Adding Reminders to Messages (new or existing)  to top

Reminder on a new message:

  1. Open a new message
  2. Click on the Flag icon in the Email toolbar
  3. In the 'Flag to' list, select the text that you want or type in your own
  4. Select the Due by date and time if applicable
  5. Click OK

When the message is received it will have a date and time listed in the Due By column (if you've added that column to your header row - directions are below) and there will be a faint red flag, (or another default color that has been set) with no background color around it, in the Flag Status column. The flag will stay that way until you take action on that flag.

Reminder on an existing message:

  1. Open the message by right clicking and selecting Open or double clicking the message.
  2. Click the Flag icon in the standard toolbar
  3. In the 'Flag to' list, select the text that you want or type in your own
  4. Select the Flag color from the drop down list
  5. Select the Due by date and time.
  6. Click OK

Adding the Due By column to your header row:

  1. Right click on the header row and select Customize Current View
  2. Click on the Fields button
  3. Frequently Used fields should be in the Select available fields from drop down box
  4. Select Due By from the Available fields window
  5. Click Add -> to move Due By to the Show these fields in this order window
  6. Use the Move Up and Move Down arrows to position the field where you'd like it.
  7. Click OK

Adding Reminders to Appointments  to top

Adding a reminder to a new appointment:

  1. The default is checked "on" and 15 minutes. You can type in any length of time in this box up until August 31, 4500. If you don't include a unit of time the default is minutes.

Adding a reminder to an existing appointment:

  1. Open the appointment and click the reminder box
  2. Select the length of time, or type in your own
  3. Click Save and Close

Recurring calendar reminders:

You can set a recurring calendar reminder for zero minutes so it doesn't block time off of your calendar:

  1. In the Calendar, start a New Recurring Appointment
  2. In the Appointment Recurrence dialog box, under Appointment Time, click a start time in the Start list, and then click the same time in the End list. Make sure that 0 minutes appears in the Duration list. (otherwise time will be blocked on your calendar)
  3. Under recurrence pattern, click an interval such as Daily or Weekly and then select the options that you want
  4. Under Range of recurrence click a start date in the Start list and then select a stop option.
  5. Click OK
  6. Type a name for the reminder in the Subject line
  7. Click Save and Close

Adding Reminders to Contacts  to top

On a new contact:

  1. Open a new contact
  2. Click the Flag icon on the standard toolbar (or click Actions and select Follow Up)
  3. In the 'Flag to' list, select the text that you want or type in your own
  4. Select Due By date and time
  5. Click OK
Existing contact:
  1. Double click to open contact
  2. Click the Flag icon on the standard toolbar (or click Actions and select Follow Up)
  3. In the 'Flag to' list, select the text that you want or type in your own
  4. Select Due By date and time
  5. Click OK

Adding Reminders to Tasks  to top

On a new task:

  1. Open a new task
  2. Click in the reminder box
  3. Select the date and time
  4. Click OK
To set or clear all reminders for Tasks with due dates:
  1. Go to: Tools > Options > Task Options
  2. Uncheck the Set reminders on tasks with due dates check box
  3. Click OK
 


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