Managing Email in Outlook 2003

Suggestions for Managing Email:

1. Set a recurring reminder to delete mail messages
2. Automatically empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting MS Outlook
3. Archive messages to a file on your hard drive
4. Move messages to personal folders on your hard drive

Suggestion 1: Set a recurring reminder to delete the mail messages in your Sent Items & Deleted Items folders

Step 1: Set the reminder

1. Click on the Tasks icon on your Views Bar.

2. Click on the New button located on the toolbar at the top of the window.

3. Click on the Recurrence button.

4. Select the desired Recurrence pattern and the Range of recurrence. Click OK.

5. Enter a Subject, and set the Reminder options.
   
   
   
6. Click on the Save and Close button.

Step 2: Respond to the Reminder

When the Reminder appears on your screen, you may either press the Dismiss button or press the Snooze button to remind you again in the number of minutes specified at the bottom of the Reminder window. Clicking on the Open Item button allows you to edit the task or to mark it completed.

Step 3: Delete your mail messages

1. Select the messages in your Sent Items folder that you want to delete. 
   
   Tip: You can select blocks of consecutive messages by clicking on the first message, holding down the Shift key on your keyboard, and then clicking on the last message. Likewise, you can select multiple, nonconsecutive messages by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking on the desired messages.

2. Click on the Delete button on the toolbar at the top of the window, or press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Note: When you delete mail messages, they are stored in the Deleted Items folder in your account on the Exchange Mail server. To permanently delete the messages, you must delete them from the Deleted Items folder.

3. To delete all of the messages in the Deleted Items folder, right click on the folder and select Empty "Deleted Items" Folder. 

When asked whether you are sure you want to permanently delete the messages, click Yes.

4. To selectively delete messages in your Deleted Items folder, select the messages that you want to delete. 
   
   Tip: You can select blocks of consecutive messages by clicking on the first message, holding down the Shift key on your keyboard, and then clicking on the last message. Likewise, you can select multiple, nonconsecutive messages by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking on the desired messages.

Click on the Delete button on the toolbar at the top of the window, or press the Delete key on your keyboard.

When asked whether you are sure you want to permanently delete the messages, click Yes.

Suggestion 2: Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting

To set MS Outlook to automatically empty the Deleted Items folder every time you exit the program:

1. Click on Options under the Tools menu.

2. Click on the Other tab. Click in the checkbox labeled "Empty the Deleted Items folder upon exiting." Click OK.

Suggestion 3: Archive messages to a file on your hard drive

Auto Archiving

You can set Outlook to automatically archive all messages which meet preset conditions. The messages which meet the conditions are saved in a compressed file on your hard drive until you need to retrieve them. 

Step 1: Set the Auto archive options.

1. Click on Options under the Tools menu.

2. Click on the Other tab, and then click on the AutoArchive button.

3. Select the desired AutoArchive settings, and click on the Browse button.

4. Select My Documents as the Save In location and enter a filename.  Click OK.

 

Step 2: Set the auto archive options for each folder to be archived. Note: By default, the Calendar (6 months), Tasks (6 months), Journal (6 months), Deleted Items (2 months) and Sent Items (2 months) folders are set to archive. To change these settings or to auto archive additional folders, follow the directions below.

1. Right click on a folder you want to archive, and select Properties.

2. Click on the AutoArchive tab, and then select the desired archive options. Note: You may either archive the files, or you may permanently delete messages which are older than the designated time. If you choose to archive the messages, they will be moved to the specified file on your hard drive.

 

Manual Archiving

1. Click on Archive... under the File menu.

2. Select the option labeled "Archive this folder and all subfolders," and select the folder which you want to archive. Select the archive date from the Archive items older than dropdown menu. Select the location for the Archive file, and click OK.

The option to Archive all folders according to their AutoArchive settings can be used to manually archive all messages 

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to manually archive additional folders.

Suggestion 4: Move messages to personal folders on your hard drive

Messages stored in personal folders on your hard drive do not occupy space on the Exchange Server; however, messages stored in personal folders are only visible on the machine where the personal folders reside. In other words, if you store messages in personal folders on your notebook computer, you will not be able to view these messages while using a different computer. Likewise, you will not be able to view messages stored in your personal folders while checking your mail on the Internet at http://mail.clayton.edu.

1. Select E-mail Accounts from the Tools menu.
   
   
    

2. Select the option to View or change existing e-mail accounts.  Click Next.
   
   
    

3. Click "New Outlook Data File".
   
   
    

4. Select Office Outlook Personal Folders File and click OK.
   
   
    

5. Choose My Documents from the Save in list and give the file a name.  Click OK.
   
   
    

6. Specify a name for the folder and click OK.
   
   
    

7. Click Finish.
   
   
    

8. Notice that a folder labeled "Personal Folders" is now displayed at the bottom of your Folder List (just above Public Folders).

Step 2: Periodically move mail messages to your personal folders.

1. To move mail to a personal folder, you must first create a subfolder. Right click on the Personal Folders icon, and select New Folder...

2. Enter a folder Name, and click OK. Note: You may create as many subfolders as you want to organize your stored messages.

3. Select the messages in your Mailbox that you want to move to a personal folder. Tip: You can select blocks of consecutive messages by clicking on the first message, holding down the Shift key on your keyboard, and then clicking on the last message. Likewise, you can select multiple, nonconsecutive messages by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking on the desired messages.  After selecting the messages, press the right mouse button and select Move to Folder...

4. Select the desired subfolder under Personal Folders, and click OK.

5. Messages stored in subfolders in Personal Folders may be viewed by opening the subfolder and double clicking on the desired message (same as viewing messages in subfolders in your Mailbox). Messages stored in the Personal Folders can also be deleted or moved to another folder, just as you would delete or move messages in your Mailbox.

 

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