Use Search Folders to Group Messages by Sender, Topic, Keyword, and More

The Search Folder is an easy way to organize your correspondence without actually shuffling copies of messages between folders in Outlook 2003 and 2007. For example, say you’ve been working with someone on several different projects.  You might keep a folder in Outlook under the name of each project.  But with a saved search folder, you can put together a virtual copy of all the messages you’ve sent to that person and received from them, regardless of which project it is related to.

Here’s how to do it:

1.       Go to the New button on your toolbar and click the arrow for the drop-down menu.

2.       Select Search Folder.

3.       You’ll see a number of Search Folder options. You can organize them according to whether they’re flagged or not, who sent the message, how large any attachments are, and a host of other options. You can also customize folders by more advanced criteria.

4.       Say you want to create a folder for all of your communication with a particular person. Select Mail from and sent to specific people under the Mail from People and Lists column. Then select Choose.

5.       Type in the person’s name in the From or Sent to field at the bottom. It doesn’t have to be their actual address. Click OK, and click OK again to close out of the Search Folder menu.

6.       You’ll see a new Search Folder listed in your mailbox that will contain all of your correspondence with that person.

The real value of the Saved Search folder is that it collects messages sent and received messages, so you don’t have to go trolling through your Sent Items to get a full picture of every conversation. And when a particular folder isn’t useful to you anymore, you can go ahead and delete it – the original messages remain intact regardless of what happens to the Search Folder.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the capabilities of recent releases of Office. If you haven’t upgraded, now might be the right time. Contact CMIT Solutions to find out more.

It’s Easy to Set Up a Signature File — Here’s How

 

A signature file appears at the end of an email message and usually contains some or all of the following:

 

• A sign-off phrase like “Best regards” or “Thank you”
• The writer’s name, job title, and contact information
• The company name and web address

Signature files, also known as “sig files,” can also contain quotes and graphics. A successful sig file is like a little business card – it tells you everything you need to know about a business contact, and nothing you don’t. If you’re not currently using a signature file, you might consider it as an easy, nonaggressive way of promoting your business or web page. It also makes it easy for email recipients to access your contact information directly from their Inbox.

 

To set up a signature file in Outlook 2003, do the following:

 

1. Go to Tools > Options.
2. Go to the Mail Format tab.
3. At the bottom, in the “Signatures” section, click the button titled Signatures.
4. Click New.
5. Enter a name for your new signature and click Next.
6. Type in your text and modify as needed.
7. Click Finish.

 

To set up a signature file in Outlook 2007, do the following:

 

1. In a new message, on the Message tab, in the Include group, click Signature, and then click Signatures.
2. On the E-mail Signature tab, click New.
3. Enter a name for your new signature and click OK.
4. Type in your text and modify as needed.
5. Click OK.