Exchange Messaging Outlook Volume 13, Number 18

Changing Contact's File As field

With the use of PDAs, Smart Phones and Blackberries, its not unusual for contacts to be filed using different File As formats. While some of us can overlook differences in the how the contacts are filed, especially when it means changing thousands of contacts one at a time, Outlook's "type down" feature works best when there is consistency in the File As field.

Use VBA to quickly change the file as format on existing contacts. I won't post the code here because antivirus filters are likely to identify the newsletter as suspect, but you can find it at Change Contact's File As format. The code works only on the default contacts folder; if you need to run it on other folders, you'll have to move contacts in and out of the default folder to use it.

You should make sure the default setting for File As is set to your preferred format. This won't help with existing contacts but it will apply to any new contacts you create. To do this, go to Tools, Options, Contact Options. The Default Full Name order lets Outlook know the format you typically use when typing names. If you type Mary Smith and Outlook thinks Mary is the last name, the full name order doesn't match your entry style. The File As order is sets the default file as format that Outlook uses. All new contacts will use this format, but you can choose a different File as format when you create a contact

The Basics Of Exchange Virtualization

by Michael B. Smith, MCSE/Exchange MVP

In a move that surprised no one, on August 19th, Microsoft announced support for Exchange Server 2007 when running under Hyper-V on Windows Server 2008. Go team!

Read complete article...

Changing the Business Card layout

An often asked question about Outlook 2007's Business card layout is how to change it for all contacts. While you can't change existing contacts, except by supplying a lot of effort and editing each card, you can change the default which is used for new contacts by creating a custom contact form and setting it as the default Contacts form for new Contacts.

To do this, open a Contact form in Design mode (Tools, Forms, Design a form) and change the business card layout as desired then publish the form.

To use it, right click on the Contact folder, choose Properties and set you the custom form as the default form for the folder. The business card on all newly created contacts will use the new layout.

You can't change the form used by existing contacts, well, you can change the form, but the new business card layout won't be used.

Exchange Quick Tip: Verify Exchange Server mode

In Exchange 2000/2003 you can verify the installation is in native or mixed mode by looking in the Exchange System Manager. Right click on the Exchange organization name and choose Properties. The mode is listed on the General tab. You can change from Mixed to Native mode here.

Exchange 2007 only supports native mode.

Exchange Quick Tip: View headers in OWA 2007

Did you know you can view internet message headers in OWA 2007 by opening the message and clicking the Message Details button? This will display the message header in a text box (even smaller than the one used in Outlook). This only works with OWA Premium. 

Outlook Quick Tip: Do Not Deliver Before

When you use the Do not deliver before option on outgoing email, the default time for deferred delivery is 5 PM 'today'. This is not configurable. Even changing the workday end time won't change the default from 5 PM.

Rather than using the dropdown to select the time, use the time shortcuts like 945a. You can use natural language or date shortcuts in the date field as well.

Outlook Quick Tip: Flag for Follow-up Reminder Times

Flag for follow-up reminder times are often a source of confusion. When the flag is set for today, the reminder will always default to one hour before the end of your workday but a flag set for tomorrow, this week or next week will default to the start of the workday, as selected in Tools, Options, Calendar Options.

The default reminder time for actual Tasks is set in Tools, Options and applies only to Tasks, not flagged messages.