The following articles were included in our Exchange Messaging Outlook (EMO) newsletter published on January 4, 2018.
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Today's Highlights:
- Add an event to two Calendars
- Move folders using a macro
- Outlook for Mac: Two spaces autocorrect to a period
- Hide unused default folders
Add an event to two Calendars
A user needed to add an event to two calendars, his personal calendar and a shared departmental calendar. He’s using Copy and Paste but wondered if there was a better, easier way.
If you create the event on the shared calendar first, you can use the Copy to My Calendar button to copy it. Or, if macros count as a better way, you can certainly do it using a macro. (I have macro samples at Copy New Appointments to Another Calendar.)
Office 365 subscribers have another option: Flow. This won't work in all situations as the the second calendar needs to be accessible in your mailbox in Outlook on the web. The calendar should be shared using Outlook on the web and you should accept the shared calendar invitation using Outlook on the web.
To create the flow, click on Connectors and select Office 365 connector. Select the New event is created (V2) trigger. You’ll select your calendar from the next screen and click New Step > Add action. Select Create event (V2). Select the shared calendar from the list of available Calendar Ids. Click the the subject field and enter the desired subject. (You can select Subject to use the event’s subject and type something in the subject field. Do the same for the Start and End time. Click Advanced to set more fields. Click Save Flow to complete the flow.
You aren't limited to using Office 365 calendars. Flow templates are available to copy events to or from Google and Outlook.com calendars.
Move folders using a macro
This issue’s macro sample: Move folders.
The scenario: A client creates folders for each project he works on. When he's finished with the project, he moves it to an 'Old Projects' folder by selecting the folder and using the Move folder command to open the Folder picker to select the old projects folder. While it’s generally easier to drag the folder to its new parent folder, his folder tree is huge and dragging is more difficult, with an increased chance of dropping the folder in the wrong parent folder.
The client asked if a macro could handle the move. Yes! The macro can pick up the current folder and move it to a specified folder in the current data file or in another data file.
Note: This macro may not work with folders in IMAP account, especially if the folder contains email. It will move the folder, but the IMAP server rejects the move and the folder reappears in its original position.
Get the code sample at Move Outlook Folders using VBA
Outlook for Mac: Two spaces autocorrect to a period
A convert to Outlook of Mac had a question:
"Outlook is inserting a period from my hitting the space bar twice. Is there a way to disable the automatic insertion of the period after hitting the space bar twice."
This behavior is a Mac feature. You can turn it off in System Preferences, Keyboard. Select Text at the top of the dialog. The Add period after double space is a checkbox on the right.
I actually like this behavior, but I’m not in the habit of using double spaces at the end of a sentence. It makes sense to have it in desktops and laptops since it's common (and useful) on phones and tablets.
Hide unused default folders
An Office 365 user had complaint:
“I have folders named Conversations History, Archive, and Clutter in my mailbox. I did not create these folders and I can’t delete them. These folders are useless-to-me and waste valuable room in my folder list. How can I remove them?”
Exchange created these default folders when it created your mailbox. The Clutter feature is going away and you’ll be able to delete that folder once Focused Inbox is enabled on your mailbox.
Archive is used with the new Archive button which is used to file messages you’re finished with.
Conversation History is used with Skype for Business. You can delete this folder from Outlook, but it will come back, usually within a few seconds.
While neither Archive nor Conversation History can be permanently deleted, you can hide the folders if you aren’t using the Archive button or Skype for Business. When you hide the folders, Outlook is less likely to unhide it; if you delete the folder, Outlook will recreate it. If you hide a folder, Outlook can still add new items to the folder, so you should remove the Archive button from the ribbon.
For the instructions to hide Outlook's default folders, see How to Hide or Delete Outlook's Default Folders
New & Updated Exchange KB Articles
"Your request can't" error when accessing an archive mailbox via OWA in Exchange Server 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4054516
Can't access EWS from Outlook/OWA add-ins via makeEwsRequestAsync in Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2013
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4056329
Deployment and operation of Active Directory domains that are configured by using single-label DNS names
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/300684
ECP Redirect fails in Exchange Server 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4056664
Event ID 4999 and mailbox transport delivery service does not start after you install Exchange Server 2016 CU7
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4056609
Email items are missing on an Exchange Server ActiveSync client
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4058179
Lifecycle FAQ - general policy questions
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/17140
Many Watson reports for StoragePermanentException in Exchange Server 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4057248
Modern Attachment feature doesn't work when web proxy used in Exchange Server 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4056953
No MAPI network interface is found after you install Exchange Server 2016 CU7
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4055435
The recipient scope setting doesn't work for sibling domains in Exchange Server 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4055953
Security update deployment information: December 12, 2017
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/20171212
SetupVersionInformationCorruptException error when you open Exchange Management Shell in Exchange Server 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4056663
Update Rollup 19 for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4035162
New & Updated Office 365 KB Articles
All users' free/busy info shows in Office 365 modern group calendar
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4057584
Ask the Experts on Office 365 Application Development
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3211872
December 5, 2017, update for Outlook 2016 (KB4011570)
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4011570
Dev Chat for Azure and Office 365
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3174960
"Your encrypted message couldn't be opened" error when external users try to open encrypted messages
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4057302
How to disable Simplified Account Creation in Outlook 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3189194
Scanning your Outlook configuration by using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) for Office 365
https://docs.microsoft.com/outlook/troubleshoot/performance/how-to-scan-outlook-by-using-microsoft-support-and-recovery-assistant
Introduction to Office 365 Application Development
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3211871
January 2, 2018, update for Office 2016 (KB4011569)
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4011569
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Outlook is unable to render webpages after installing the October 2017 Microsoft Outlook security update
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4049314
Office apps in Windows 10
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/17183
Product IDs that are supported by the Office Deployment Tool for Click-to-Run
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2842297
Technical Deep Dive on Building Smarter Apps with Office 365
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3211873
New & Updated Outlook KB Articles
All users' free/busy info shows in Office 365 modern group calendar
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4057584
Can't access EWS from Outlook/OWA add-ins via makeEwsRequestAsync in Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2013
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4056329
December 5, 2017, update for Outlook 2016 (KB4011570)
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4011570
How to disable Simplified Account Creation in Outlook 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3189194
How to control default attachment state when you attach a cloud file in Outlook 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4011261
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Outlook is unable to render webpages after installing the October 2017 Microsoft Outlook security update
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/4049314
OffCAT scan alert when Outlook Object Model security is enabled
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2941697
Skype Meeting control is not displayed on Outlook 2016
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3097122
Troubleshooting issues with IMAP mailbox migration
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/10062
Other Resources
Move Outlook Folders using VBA
Use a macro to move folders to a new parent folder instead of selecting the folder and using the Move command to open the Folder picker to select the new parent.
Send Out of Office Replies with Outlook.com, POP, or IMAP accounts
We are often asked: "Can I create an "out of office" message if I'm not on a Microsoft Exchange server?" Yes, you can do it using a rule that replies using a specific template, but it's often better to set up a "vacation reply" on your email server.