Volume 26 Issue 6

Today's Highlights:

• Creating an AND rule in Outlook Rules
• Updated: Enable Automatic Replies using a macro
• Run a Script Rule: Search PDF Attachments and Forward
• Daylight Time and Calendar Weirdness

Creating an AND rule in Outlook Rules

A user wanted to know how to create an AND rule:

if subject contains word-a AND word-b…
For example: Use "outlook AND word" to match on a subject line of "Mail merge Outlook and Word", but not match "Outlook Teams Meeting"

While Outlook Rules don't support AND within a rule, you can make it work using two rules. The first rule looks for one word, Outlook in my example, sets a category, and does not use stop processing more rules. The second rule looks for the second word, word in my example (and can clear the category field).

The other option is a run a script rule. A rule condition looks for one word and if there is a match, a VBA script (which can do AND) checks for both words. A script is available at Creating an AND rule in Outlook Rules (slipstick.com)

Updated: Enable Automatic Replies using a macro

A user wanted a macro to automatically turn automatic replies on at the end of the workday and set the End time to the next workday. So I added a macro to slipstick.com that sets the start and end time for automatic replies. It asks for the start and end date and can either be run manually, by clicking a toolbar button, or triggered by a reminder.

As is typical, another user requested a feature change: set the automatic reply to end the next morning, except if it's Friday, then set the automatic reply to end Monday morning. (Yes, it could also check for holidays, but I'm not going to do it.)

So we now have a macro that will set the out of office based on weekday or weekend.

Both macros are at Enable Automatic Replies (OOF) using a macro

Run a Script Rule: Search PDF Attachments and Forward

Many of my favorite macros are the result of someone asking if it can be done. In this case, the user receives messages with PDF attachments. The message body is generic and does not identify who the PDF is for, so the user had to open each PDF to see who he needed to forward it to. He was hoping he could save a few clicks using a macro.

Yes, as long as he uses Adobe Acrobat, he can use a macro to open the PDF and search for the name, then forward the message and PDF to that person. And he can do it using a rule, saving even more time and clicks.

Get the code at Search PDF Attachments and Forward (slipstick.com)

Daylight Time and Calendar Weirdness

It's approaching that time of year again: we lose an hour of sleep and Outlook's Calendar gets confused if you have 2 or 3 time zones enabled and the default time zone is west of the other time zones displayed.

The problem: Outlook uses a static time scale in the Day and Week calendars, so when the time changes, the time scale doesn't skip or repeat 2 AM. It's not a big deal if you use the day view and are only viewing Sunday. But if you use the week view and start the week on Sunday, all off your appointments might appear in the wrong time slot. The time is correct when you open the appointment; only the week view displays the wrong time.

The fix: use the workweek view or start the calendar on Monday the first week. The problem goes away the next week.

I have more information on the weird little bug at Daylight Saving Time Calendar Display Bugs (slipstick.com)

New & Updated Exchange KB Articles

Description of the security update for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3: March 2, 2021 (KB5000978)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5000978

Description of the security update for Microsoft Exchange Server 2019, 2016, and 2013: March 2, 2021 (KB5000871)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5000871

New & Updated Office 365 KB Articles

Description of the security update for Excel 2013: March 9, 2021 (KB4493239)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493239

Description of the security update for Office 2013: March 9, 2021 (KB4493203)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493203

Description of the security update for Office 2013: March 9, 2021 (KB4493228)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493228

Description of the security update for Office 2016: March 9, 2021 (KB4493200)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493200

Description of the security update for Office 2016: March 9, 2021 (KB4493225)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493225

Description of the security update for PowerPoint 2013: March 9, 2021 (KB4493227)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493227

March 2, 2021, update for Office 2016 (KB4493153)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493153

March 2021 updates for Microsoft Office
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5000635

New & Updated Outlook KB Articles

Discover new features in Outlook
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5001086

Make all your events shorter automatically
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5001225

March 2, 2021, update for Outlook 2013 (KB4493174)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493174

March 2, 2021, update for Outlook 2016 (KB4493226)
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4493226

March 2021 updates for Microsoft Office
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5000635

Outlook Mobile Articles

How do I enable Dark Mode on Outlook for iOS?
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5001245

I don't see the option to start Play My Emails anymore; what happened?
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5000944

I'm seeing 'account disconnected.' What can I do?
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5001244

Other Resources

Search PDF Attachments and Forward
This run a script macro will open an attached PDF file, look for a keyword and if found, forward the attachment. If the message you are forwarding contains external content, you may need to respond to a security dialog. In this case, you will need to use a new message and attach the file. In

Restore Outlook's Classic Permissions Dialog
How to enable Outlook's classic Permissions dialog to use instead of the simplified Permissions dialog.