How to Mark an Email as Unread from Your iOS Device

Sometimes when you check your email on a mobile device, you might start reading a message and realize that it is better for you to deal with it later when you have more time. On a PC you can flag the message for follow-up in Outlook, but on a mobile device like an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch, that feature is not obvious. Here’s a way for you to flag a message for later.

3 tips for setting up iPad email the way you like it.

NOTE: Messages that are marked as unread are indicated by a blue dot to the left of the message preview in your message list.

How to Mark an Email as Unread

1. Scroll to the top of your email message. If it is a long message, you can quickly do this by tapping on the time in the status bar at the top of your screen.
2. If the only email header you see before the subject is From, tap on the word Details to the right of that line. This will reveal the To and CC fields (if completed). The word Details will also change to the word Hide.
3. If you see the word Hide across from the From line, look below the address fields, at the subject line. You will see Mark as Unread in blue text across from the subject line.
4. Tap the blue Mark as Unread text. The text color will change to dimmed-out gray, but the message will remain open. This color indicates that the message will appear as unread in your inbox.
5. Once Mark as Unread changes to the gray text, tapping it again does nothing. If you change your mind and want the message marked as read again, simply read a different message, then read the first one again.

Adding an Email Signature on Your iPad

When sending mail, especially for business, it is a good idea to add a signature to your messages. The signature identifies you and provides information that will allow your recipient to contact you.

1. On the main screen of the iPad, tap the Settings icon.
2. In the left-hand menu, tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
3. In the second section under Mail, tap Signature.
4. Type whatever you would like to show as your signature, exactly as you would like it to appear.
5. When you are finished, simply tap another option or click the Home button to exit the screen.

The signature you enter here will be automatically added to all email messages you create on your iPad. If you would like to edit or delete the signature for one specific message, you can edit it as you would the rest of the text while you are typing the message.

Increasing the Amount of Mail and Calendar Items Synced to Your iOS Device

When setting up your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to sync your email and calendar appointments, the default settings on the device limit the amount of information that will download to the device. Particularly in situations where there is potential for the loss of a reliable network connection, it is important that you have all of your email messages already downloaded to your device. Follow the steps below to ensure that more data is pushed to your iOS device.

Increasing how much mail syncs to your device:

1. Open the Settings app from the home screen.
2. Tap the “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” category.
3. Under Mail, tap Show and change it to 200 Recent Messages to download up to 200 messages to your device’s memory.
4. Return to the previous screen by tapping the “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” category again. Under Mail, tap Preview, then choose 5 Lines to maximize the number of lines of the message that will appear in the message list for quick scanning.
   NOTE: If you are not using an Exchange email account, you are now finished with the process. You can return to the previous screen by tapping the “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” category.
5. If you have a work email account using a Microsoft Exchange server, return to the previous screen by tapping the “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” category again. Scroll up and tap on your Exchange Server’s name under Accounts.
6. To increase how many days of email are synced to the device, tap Mail Days to Sync. Choose No Limit to allow email from an unlimited number of days to come to the device. Press the Exchange back arrow button at the top of the dialog box when you have finished making your selection.
   NOTE: This will not fill up your entire device memory if you have a large mailbox, since only as many messages as you chose in Step 3 will sync. However, it will allow you to find older messages via searching the server.
7. To specify that messages moved from Outlook to other email subfolders are automatically “pushed” to your device, tap Mail Folders to Push. Choose the folders you would like to see populated immediately when a message is moved to them. This will reduce delays with waiting for them to download later. Press the Exchange back arrow button at the top of the dialog box when you have finished making your selections. Press Done to close the Exchange dialog box.

Increasing the number of calendar appointments that sync to device:

1. Open the Settings app from the home screen.
2. Tap the “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” category.
3. Under Calendars, tap Sync. Choose All Events to download all events from your calendar to the device.
4. Tap the “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” category again to return to the previous screen.

Tips were compiled and written by PC Helps staff.

In reality, business cannot be put on hold while users adjust to a new software version.

At PC Helps, the Office 2010 calls have quickly increased from a trickle to a stream. Most are coming from customers whose IT departments skipped an Office 2007 migration and were holding out for 2010. As with 2003-to-2007 migrations, 2003-to-2010 promises to throw a few challenges the way of end users and IT departments. Adjusting to the new ribbon interface is often the first obstacle. Once users adjust, plenty more follow.

Below we present the top five end user challenges so your IT department knows what to expect during the migration crunch.

1. Adjusting to a materially different interface

The “ribbon” and other new aspects of the Office 2007 interface reflect major changes in the look and feel of the core Office applications. In Office 2010, these differences carry forward and are coupled with the incorporation of the ribbon into Outlook, impacting usability of this critical communications application.

User confusion and frustration is almost guaranteed when attempting to learn and work with the ribbon for the first time. Basic functions that were performed without effort in the past, such as opening and closing files, managing day-to-day calendar and meeting entries, and applying formats, require a relearning process with the new application versions. For some users, relearning these basic functions is fairly straightforward, and for others it takes a more effort and help. More complex tasks in PowerPoint, Excel, Word or Access often require a combination of training and support in the migration process.

2. Recreating and reformatting important documents

As with any new or changed software, incompatibility with prior versions may require users to manually rework documents. Compatibility of versions has been a focus for Microsoft over the years, and improves with every new release. But users don’t always follow the best practices when creating documents, and end up with versions which are not automatically converted with an upgrade.

Files received from outside the organization in older formats may not open properly and need some rework or, sometimes, may need to be resent. Files with links, Access databases (especially if they integrate with other systems or use extensive code), and custom animations in older PowerPoint versions may be corrupted or impacted by compatibility issues. In cases where users have documents they regularly use, often containing complex formulas or formatting, and which need to be updated to the new versions, there can be a significant amount of time spent on reformatting and recreating documents.

3. Dealing with deadlines and urgency

In reality, business cannot be put on hold while users adjust to a new software version. Critical deadlines loom, and day-to-day urgent matters still need to be handled. During a migration, end users may find themselves stymied by lack of familiarity with a new Office application just at a time when they are facing these deadlines.

Of particular note among these end users are administrative support staff, who are often managing calendars and communications for managers and executives. Downtime is not an option for them either. In these circumstances, self-help, training and tutorials often compound frustration.

4. Using Office across a range of mobile devices and computers

The proliferation of new and different mobile and computing devices is changing the corporate computing landscape. (See Oct. 8’s blog post for recent stats about the iPhone and Android in the enterprise.) Employees now access standard Office applications across a range of devices and often from remote locations. Adapting to and syncing upgraded software and OS versions impacts end users in these mixed environments.

For example, to edit documents in the new Office 2007 file formats on a Windows Mobile device, an Office Mobile upgrade is required. Many users are not aware of this and don’t understand why they cannot successfully use the application. Another example, this one from the Apple side: The settings to sync an Entourage calendar to an iPad are not entirely obvious, and end users must also make sure they have the latest updates from Microsoft.

Many help desks have altered their policies to allow outside devices but are not able to offer support for these non-company issued devices. End users often search on their own for “how-to” support in online help communities and in-product menus. Even worse, they attempt workarounds that bypass updates and patches altogether, forgoing improved functionalities or simply not making full use of the devices or applications.

5. Finding help when it’s needed

According to a May 2010 Gartner report, one of the Windows 7/Office 2010 migration pitfalls to avoid is not seeking professional help early enough.

“Don’t underestimate the requirements for skills and services. It is often common to enlist an external service provider, especially for help with design and planning features,” writes Gartner researcher Michael Silver in Computerworld article about the report. “In addition to proper training for technical staff, make sure the service provider is contracted to transfer sufficient skills so staff can manage the new environment after the cutover.”

In addition to help with migration design and planning, help is needed on the end user side as well. As the migration process unfolds and users begin incorporating new or upgraded software into their everyday routines, it is essential that they quickly master tasks and processes relevant to their specific jobs in the new software environment. It is also important that they have access to additional help if they need it – which may be at points before, during or beyond the migration dates. Issues and causes users experience related to finding help include:

• Training was taken at the time of the upgrade, but a particular application or function has not been used since, and the user has forgotten how to use it. (Classic “use it or lose it” scenario.)

• Training and tutorials were planned by the user, but not completed due to limited time availability, and user now has an urgent need. Executives and higher level staff, or personnel who spend most of their time on the road, frequently experience this situation.

• General training and help tools may not be specific enough to the users’ particular needs.

• For a variety of reasons, in-product help and search tools do not provide the help needed, or are considered inadequate by certain user groups.

• Some personnel may rely on an assistant for support, and with that person unavailable, may not know how to access certain critical documents or handle certain tasks.

When employees find themselves in these situations, they often need help right away. They can’t afford the downtime associated with submitting a help desk ticket or waiting for next-day follow up. If they can’t get the application expertise needed from the help desk, they will seek out help from their co-workers, struggle with generic help menus, look to hand off the work to a delegate if they have one, or just not complete the task.

Can your company afford that?

(Jen Sweeney)

For further reading:

From NetworkWorld: 5 tips for a smooth Windows 7 migration

From Computerworld/Gartner: Pitfalls to Avoid on the Road to Windows 7 and Office 2010 Migration

For Outlook 

2007′s Improved Out of Office Assistant

The Out of Office Assistant has changed significantly in Outlook 2007. If you click on the tools menu and select Out of Office Assistant, you will see a dialog box that is somewhat different from previous versions. Now, when you select the option to “Send Out of Office Replies,” you can click the check box that says “Only send during this time range.” Checking this box activates boxes to set the start and end dates and specify times during which you need replies sent. Kind of handy.

Four ways to keep on top of your e-mail while you’re on vacation.

Another change to this feature is two tabs, one for handling replies to be sent “Inside My Organization” and the other for handling replies to be sent “Outside My Organization.” In earlier versions of Outlook, replies were not sent to external contacts at all.

In order to enable the “Outside My Organization” reply, click on the tab and enable “auto-reply to people outside my organization” by placing a check in the box. Once you enable this option, you can select a radio button indicating whether the reply should be sent to “my contacts only” or “anyone outside my organization.” Handy, indeed. (Melissa Adams)

Autoreply with Custom Subject Line
Sometimes you need to mix it up and modify the autoreply subject. Follow these steps:

1. In the Out of Office Assistant dialog, click the Add Rule button.
2. For the reply to go to “all messages that arrive,” leave all the criteria fields blank.
3. Check the “Reply with” box and click Template.
4. Specify the subject AND the body of the message in the email form that opens. Leave the other fields blank, save and close the form.

Note: Be sure to remove the text from the “Autoreply only once…” box where you would normally specify your Out of Office message. If you don’t, senders will get both the custom subject response and the standard response. (Brian Choplick)

For the BlackBerry

Filter Incoming Mail
Say, for example, you receive a daily report that you will not read or deal with on your phone and would prefer to just handle it back at the office. Can you create a filter for that?
Of course you can. Here’s how:

1. Click on the Messages icon to open your messages, then click the trackwheel or Menu button and select Options.
2. Select Email Filters.
3. Click your trackwheel or Menu button, select New and then type a filter name.
4. You have several fields you can filter on: From; Sent To; Subject; Message; Sent directly to me; CC to me; BCC to me; Importance; Sensitivity. You can choose more than one option here. For example, to take care of your daily report problem, create the following filter:From: coworker@domain.com
   Subject: Daily Report
   Action: Do not forwardThis will affect any emails from colleagues with “daily report” in the subject.
5. Click your trackwheel or Menu button and save the filter. By default, it is enabled and will function immediately with any new incoming messages.

If you want to temporarily allow filtered messages, simply click on the filter name to uncheck in the filter list. Take note, however, that filtering works only if your BlackBerry is activated on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server; to access filters with BlackBerry Internet Service you must check with your wireless carrier.

High-Priority E-Mail Notifications
You want to make sure you know when high-priority e-mails come in, and the standard notification doesn’t quite command your attention. To set up special notices, start at the home screen, go to Profiles, then Advanced. Here you can create a new profile or modify your current one. Set the desired notification for Level 1 Messages and save. Note: High-priority message notices will work even if you have disabled those for other types of messages. (Nkoli Ukpabi)

Have any tips for handling e-mail while you’re away? Send them my way: jen.darr@pchelps.com.

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Have you ever had to plan a meeting for participants across multiple time zones? Outlook can help you out in many cases by allowing you to see more than one time zone or automatically adjusting for different time zones. In this post, we offer tips for time zones and many other issues related to scheduling meetings in Outlook.

Part One: Planning, Changing, Canceling

And, if it’s 4:30 pm in Phoenix, it’s 10:30 am in Sydney — but what day?

Planning a Meeting in Outlook

(Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007)

By Matt Mahoney

The core feature of Outlook is the calendar. This invaluable tool helps you keep track of your appointments and enables you to schedule meetings with colleagues. Here’s how to invite attendees to a meeting.

Outlook 2007:

1. Click the File menu, choose New, and then choose Meeting Request.

2. On the Meeting tab of the Ribbon, click the “Scheduling” button (depending on your mail server configuration, this button may also be called “Scheduling Assistant”), located in the Show group. Then click the “Add Others” button at the bottom (this button may also be called “Add Attendees”).

3. In the “Select Attendees and Resources” window, enter the name of the person or resource you want to add to the meeting, or click a name from the list.

4. Near the bottom of the dialog box, click the Required, Optional, or Resources button to place each name or resource in the appropriate field. Click OK.

5. In the Scheduling tab, you can view free/busy information for the meeting invitees that have made it available.

6. Set the meeting’s start time and end time by using the drop-down arrows near the bottom of the dialog box or by dragging the green and red dividers to signify the start and end times of the meeting.

7. Click the Appointment button in the Show section of the Meeting tab.

8. Review the meeting invitation; type any additional information you might need in the body of the message, then click Send.

Outlook 2002 and 2003:

1. Click the File menu, choose New, and then choose Meeting Request.

2. Click the Scheduling tab, click the “Add Others” button at the bottom, and then click “Add from Address book.”

3. In the “Type Name or Select from List” window, enter the name of the person or resource you want to add to the meeting, or click a name from the list.

4. Near the bottom of the dialog box, click the Required, Optional, or Resources button to place each name or resource in the appropriate field. Click OK.

5. In the Scheduling tab, you can view the free/busy information for the meeting invitees that have made it available.

6. Set the meeting’s start time and end time by using the drop-down arrows near the bottom of the dialog box or by dragging the green and red dividers to signify the start and end times of the meeting.

7. Switch back to the Appointment tab.

8. Review the meeting invitation; type any additional information you might need in the body of the message, then click Send.

Add Attendees to Existing Meeting

(Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007)

By MaryHazel McDermott

When you schedule meetings in Outlook, you need to be aware of a few things. If you need to add attendees to a meeting, you can only do so if you are the organizer or the organizer’s delegate. Anyone can forward a meeting; but if the meeting is changed in any way, those who were forwarded the meeting will not receive the updates. It is better to ask the organizer to add the person to the list of meeting attendees.

Add attendees using the To field:

1. Open the meeting.

2. Click in the To field or click the To button and select additional attendees.

3. Click the Send Update button.

4. Choose to either “Send updates to added or deleted attendees,” or “Send updates to all attendees,” and then click OK.

5. Close the meeting.

Add Attendees using the Scheduling tab:

Outlook 2007:

1. Open the Meeting.

2. Click the Scheduling Assistant button.

3. Type names in the All Attendees column or click the Invite Others button, add people in the appropriate group, and click OK.

4. Choose to either “Send updates to added or deleted attendees” or “Send updates to all attendees,” and then click OK.

5. Close the meeting.

Outlook 2002, 2003:

1. Open the Meeting.

2. Click the Scheduling tab.

3. Type names in the All Attendees column or click the Invite Others button, add people in the appropriate group, and click OK.

4. Choose to either “Send updates to added or deleted attendees” or “Send updates to all attendees,” and then click OK.

5. Close the meeting.

How to Cancel a Meeting

(Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007)

By Matt Mahoney

Canceling a meeting is quite simple in Outlook. Just follow the steps for your version of Outlook below. Please note that only the meeting organizer can cancel a meeting. Attendees can only accept or decline meetings.

Outlook 2007:

1. Open the meeting you want to cancel.

2. Click the Cancel Meeting button, located in the Actions section.

3. Click Send Cancellation to send the cancellation notice. It is very important to send the cancellation notice so that all attendees’ calendars are updated and the meeting is removed.

Outlook 2002, 2003:

1. Open the meeting you want to cancel.

2. On the Actions menu, click Cancel Meeting.

3. Click Send Cancellation and Delete Meeting. It is very important to send the cancellation notice so that all attendees’ calendars are updated and the meeting is removed.

How to show an additional time zone in Outlook

(Outlook 2002, 2003, 2007)

By MaryHazel McDermott

Nowadays, we often work with people in other areas of the country or the world. And then there are the peripatetics, who change time zones on a regular basis. Knowing what time it is when you are setting up a meeting, or even just calling someone, exudes professionalism. Use Outlook’s time zone feature to your advantage.

1. Click the Tools menu, choose Options, and click the Preferences tab.

2. Click the Calendar Options button.

3. Click the Time Zone button.

4. In the Label field, enter a name for the current Windows time zone.

5. Check Show an additional time zone.

6. In the Label field, enter a name for the additional time zone.

7. Choose a time zone from the drop-down list.

8. Click OK three times.

It is a good idea to label the time zones if you need to display more than one. It is better to not change the current Windows time zone unless you travel and need to schedule meetings in the local zone. Also, Outlook is only capable of displaying one other time zone.

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Your best defense against a message recall failure is to reread your message before you send it.

Although we should all know proper e-etiquette by now, a gentle reminder is needed now and again. (See this article, which illustrates how much damage a hastily sent e-mail can cause.) Below are a few timeless tips for keeping your communication professional and not at all offensive to your colleagues. (Tips are for Outlook versions 2000-2007, except where noted otherwise.)

Reply to All with Care

By MaryHazel McDermott

Reply to All is an option available in Outlook and many other e-mail programs that should be used sparingly. When you use Reply to All, you may be sending your message to scads of people who do not even need the information. You may just be junking up their inboxes with unnecessary missives.

Use Reply to All only for collaborative messages where everyone addressed needs the information.

For most messages, the normal Reply feature should be used — especially if only the sender needs the information. Another thing to consider before using Reply to All: If there are several people, but not all, who need the information, it is better to add a few addresses to the Reply rather than blast everyone with your response.

(Keyboard shortcuts: Reply is Ctrl+R and Reply to All is Ctrl+Shift+R.)

Think Before You Send (Recalling a Message)

By PC Helps staff

Only a few e-mail programs have a recall feature, and all of them, including Outlook, have limitations that might cause them to fail when you most want them to succeed. Your best defense against a message recall failure is to reread your message before you send it. (I know – sounds like something your mother would say.) If it is an important message that doesn’t need to go out right this minute, you might want to wait an hour before you send it so you have time to read it again.

To recall a message:

1. Open the sent item that you want to retrieve.
2. Click the Actions menu and choose Recall This Message (Outlook 2007: Click the Message tab, select the Other Actions drop-down arrow, and choose Recall This Message).
3. Select “Delete unread copies of this message,” then check “Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient,” and then click OK.

Message recall can fail for a number of reasons: an e-mail was sent to an address outside the company; the message already has been read; or the recipient is not logged into the e-mail program at the time the message was sent.

Stop Your Shouting (Using All Caps)

By Steven Mak

This tip is applicable to any form of written communication, whether it’s electronic or old-school pen and paper. When dealing with a text-only communication method, the use of all capital letters is considered shouting. Unless you are actually shouting, do not use all caps; in the event that typing in all caps is unavoidable, please include a disclaimer to explain why.

Besides being perceived as yelling, text rendered in all caps is crowded and thus harder to read. It is also counterproductive; when one word is in capital letters among a group of lowercase letter words, there is clear emphasis, but when all words are in all capital letters, nothing stands out.

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Outlook: Activating the Out of Office Assistant (versions 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007)

By Mary Hazel McDermott

Top tips to get you ready for your yuletide break.

Before you leave on vacation or even a long weekend, it is a good idea to set up an Out of Office message. This allows Outlook to reply automatically to each person that sends you a message when you are not there. Outlook replies only once to each person to avoid creating a large volume of messages.

Turning on the out of office message:

1. Click on the Tools menu and click on Out of Office Assistant. (If you do not see Out of Office Assistant, the option may be disabled; call the help desk for assistance.)
2. Select “I Am Currently Out Of The Office.”
3. Set up your AutoReply message.
4. Click OK.

Turning off the out of office message:

1. Click on the Tools menu and click on Out of Office Assistant. (If you do not see Out of Office Assistant, the option may be disabled; call the help desk for assistance.)
2. Select I Am Currently In The Office.
3. Click OK.

In Outlook 2007, depending on your mail server setup, you may see additional options for sending Out of Office auto-replies only during a specified date range, and for setting different auto-replies for messages received from addresses outside of your organization.

Lotus Notes: Activating the Out of Office Assistant (versions 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 8.5)

By Ronnie Merritt and John Grandinetti

Letting others know you are out of the office for a period of time can make it easier for them to get their work done. This tip will show you how to set up an Out of Office message in Lotus Notes — which will, in turn, make you a better colleague.

Notes 6, 6.5, 7

1. Open Your Mailbox — make sure you are on the server copy if you have a local replica.
2. Click on the Actions menu, select Tools, and choose Out of Office.
3. On the Dates tab, set the dates you are leaving and returning.
4. On the Out of Office Message tab, you can customize your message by changing the default text that appears inside the frames.
5. The Special Messages tab can be used for sending customized e-mails to specific people. To use this feature, enter the desired recipient(s) in the To field on this tab and type your custom message in the frame below.
6. The Exceptions tab may be used to set Notes to not reply to certain senders.
7. Once you have set all desired options, click Enable at the bottom of the dialog box.

Notes 8, 8.5

1. At the top of your message list, click the More button, then select Out of Office.
2. Enter the day you are leaving and the day you will be back in the office. You may also have a checkbox called “Specify Hours,” which enables you to choose the time of day you are leaving and when you will return. (This feature may not be available depending on how Notes is set up on your server.)
3. Below those fields, you will see three tabs. Click the first tab, Standard Notification. There you will enter the subject of the Out of Office message you want to send to people.
4. Below that is a checkbox called Append return date to subject; checking this will add your return date to the subject line.
5. Next, click in the Additional body text field and add any text you want to appear in the message body.
6. On the other two tabs, you can create exceptions for when you do not want to send your standard Out of Office message.
7. On the Alternate Notification tab, create an alternate subject and body, and enter the addresses or domains that you want to receive the alternate message.
8. On the Exclusions tab, enter the conditions under which you do not want to send any Out of Office message — such as when the received messages have a particular subject or sender, when the message is sent to a particular group, or when the message comes from an Internet address.
9. When you are done, click Enable and Close to turn on the Out of Office notifications.

How to Use a BlackBerry to Set the Out of Office Message (BlackBerry, all versions)

By Joel Reeves

If you have left the office already and forgot to set your away message, there is no reason to worry. Using these steps, you can turn on the Out of Office message while you are traveling.

1. From the Home screen, go into Messages, display the menu, and choose Options.
2. Choose E-mail Settings.
3. Scroll down to the Use Out of Office Reply section and change the setting from No to Yes.
4. Type the text you want for your Out of Office message.
5. Display the menu and choose Save.

To turn off the Out of Office message, follow these same steps, and change the Out of Office setting back to No.

BlackBerry: Handling mail attachments remotely (BlackBerry, all versions)

If you are using a BlackBerry with OS 4.5 and higher, you have the ability to open/edit attachments using a program called Documents To Go. If you receive an attachment and choose to open it, you will be presented with two choices — “View” or “Edit with Documents To Go.” If you choose the former, the attachment will be viewed using the built-in BlackBerry Attachment program. If you choose the latter, the attachment will be opened using Documents To Go, which enables you to do basic editing of the attachment (editing and selecting text, cut/copy/paste, etc). This program will also maintain many of the formatting features as if you were looking at the attachment on a full-size computer.

Outlook: How to Assign Tasks to Others (versions 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007)

By Mary Hazel McDermott

When you take time off, there are certain things in the office that still have to be done. You may have already created a task to remind you to do them, or you may be so used to doing them that you do not need a reminder. But someone else filling in for you will not have the same routine and will appreciate the reminder.

Creating a task can provide several benefits, including sending a reminder to the person it is assigned to, creating a record of who it is assigned to, and providing confirmation when the task is complete. There are two methods in our tip; the first is about assigning an existing task, and the second starts with creating the task.

To assign an existing task to a colleague:

1. Click on the Go menu (Outlook 2000 and 2002: click on the View menu and select Go To), and choose Tasks.
2. Right-click the task to be assigned to someone else.
3. Choose Assign Task from the shortcut menu.
4. Enter the recipient’s e-mail address in the To field.
5. Click the Send button.

To assign a new task to a coworker:

1. Click on the File menu, select New, and click Task.
2. Click the Assign Task button on the Standard toolbar (Outlook 2007: The Assign Task button is on the Task tab of the Ribbon, in the Manage Task group).
3. Enter the recipient’s e-mail address in the To field.
4. Type a short description for the task in the Subject field.
5. Select the start date and due date for the task.
6. Set the status, priority, and completed percentage for the task.
7. Select “Keep an updated copy of this task on my task list” to save a copy of the updated task.
8. Select “Send me a status report when this task is complete” to have Outlook notify you when the recipient marks the task as completed.
9. Type a message or details for the task in the message body.
10. Click Send.

A reminder is automatically created for the task and pops up on the due date. Now you know that the vital tasks you are leaving behind will be taken care of while you are gone.

Have any out-of-office horror or success stories? E-mail them to us. Happy holidays.

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Still, all our readers cared about was learning how to use a secondary axis in Excel, how to change BlackBerry calendar views, and why help desk techs are so surly.

Here’s a list of our top 10 posts from 2009. Read and enjoy.

10. Get It Together: 5 Ways to Stay Organized in Outlook
9. 5 Lessons to Learn Before Outsourcing
8. A Kinder, Gentler Help Desk
7. Top 5 Most-Asked Help Desk Questions
6. 7 Productivity-Boosting iPhone Tips
5. Out of Office, Out of Mind
4. How the Help Desk Earns its Bad Reputation
3. Follow the Format: 5 MS Word Tips for Managers
2. 4 BlackBerry Tips Every Manager Should Know
1. Management Tool Best Practices: 3 Excel Tips that Promise Charting Greatness

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

Accessing your e-mail using keyboard shortcuts takes productivity one step further.

In preparation for the holiday, here are some tips to help you keep your mobile work time to a minimum while you’re enjoying the family feast:

For the BlackBerry

Filter Incoming Mail

Say, for example, you receive a daily report that you will not read or deal with on your phone and would prefer to just handle it back at the office. Can you create a filter for that?

Of course you can. Here’s how:

1. Click on the Messages icon to open your messages, then click the trackwheel or Menu button and select Options.

2. Select E-mail Filters.

3. Click your trackwheel or Menu button, select New and then type a filter name.

4. You have several fields you can filter on: From; Sent To; Subject; Message; Sent directly to me; CC to me; BCC to me; Importance; Sensitivity. You can choose more than one option here. For example, to take care of your daily report problem, create the following filter:

From: coworker@domain.com
Subject: Daily Report
Action: Do not forward

This will affect any e-mails from colleagues with “daily report” in the subject.

5. Click your trackwheel or Menu button and save the filter. By default, it is enabled and will function immediately with any new incoming messages.

If you want to temporarily allow filtered messages, simply click on the filter name to uncheck in the filter list. Take note, however, that filtering works only if your BlackBerry is activated on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server; to access filters with BlackBerry Internet Service you must check with your wireless carrier.

High-Priority E-Mail Notifications

You want to make sure you know when high-priority e-mails come in, and the standard notification doesn’t quite command your attention. To set up special notices, start at the home screen, go to Profiles, then Advanced. Here you can create a new profile or modify your current one. Set the desired notification for Level 1 Messages and save. Note: High-priority message notices will work even if you have disabled those for other types of messages.

Shortcuts

BlackBerry offers a boatload of useful shortcut keys, most of which are only available on a device that has a full keyboard. They are performed by simply pressing the key or combination of keys listed below.

Open a message that was sent to you and try the following shortcuts:

R: Reply to message
L: Reply to all
F: Forward message
I: File highlighted message into a folder
Q: Toggle the display name and full e-mail address of a contact in an e-mail address field
G: Move to the last cursor position in a received message after closing and re-opening it

Outlook on Windows Mobile

Having your Outlook e-mail available from a Windows Mobile device allows you to stay connected and lets you get more work done while not at the office. Accessing your e-mail using keyboard shortcuts takes productivity one step further. Here are some of the more useful shortcuts for Outlook on a Windows Mobile device, which are performed by pressing and holding the particular key. For example, to reply to a message that is selected or opened, press and hold the R key. The following keyboard shortcuts are also available:

A: Starts a new message replying to all (Reply All)
R: Starts a new message replying to sender (Reply)
K: Toggles between marking a selected message(s) as Read or Unread
F: Used to Flag a message
M: Moves the selected message(s) to a folder
O: Starts a new message with the selected message as an attachment to be forwarded
D: Deletes the selected message(s)
S: Performs a Send/Receive

For a quick reference to the available keyboard shortcuts, press and hold the H key.

iPhone

The iPhone has graduated from dawdling device to legitimate business tool. Respected research firm Forrester issued a report earlier this year which found that workers who use iPhones are “happier and more productive.” Who knew a gadget could have such power? Here are some shortcuts to make you even happier and more productive with your iPhone.

Easy punctuation

Inserting a period from the symbols box can become tedious. You want to send messages with proper punctuation, but deadlines get in the way. Here’s a quicker way: Double-tap the spacebar. Problem solved. Reputation saved.

Copy Web images

Do you often come across images in your Web travels that you’d like to save for later use? Try this shortcut: Press and hold your finger on the photo and you’ll be prompted to “Save Image.” Now it’s in your Camera Roll.

Making sense of time zones and meetings

Sometimes technology’s intuitive functionality can get the better of you, especially when traveling across time zones. Case in point: the Time Zone Support feature, which shows event dates and times in the zone you selected for your calendar. For example, if you scheduled a 10 a.m. conference call while at the home office in Philadelphia, and you are currently visiting Los Angeles, your meeting will still show up as scheduled for 10 a.m. Turning off the Time Zone Support feature can make your schedule a little clearer by automatically adjusting your calendar to the time zone you are in. To do so, go to Settings | Mail | Contacts | Calendar and toggle off Time Zone Support.

Scrolling is fun again

Mobile devices are practical, yes, but not when it comes to screen size. Scrolling, in particular, can become tiresome on an iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter. Whichever screen you are on – your contacts, a Web site – you can quickly return to the top by tapping the status bar (at the very top of every iPhone screen).

Tips were compiled by PC Helps staff. If you have any mobile tricks you cannot live without, tell us about them in comments or send a mail to: jen.darr@pchelps.com.

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Try teaching organization tips when a deadline is looming or has passed. It’s futile.

And if there’s one thing that can arrest productivity, it’s a full mailbox. (For an interesting look at e-mail’s ill-effect on employee output, read “Avoiding Death by E-mail” written by Tom L. Barnett and published on Computerworld.com.)

Depending on your company’s policy, it can mean an inability to send mail at best, and loss of all e-mail functionality at worst.

Usually, the calls come from users who need to send an e-mail right now, and do not have time to properly free up space. Sometimes they have already begun mass-deleting and they still cannot send mail.

In these situations, callers don’t want to hear about smart mailbox organization. They just want to get their work done on time.

Usually, our consultants offer the caller a solution that solves the pressing issue, and then they may follow up later with a phone call to show him how to archive and organize mail so that the problem does not happen again. (Try teaching organization tips when a deadline is looming or has passed. It’s futile.)

For that caller, his issue is resolved, and, if he set up archiving and created mailbox rules, he most likely will not have the problem again. That’s wonderful. But for every caller who reaches out, there are many more who spend hours whittling down their mailboxes, only to face the same problem again in a week or two.

If e-mail is the dominant form of communication at most businesses, why is it not standard practice to train employees on e-mail software?

It’s amazing what 20 minutes of learning and a little bit of follow-up support will return in the form of increased productivity.

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I thought to myself, “Where do you think all that mail goes? The great .pst in the sky?”

I thought to myself, “Where do you think all that mail goes? The great .pst in the sky?”

That was the bad-mannered former software consultant in me, and I quickly reminded myself everyone has their own areas of expertise — some technical, some not.

Case in point: I know someone who is a carpenter and general contractor. He had very little formal education; most of it has been on-the-job. If you need to know what kind of wood something is made of — whether it’s a common type like Spanish cedar or an exotic species such as Bubinga (African rosewood) — he’ll tell you in a second. That’s his specialty, and he knows it well.

But when he tries to work with document templates and database files for his business, he’s not so nimble. For that, he brings in help.

All this got me thinking about recession, shrinking IT budgets, productivity, and a mess of other unpleasant business stuff. In particular, it led me to wonder why companies cut employee software training and support in an effort to save money.

The current corporate culture views training as a necessary evil, and expects workers to function as experts upon completion. That is unrealistic.

Instruction is important, practice is necessary, and assistance along the way is vital.

Let’s go back to the issue of Outlook folders reaching capacity. My initial reaction was harsh, and I’m thankful it was just a thought that ran through my head and not a comment uttered aloud. In that particular case, a consultant explained the .pst size limits, and showed the caller how to keep folders manageable using Outlook’s AutoArchive and Rules features.

The customer didn’t know that information before he called us, and he may have spent an hour trying to figure it out on his own or with the help of a colleague. (Think of the double downtime.)

The next time he is mysteriously unable to save to his .pst, he may remember how he fixed it last time, or he may not. This time, however, he knows where to find answer quickly.

Less downtime, more knowledge.

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