Ever wish you had an Outlook expert at your shoulder while you work — always ready with great tips for working with e-mail messages, meetings, appointments, or contacts? If so, this page is for you. See the following to learn new and faster ways to work in Outlook.

1. Mail tips

• Set a reminder to reply to a message  Right-click the message you want to set the reminder for, point to Follow Up, and then click Add Reminder. In the Due By list, click the date when you have to complete the reply. In the second list, click a time. In the Flag color list, click the flag color you want, and then click OK.
• Add your own words to a follow-up flag for a new message  Click the Message Flag button and then type the text you want in the Flag to box.
• Send a message to multiple people without revealing other recipients' identities To send a message to someone without other recipients of the message knowing, use the Bcc line in the message. Bcc stands for blind carbon copy. If you add someone's name to the Bcc line, a copy of the message is sent to that person, but his or her name is not visible to other recipients.

2. Calendar tips

• Quickly dial a phone number for a contact    Right-click the contact, and then on the shortcut menu, click Call Contact.
• Add a new contact from an e-mail message   Open the message. In the From field, right-click the name you want to convert into a contact. On the shortcut menu, click Add to Outlook Contacts.
• Create a task related to a contact   Click the contact, click the Actions menu, and then click New Task for Contact.

3. Notes tips

• Send that note fast!  Click the note icon in the upper-left corner of the open note and then click Forward.
• Quickly create a note from text in another program   Select the text and drag it onto the Notes button in the Navigation Pane.

4. Tasks tips

• Quickly mark a task complete. Right-click the task and then click Mark Complete on the shortcut menu.
• Quickly assign a task   Right-click the task, and then on the shortcut menu, click Assign Task and type a name in the To box.
• Remove a name fast from Other Tasks list.To remove a name from the Other Tasks list, right-click the name, and then click Remove from Other Tasks.

5. Journal tips

• Try the quick way to open Journal entries   To open the item, document, or contact in a Journal entry, double-click the icon in the Journal entry.
• Quickly record any file in Journal   Drag the file from My Computer to Journal view in the Navigation Pane.

5. Customization tips

• Start Outlook in a folder other than Inbox   On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab. In the Advanced Options dialog box, set the startup folder that you want.
• Do you travel between time zones?   Add a second time zone and switch between time zones for all Windows-based programs. Click Swap Time Zones in the Time Zone dialog box (Tools menu, Options dialog box, Calendar Options dialog box).
• Quickly change the time zone for all Windows-based programs. Right-click the space at the top of the time bar when you view days in Calendar, and then click Change Time Zone on the shortcut menu.

6. Keyboard shortcut tips

• To show the menu to download pictures, change automatic download settings, or add a sender to the Safe Senders List, press CTRL+SHIFT+W.
• To switch the Navigation Pane on and off, press ALT+F1.
• To display the Advanced Find dialog box, press CTRL+SHIFT+F.

7. More tips

• Try the quick way to print an item   Right-click the item, and then click Print on the shortcut menu.
• Quickly attach a file to a message, task, appointment, meeting request, journal entry, or contact   Open the item, and then on the Insert menu, click File. Locate the file you want to attach.
• Access your newsgroups from Outlook 2003   To access the newsreader from Outlook, on the View menu, click Toolbars, and then click Customize. Under Categories, click Go, and then under Commands, click News and drag it to one of your toolbars.

Source: office.microsoft