Windows XP Power Hound

Outlook-Only Tips

Most people only scratch the surface of Outlook's capabilities. This section explains how to delve more deeply into its mysteries and realize more of its vast potential.

Opening Outlook in Separate Windows

If you use Outlook for your email, calendar, and contacts, you probably spend too much time flipping back and forth among these tools. Every time you want to switch between, say, your inbox and your calendar, you have to click the Outlook Bar—or in Outlook 2003, the Navigation Pane—then choose the feature you want. Here's a quicker way: Open your contacts, calendar, and email in their own windows. Now you can view them onscreen at the same time, or switch among them using the Alt-Tab key combination.

If you're reading email, say, and need to check your calendar, right-click the calendar icon in the Outlook Bar or Navigation Pane and choose Open in New Window. Your calendar opens in a separate window. You can now switch between your inbox and your date book by pressing Alt-Tab, or simultaneously view both onscreen by right-clicking the taskbar and choosing either Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically.

Deleting Outlook Items Lickety-Split

Deleting anything in Outlook is normally a two-step process. When you delete an email message, for instance, Outlook doesn't actually get rid of it—it just moves the message to the Deleted Items folder. You must then manually empty your Deleted Items folder to permanently vanquish the message (or set Outlook to empty ...