10 steps to creating a Word input form

Takeaway: User forms make data entry more efficient, reduce errors, and ensure consistency. This walk-through will show your users how easy it is to set up their own forms.

Input forms are a good way to guide users and control input. Most of the time, you’ll use them to generate routine forms, where the user supplies information to complete some process. This article will show your users how to create these input forms using content controls themselves — removing you from the loop! Most input forms don’t require any code or specialized knowledge beyond choosing the best control for the job.

Word 2007 introduced content controls, which replace form fields in earlier versions. Although you can use 2003 form fields to collect data, they’re a more complex tool and not interchangeable with content control behaviours. This article doesn't include instructions for using Word 2003 form fields.

1: Determine needs

The first step is always about design. Take a minute to consider the form’s purpose and the type of information that will be entered. If the form is complex, you might want to sketch a quick design. This step won’t take much time, and it will help you produce the right form the first time.

2: Create the shell

In this context, the term shell refers to the permanent labels and formats that won’t change with usage. For instance, in this example, we’ll work with the simple order form shown in Figure A. It contains a few descriptive labels and simple formatting.

Figure A

This shell contains labels and formatting.

3: Save the shell as a template

Most of the time, you’ll want to save the shell as a template. After entering the descriptive labels and applying formatting, save the form as follows:

1. Click the File tab (or the Office button in Word 2007) and click Save As.
2. From the File As Type drop-down, choose Word Template (*.dotx).
3. Give the document a name.
4. Click Trusted Templates in the Favorites bar to select Word’s default template folder. You can save the template anywhere you like, but this is the easiest route. Figure B shows the expanded drop-down so you can see the full path.
5. Click Save.

Figure B

Save the form as a template in Word’s default template folder.

You don’t have to save these forms as templates, but doing so is consistent with most usage conventions.

4: Display the Developer tab

The content controls are available via the Developer tab, which Word doesn’t display by default. To display this tab, click the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) drop-down and choose More Commands. In the left pane, click Customize Ribbon. In the list to the right (under Main Tabs), select the Developer item, as shown in Figure C. Then, click OK. In Word 2007, click the Office button and then click Word Options. Choose Popular in the left pane and then select the Show Developer Tab In The Ribbon option.

Figure C

Display the Developer tab to gain access to content controls.

You’re not adding anything to the QAT, but the drop-down provides quick access to the Ribbon interface tool.

5: Add text boxes

Now you’re ready to add the first content control. Position the cursor a couple of tabs to the right of Name and click the Developer tab. In the Controls group, click Plain Text Content Control. Continue by inserting a plain text control for each of the following input areas: Ext #; Dept; Part; and Price, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

These text controls allow plain text entries.

6: Add a date picker

Adding a date control is just as easy. Position the cursor to the right of Date and click the Date Picker content control. To change the way the control displays the date, click Properties in the Controls group (with the date picker control still selected). In the resulting dialog, shown in Figure E, change the display format by choosing the MMMM d, yyyy format. Then, click OK.

Figure E

You can change how the control displays the date.

7: Add a list box

Use a list or combo box when you know the choices. For instance, by providing a list of departments, you can limit typos and input errors, which isn’t possible with text controls. To add a list box, position the cursor to the right of Dept and click the Drop-Down List content control from the Controls group. To populate the list, click Properties in the Controls group. In the resulting dialog, click Add and enter Editorial, as shown in Figure F. The Value property isn’t of interest in this technique, so you can leave it alone. Continue adding items until you’ve completed the list, as shown in Figure G. Then, click OK to return to the form.

Figure F

Add list items.

Figure G

Add as many items as needed to create a comprehensive list.

8: Protect the form

At this point, you’re almost done. Once you’ve inserted all the content controls (for input), protect the document. On the Developer tab, click Restrict Editing in the Protect group to open the Restrict Formatting And Editing task pane. In Word 2007, click Protect Document and choose Restrict Editing And Formatting.

In the step 2 section, select the Allow Only This Type Of Editing in the Document under Editing Restrictions. Then, choose Filling In Forms from the drop-down list, as shown in Figure H. Finally, click the Yes, Start Enforcing Protection button. Word will prompt you for a password. In this type of document, you probably won’t need to password-protect anything. You can bypass this option by clicking OK without entering a password. Save the template one last time.

Figure H

Specific a fill-in form when protecting the form.

9: Distribute the form

This next step requires no special instructions. Users can distribute the template as they normally would, with instructions for saving the form in the users’ template directory.

10: Use the form

Using the form is simple. If you saved the form as a template, click the File tab and choose New. In Word 2007, click the Office button and choose New. Click My Templates in the Available Templates section and double-click the template to open a new document (form). Enter a name and press Tab; then, click the date picker’s drop-down list and select a date, as shown in Figure I. Pressing Tab will cycle through the controls. Figure J shows the drop-down list you created for the department information.

Figure I

Choosing a date from the date picker is easy!

Figure J

Providing lists helps users make choices.

When the user has entered all the appropriate items, he or she can print and close the document, or save the document, as required. Because they’re working from a template, users can quickly create as many forms as necessary.

10 ways to speed up Windows 7

Takeaway: You don’t have to live with a Windows 7 machine that’s becoming unbearably slow. Here are 10 basic steps that will optimize system performance.

With Windows 7, Microsoft did a really good job making the system perform well. However, over time, Windows 7 systems can slow down and need some care and feeding to regain their former glory. Further, some Windows 7 features can be leveraged to improve overall system performance. In this article, I will outline 10 steps you can take to boost the performance of your Windows 7 systems.

1: Disable unnecessary services

Not every system service that is running on a stock Windows 7 machine is necessary. A number of services can either be disabled or modified to run only when needed. Once you make these changes, the service no longer has to consume system resources and the system no longer has to spend time starting the service. Earlier this year, I wrote an article here at TechRepublic titled10+ Windows 7 services you may not need.

2: Reduce the number of startup items

Windows 7 systems eventually begin to suffer under the weight of software that is installed in the normal course of business. Many software titles install more than is necessary and include helper applications designed solely to make the software start up more quickly or facilitate other communication (e.g., iTunes helper). And new software installations might add a permanent presence to the system tray, even if it’s not absolutely necessary for the system to function (Steam games, for example).

You could go through your system tool by tool and remove the offending software, but you might want to keep the underlying tool around and just prevent the helper from loading. This and more can be accomplished through the use of MSconfig, a tool that has long been a part of Windows. MSconfig allows you to selectively disable startup items and take other steps toward improving overall system performance.

To use MSconfig, go to Start and in the search box, type MSconfig. From the Startup tab (Figure A), you can disable items. Just be careful about what you choose.

Figure A

Disable items to improve overall system performance.

3: Remove the bloatware installed by vendors

I’ve long felt that Microsoft’s OEMs sometimes actively work against the Redmond behemoth and sully the company’s name. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of what has become known as “bloatware.” In the never-ending race to the bottom of the PC market, lower cost PCs have had their profit margins bolstered by OEMs through the inclusion of mostly junk software - short-term trials and the like — that does nothing but add a few dollars of profit while bringing performance to a crawl. Frankly, this is one of the reasons that I believe that Microsoft’s Surface announcement, in which Microsoft noted that it would make its own device, is brilliant. The company needs to start with a clean slate in some ways (no pun intended).

If your PC shipped with a bunch of stuff you’ll never use, get rid of that software. Generally, you can go to Start | Control Panel | Programs And Features (Figure B) and remove software you no longer plan to use. If the software adds items to the startup process, getting rid of it will make the PC start faster and, ultimately, perform better overall.

Figure B

Use Programs And Features to remove unwanted software.

4: Keep viruses and spyware off your system

If you’re running Windows, you need to be running an anti-malware program to keep viruses and spyware off your system. Nothing will ruin good performance like a boatload of spyware. My personal favorite (and free!) tool for combating malware is Microsoft Security Essentials. In my experience, it’s been successful in catching bad stuff while not significantly degrading system performance itself.

5: Check your memory

How much RAM do you have? Is your system consuming all or most of your RAM? Does the system page out to disk? If so, you’re suffering a massive performance hit, which can be solved by adding more memory to your PC. Greg Shultz explains how to do this by using Resource Monitor.

6: Go solid state

Solid state is all the rage these days, and with good reason. It’s fast! More and more laptops and even desktops are moving to the technology because of the performance benefits. Solid state disks use memory cells from which data can be read very quickly, as opposed to the relatively plodding nature of rotational storage. By moving to SSD, you can give your Windows 7 system renewed life — and give yourself a whole new user experience.

But SSDs can be expensive, so you need to be smart about how to use them in the most cost-effective way. See ZDnet’s Windows 7 and SSDs: Trimming the fat from your system drive for tips on manking good decisions about how to implement SSD.

7: Ensure that power settings favor performance

This one is easy! When you’re plugged in, configure Windows 7’s power plans to favor performance over power savings. When you choose to use Windows 7′ high performance power plan, you might increase the computer’s performance in some (but not all) circumstances. It really depends on the kind of work you’re doing and how often you allow the computer to sit idle.

To change power plans, go to Start | Control Panel | Power Options and choose your power plan settings (Figure C). For more about how these plans operate, see Evaluate the efficiency of Windows 7 power plan settings.

Figure C

Go to Power Options to choose Windows 7 power plan settings.

8: Keep your system defragmented (unless you’ve followed item 6)

If you’re using a traditional spinning disk in your Windows 7 system, you can keep your system operating at peak efficiency by periodically defragmenting the hard drive. If, however, you’ve opted to go with SSD-based storage, don’t do this. First, you won’t get any performance benefit and second, you’ll significantly reduce the life of that expensive SSD.

Disk defragmentation is scheduled to take place once per week, but you can change this by going to Start | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Defragmenter (Figure D). In addition to changing the schedule, you can run an on-demand defrag from here. You can also run a defrag from the command line instead of from a GUI. Bill Detwiler’s video explains how.

Figure D

You can schedule a defrag in the Disk Defragmenter dialog box.

9: Disable or tune search indexing

Windows 7’s search is good, but it can also affect system performance. If you really need to run a tool at full tilt, you can disable indexing altogether. Or you can tune the indexer to meet your specific needs, possibly reducing its overall impact on system performance.

10: Use ReadyBoost

Perhaps you don’t want to jump into the solid-state game right away but would like some of the benefit that can be had from flash-based storage. Using nothing more than a USB stick, you can do so through a Windows 7 feature known as ReadyBoost. (Note that if you’re already using an SSD as your system drive, ReadyBoost won’t be available, since there would be no performance gain.)

ReadyBoost allows the system to make use of one of these speedy storage devices as a cache, improving overall performance of the system. The flash storage device that you choose to use for ReadyBoost should meet the following specifications set by Microsoft:

• Capacity of at least 256 MB, with at least 64 kilobytes (KB) of free space
• At least a 2.5 MB/sec throughput for 4-KB random reads
• At least a 1.75 MB/sec throughput for 1MB random writes

Here’s another nice feature: If Windows doesn’t think ReadyBoost will provide a performance gain, it will tell you and won’t let you enable it. In Figure E, you can see that I’ve opened the properties for a portable USB stick, which I’ve added to my Windows 7 system. However, Windows knows that the system disk is already fast enough, so ReadyBoost isn’t available as an option. If you want to learn more about how to enable and configure ReadyBoost in your system, see Take a closer look at ReadyBoost features in Windows 7.

Figure E

ReadyBoost isn’t needed for this system.

10 Excel defaults you can customize to work the way YOU want

Takeaway: You don’t have to adjust every Excel workbook to meet your needs. By changing a few settings, you can make all your workbooks automatically conform to your preferences.

Like Word, Excel’s out-of-the box environment might not provide the most efficient setup for you. If you find yourself changing the same attributes every time you create a new workbook, consider changing them at the program or template level. That way, Excel will generate each new workbook just the way you like it. The following settings are some of the more common ones that users customize. If you don’t find your favourite, please feel free to share your suggestions in the discussion below.

1: File location

Many users don’t use the default file folder, My Documents. You can quickly change this default and save workbooks where you want automatically, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and choose Options (under Help). In Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2003, choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. In the left pane, choose Save. In Excel 2003, click the General tab.
3. In the Save Documents section, change the path in the Default File Location field, as shown in Figure A. You can type the path or click Browse to locate it.
4. Click OK.

Figure A

Save files where you want, instead of in My Documents.

2: Number of sheets

Each new workbook includes three sheets. You can add and delete sheets, but you can also change the number of default sheets, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and then click Options (under Help). In Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2003, choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. Click General in the left pane. In Excel 2003, click the General tab.
3. In the When Creating New Workbooks section, enter the number of sheets in the Include This Many Sheets field, as shown in Figure B. In Excel 2003, use the Sheets In New Workbook drop-down.
4. Click OK.

Figure B

Determine the number of sheets provided in a new workbook.

3: Open a specific workbook

Opening a specific workbook when launching Excel can save a little time if you often work with the same workbook. This shortcut is easily accomplished by saving that workbook in the XLStart folder. Depending on your version of Windows, you’ll find that folder in one of the following locations:

• Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart
• Windows Vista: C:\Users\user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart
• Windows 7: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\XLStart

Just save the workbook as you normally would, but save it to the appropriate XLStart folder.

4: Cursor movement

When you press Enter, Excel moves the cursor down one cell. If you enter data by moving to the right, rather than down, you can change the cursor’s behavior, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and then click Options (under Help). In Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2003, choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. In the left pane, select Advanced. In Excel 2003, click the Edit tab.
3. In the Editing Options section, choose Right from the Direction drop-down under the After Pressing Enter, Move Selection option, as shown in Figure C. You can choose Right, Left, Up, and Down. In Excel 2003, the option is Move Selection After Enter. If you don’t want the cursor to move at all, uncheck the option.
4. Click OK.

Figure C

This option lets you control Excel’s cursor behavior when pressing Enter.

5: Font face and size

You might want to change the default font and size if your organization’s conventions require something different. By doing so, you eliminate the task of adjusting each new workbook. To change the default font, do the following:

1. Click the File tab and then click Options (under Help). In Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2003, choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. Choose General (if necessary) from the left pane. In Excel 2003, click the General tab.
3. In the When Creating New Workbooks section, change the Use This Font (Standard Font in Excel 2003) and Font Size options, as shown in Figure D.
4. Click OK.

Figure D

Update these settings to specify the font and size of your choice in all workbooks.

6: Template

Like Word, Excel bases each new workbook on a template file (Book.xltx). You can permanently change many default settings by adjusting Book.xltx. You can make this change once to Book.xltx, instead of adjusting each new workbook manually.

When making changes at the template level, you can start in one of two ways:

• If you’ve customized Book.xltx, open it so you don’t lose prior changes.
• If you haven’t customized Book.xltx, you can begin with any blank workbook.

Make the changes you want to implement at the template level and then save the workbook as a template:

1. Click the File tab and choose Save As. In Excel 2007, click the Office button and choose Save As. In Excel 2003, choose Save As from the File menu.
2. Choose Excel Template (.xltx) from the Save As Type drop-down, as shown in Figure E. Excel 2003’s template extension is .xlt.
3. Locate the XLStart folder using the Save In control. You must save Book.xltx to the XLStart folder.
4. Click Save.

Figure E

Specify the file as a template, using the appropriate extension.

If you can’t find XLStart, you can use Excel’s Visual Basic Editor to find the path, as follows:

1. Launch Excel’s VBE by pressing Alt + F11.
2. If the Immediate window isn’t visible, press Ctrl + G.
3. In the Immediate window, type ? application.StartupPath and press Enter, as shown inFigure F.

Figure F

If you can open the VBE, you can find XLStart.

If you want to alter things at the sheet level, make your changes and save the file as Sheet.xltx. You’ll use this file to change things such as inhibiting gridlines.

7: Startup folder

Tips #3 and #6 both rely on the XLStart folder to open or use specific files when you launch Excel. You can add a second location as follows:

1. Click the File tab and then click Options (under Help). In Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2003, choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. Choose Advanced in the left pane. In Excel 2003, click the General tab.
3. In the General section, enter the path to the new alternate startup folder, as shown inFigure G.
4. Click OK.

Figure G

Specify an alternate startup folder.

Excel will continue to open any workbooks found in XLStart, in addition to those workbooks found in the alternate startup location.

8: File format

Many organizations must deal with version compatibility issues because some users upgraded to the Ribbon version before others. When sharing Excel 2007 and 2010 files (.xlsx format) with Excel 2003 users, you must downgrade the workbook to the older format (.xls). Doing so is no big deal, but if you have to do it for every workbook, you might as well change the default file format to .xls, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and choose Options (under Help). In Excel 2007, click the Office button and then click Excel Options.
2. Choose Save in the left pane.
3. In the Save Workbooks section, choose Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*.xls) from the Save Files In This Format drop-down, as shown in Figure H.
4. Click OK.

Figure H

Save all files to the .xls format automatically.

This solution is limited to workbooks that don’t use new features. It might be easier to download thecompatiability pack for those still using Excel 2003.

9: Enable text wrap

When you enter a long string into a cell, Excel allows it to extend past the column’s right border. If there’s no data in the adjacent cells, the entire string is visible. But once you enter data in the adjacent cell, the new data takes precedent and the original string disappears behind the new text. This happens at the format level and you can reset this alignment attribute by adjusting the Normal style. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help all the other workbooks you create. If this is a format you want to set for all new workbooks, change the Normal style in book.xltx (#6):

1. Click the Home tab. Then, in the Styles group, click the Cell Styles drop-down. In Excel 2003, choose Style from the Format menu.
2. In the resulting gallery, right-click Normal and choose Modify, as shown in Figure I. In Excel 2003, select Normal in the Style Name control, click Modify, and then skip to step 4.
3. In the Style dialog, click Format.
4. Click the Alignment tab and select the Wrap Text option in the Text Control section, shown in Figure J.
5. Click OK twice.

Figure I

Modify the Normal style to set the Text Wrap property for the entire workbook.

Figure J

Selecting the Wrap Text option will allow text wrapping in all cells.

Just remember that changing the Normal style works in the current workbook only. You must save this at the template level to adjust the style for all new workbooks.

10: Comment font size

The font size for comments is easy to change, but it takes a detour from the traditional routes. You must change a Windows setting — you can’t control the comment font size via Excel.

If you’re using Windows XP, do the following:

1. Right-click the desktop and choose Properties.
2. Click the Appearance tab and then click Advanced.
3. From the Item drop-down, choose ToolTip.
4. Select a font size and click OK.
5. Click Apply and then click OK.

Windows 7 users should do the following:

1. Right-click the desktop and choose Personalize.
2. Click Window Color.
3. Click Advanced Appearance Settings.
4. From the Item drop-down, choose ToolTip.
5. Choose a font size.
6. Click OK and then click Save Changes.

This change will update all tip-type windows, not just Excel comments. So be sure you can live with the total package, especially if you share your system with other users. Note: Although the dialog will let you specify a different font, Excel will ignore the new setting.

10 Outlook defaults you can customize to work the way YOU want

Takeaway: By changing just a few settings, you can configure Outlook to match your needs and working style.

Perhaps no other Office app lends itself to customization as much as Outlook does. But with all that flexibility often comes confusion and frustration because users don’t always know how to help themselves work more efficiently. Changing Outlook’s out-of-the-box settings can help you reduce repetitive tasks and help you work a bit more efficiently via the interface. Here are some useful tweaks to make.

Note: This article covers 2007 and 2010; the instructions for 2007 will often be similar for Outlook 2003, but this article doesn’t include specific instructions for 2003.

1: Opening folder

When you launch Outlook, it displays Outlook Today view or moves straight to a specified folder. Opening to your preferred folder can eliminate a few clicks and put you right where you want to start your session. To specify which folder Outlook selects when launching, do the following:

1. Click the File tab and choose Options (under Help). In Outlook 2007, choose Options from the Tools menu, click the Other tab, and skip to step 3.
2. Choose Advanced in the left pane.
3. In the Outlook Start And Exit section, click Browse. In Outlook 2007, click the Advanced Options button in the General section and click Browse.
4. In the resulting dialog, select the folder you want as the default. Figure A shows a secondary Inbox selected, but your view will be unique to your system.
5. Click OK. Figure B shows the new setting.
6. Click OK again.

Figure A

Select the folder you want Outlook to select when launched.

Figure B

Check the setting here.

The next time you launch Outlook, it will open to the window specified in step 4. Your default window can be your Inbox or the Calendar, Tasks, or Contacts window. If you create a custom Inbox, you can specify it (as shown in Figure A). The default window can be almost any Outlook folder.

2: Custom address book

If you save addresses in a custom address book, making Outlook default to that address book will allow you to access your contacts with just a few clicks. To make a custom address book the default, do the following:

1. On the Home tab, click Address Book in the Find group. In Outlook 2007, click the Address Book icon on the Standard toolbar or press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+B.
2. From the Tools menu, choose Options. The default setting is Start With Global Address List (GAL). If yours is different, someone has already changed it. If you’re on Exchange, the GAL is usually members of your organization. This list won’t contain the contacts you add yourself. Your contacts are personal to you and are in the Contacts list.
3. If you want Outlook to default to your contacts, click the Start With Contact Folders option. Or click Custom to make a custom address book the default and set the order of reference using the arrow icons to the right.
4. To set the actual default address book, select the appropriate book from the When Opening The Address Book, Show This Address List First drop-down (Figure C). In Outlook 2007, it’s the When Sending Mail… option.
5. Click OK.

Figure C

You can control which address book Outlook uses as the default.

3: Message format

Most users know that they can send email in different formats:

• Plain Text uses text characters with no formatting, so it’s compatible with all email clients.
• HTML applies HTML formatting. Most clients can handle HTML, but they don’t always render the HTML coding by default.
• Rich Text allows simple text formatting that’s specific to Outlook.

Mobile technologies are quickly displacing this setup, but for now, many users still prefer Plain Text because it’s less trouble — many lists and Web clients don’t allow anything else. You can set this default, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and choose Options under Help. In Outlook 2007, choose Options from the Tools menu, click the Mail Format tab, and skip to step 3.
2. Choose Mail in the left pane.
3. In the Compose Messages section, choose Plain Text from the Compose Messages In This Format drop-down, shown in Figure D.
4. Click OK.

Figure D

You can set the default message format.

You may want to let the default setting handle most of your messages, but you can easily change the default for individual messages. In the message window, click the Format Text tab and choose the appropriate format in the Format group.

4: Appointment interval

Calendar view defaults to 30-minute intervals. If you maintain a different schedule, you might want to change the default interval as follows:

1. Right-click the timebar in the day or one of the week views.
2. Choose one of the intervals shown in Figure E.

Figure E

This shortcut is the easiest way to reset the default interval.

5: Appointment reminder

Outlook reminds you 15 minutes before a scheduled appointment. If you often change the reminder time when you create appointments, change that default reminder to better suit the way you work, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and choose Options under Help. In Outlook 2007, choose Options from the Tools menu, click the Preferences tab (if necessary), and skip to step 3.
2. Choose Calendar in the left pane.
3. In the Calendar Options section, choose the appropriate reminder time from the Default Reminders drop-down, shown in Figure F.
4. Click OK.

Figure F

Don’t work around the default — set a reminder time that best reflects your scheduling needs.

You’re not limited to the listed times, either. For instance, if you want a three-minute reminder, enter “3 minutes.”

6: Name order

When you click To in the message window to access the default address book, Outlook displays contact names in First Name, Last Name order. If you have a long list, you might prefer to see contacts alphabetized by last name first. To make this change, do the following:

1. Click the File tab. In Outlook 2007, choose Account Settings from the Tools menu and skip to step 3.
2. In the resulting window, choose Account Settings from the Account Settings drop-down.
3. Click the Address Books tab.
4. Choose the appropriate account (probably Outlook Address Book) and click Change (just above the list of accounts).
5. In the resulting dialog box, click the File As (Smith, John) option in the Show Names By option, shown in Figure G.
6. Click Close twice.
7. Exit Outlook and reopen it. Outlook won’t recognize this change until you do.

Figure G

Display contacts by last name first.

7: Reading pane

The quickest way to see more message text in the Reading Pane is to display less data about the message in the header section. To reduce this section to a single line, do the following:

1. In the Mail window, click the View tab.
2. From the Change View drop-down, choose Single, as shown in Figure H.

Figure H

Reduce the header information to a single line to free up space in the Reading Pane.

Outlook 2007 users have a very different route:

1. With the Reading Pane open, choose Current View from the View menu. Then, choose Customize Current View.
2. Click the Other Settings button.
3. In the Other Options section, uncheck the Use Compact Layout option.
4. Check the Always Use Single-Line Layout option.
5. Click OK twice.

8: Work week

The default work week displays only five days — Monday through Friday. If you work a nontraditional week, you can change this default to display the days you need, as follows:

1. Click the File tab and choose Options under Help. In Outlook 2007, choose Options from the Tools menu, click Calendar Options in the Calendar section, and skip to step 3.
2. Choose Calendar in the left pane.
3. In the Work Time section, check the days you want to include in your work week. You can include only a few or all seven. Figure I shows a work week that includes Monday through Saturday.
4. From the First Day Of Week drop-down, choose the day that represents the first day of your work week.
5. Click OK.

Figure I

Your calendar will accommodate your work week schedule.

9: Download interval

Outlook downloads mail at regular intervals, but you can disable that feature or change the default interval. Do so as follows:

1. Click the Send/Receive tab. In Outlook 2007, choose Options from the Tools menu, click the Mail Setup tab, click Send/Receive in the Send/Receive section, and skip to step 3.
2. Click the Send/Receive Groups drop-down in the Send & Receive group and choose Define Send/Receive Groups.
3. Enter the interval in minutes to the right of the checked Schedule An Automatic Send/Receive Every option to change the interval. You can also uncheck the option to disable the feature and download your mail manually.
4. Click Close.

10: Months in To-Do

Many of us schedule events well beyond the current month, but the To-Do Bar displays only the current month. With just a few clicks you can display the current and future months, as follows:

1. Click the View tab. In Outlook 2007, Choose To-Do Bar from the View menu.
2. Choose Options from the To-Do Bar drop-down in the Layout group. In Outlook 2007, choose Options.
3. In the Show Date Navigator section, enter the number of months (up to 9) to display in the Number Of Month Rows option, as shown in Figure J. (Enter 0 to display no months.)
4. Click OK.

Figure J

Entering 3 will display the current and next two months in the To-Do bar.