(Tech Tip: Outlook) Outlook meeting requests best practices

Outlook meeting requests are easy to use but also easy to misuse.

Here is a best practices guide straight from the Outlook team at Microsoft:

Outlook meeting requests: Essential do’s and don’ts

Some excerpts…

Send updates  After modifying one of your own meeting requests, remember to click Send Update to send the updated request to all recipients.

Keep meetings from vanishing   If you run Outlook on two computers and accept a meeting while using one of them, don’t delete the meeting request from the Inbox on the other computer. If the request is still there, accept it again. Deleting a request on one computer after accepting it on another computer can cause the meeting to disappear from your calendar.

Try not to delete a meeting request outright because this is one way that meetings get "lost."

Don’t move meeting requests   Don’t move a meeting request from your Inbox to a different folder before you accept or decline the request or before the meeting appears in your calendar.

Remove it right   If you receive a meeting cancellation, click Remove from Calendar to remove the meeting from your calendar. Deleting the cancellation from your Inbox won’t remove the meeting from your calendar.

Don’t auto-accept requests   If you have granted one or more persons delegate access to your calendar or if you have delegate access to someone else’s calendar, turn off automatic acceptance of meeting requests. By turning off automatic acceptance you avoid problems with delegate workflow.

Further reading

Best Practices for Outlook 2007

To see the page properly, a user should click on the No button.

But most people will not read the message and will click the Yes button (especially since it’s the default).

Here’s how to suppress the message (So that No is picked by default)

1. Tools->Internet Options->Security

2. Select the ‘Security’ tab

3. Click the ‘Custom Level’ button

4. In the ‘Miscellaneous’ section change “Display mixed content” to Enable

Using Outlook Categories is better than using subfolders for two reasons:

- You can assign multiple categories to an item

- Categorization is saved with the item so you won’t lose it by moving things around.

(Tip: you can assign categories just by dragging and dropping in the ‘arrange by categories’ view)

Master Category Lists

This is the ‘pick list’ of categories that can be assigned to an item (contact, calendar, mail).

What’s important to know is that categorization is stored with the item and will stay with it regardless of whether it’s on the Master List.

So the Master List isn’t all that important – you are not going to lose categorization of your items no matter what you do.

However, the Master List is useful when categorizing items to know what you’ve used before.

How to add to the Master Category List

You can see from the pictures below that Outlook 2007 no longer shows you a separate list.  Instead it shows you a combined list of the Master List plus any categorizations for your item.

If the category isn’t yet part of the Master it says “(not in Master Category List)”. To add it…

1. Select the category and click ‘New…’

2. Click OK.

Note: other users (delegates)will need ‘owner’ permissions on the CALENDAR folder in order to edit the Master Category List (for any folder)

Converting

When you first install Outlook 2007 you may want to upgrade to colored categories.  This just assigns colors to your categories in the new format.

Mailbox (right-click)… Properties… Upgrade to color categories.

Making sure all your contacts’ categories are in the Master Category List

1. View… Current View…By Category

2. View… Arrange by… Categories

3. View… Expand / Collapse Groups … Collapse All Groups

4. Then, starting at the bottom (it’s easier)

a. Click on the plus to expand the group

b. Right-click the first contact… Categorize…All Categories

c. Then click the category that says “(not in Master Category List)” and click New… OK.

d. Click the minus and move up to next group

Where the Master Category Lists are stored

Outlook 2007 (colored and named) categories are stored in the default message store (mailbox or pst).  i.e. with the data – better.

Outlook 2003 (named) categories are stored in the registry (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Categories). i.e. on that machine – not so good.

 If you can’t connect to your network printer or you have switched your printer from USB cable to network cable then you should go through these steps to re-connect.

It’s possible that the network IP number has changed due to the nature of DHCP auto assignments of numbers.

Step 1: Figure out your printer’s IP number

Your printer should have a configuration menu that shows you the IP number. 

Generally, your printer should have DHCP=on to have a valid IP number.

Use your internet browser to browse to that number.

Step 2: Figure out the hostname from the IP number (optional but preferred)
Now, look for the hostname somewhere on the printer’s network page

Note: You should use the printer network Name (aka hostname) instead of the IP number to prevent problems if the IP number changes.

You should make sure the your computer can ‘see’ the printer by name by browsing to the name instead of the number

Step 3: Use the printers control panel to change the port

Start… Control Panel… Printers

Then right-click the printer and choose Properties and switch to the Ports tab.

Click the Add Port… button

Then select “Standard TCP/IP Port” and click “New Port”

Click Next and from your results in Step 1 and 2  enter the Hostname (preferred) <or> IP number.

The Port Name is irrelevant so leave it at default.

Click Next, Finish, and Close the open windows, you are done.

Outlook’s ‘unread mail’ normally shows you unread mail in all your folders.
Here’s how to change it to just the Inbox.

1. Right click “Unread Mail” and choose “Customize…”

2. Click the Browse button and UNcheck Mailbox, check Inbox, and UNcheck Search subfolders.

Ever wonder what memory goes in your computer? 
Whenever I go to upgrade I never really know which memory to get.
These are the main things to know.

The rules:

Know how many slots you have and what type of chips they take.  (The crucial tool is good for showing that)

These are the current types:  (see list at  bottom)
SDR (ancient machine – don’t bother upgrade)
DDR (more than a few years old – may be worth the upgrade)
DDR2 (recent machines)
DDR3 (new machines)

Within the type you can generally use the higher numbered models as they are faster and backwards compatible.  Also the number of pins and the notch position will physically prevent you from plugging in the wrong type of memory (for the most part).

Most DDR2 and DDR3 chips should be installed in pairs (or trios) to get the best performance – the tools or manufacturer should tell you that.

Finally, how much to add.  Well that is a big topic but Windows 32 bit machines can really only use about 3.5G (4G minus the memory on your video card).  That is why there is a silent switch to Windows 64 bit in the higher end market and it will become mainstream soon.  With 64 bit the limit is 128G or something crazy high like that (crazy for the moment).

Some common systems and what type of memory they have

DDR SDRAM

Dell Dimension 4500S (2 slots) PC2700, PC3200

DDR2 SDRAM

Dell Dimension 9200c or XPS210 (4 slots paired) PC2-5300
Dell OptiPlex 330 (2 slots paired) PC2-5300, PC2-6400, PC2-8500
Dell OptiPlex 360 (2 slots paired) PC2-6400, PC2-8500

Tools

Dell (web)

Tool to scan system and order memory and other parts: Tells you what slots have what chips

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/DellPartsFamily.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~ck=anavml

Crucial (web)
http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/index.aspx

CPU-Z (app)
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

General Information

FAQ

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/55024-30-memory-please-read-posting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimm

Images

http://memoryguide.org/pmwiki.php?n=RAM.DDR

SDR SDRAM (168 pin 2 notches)

DDR SDRAM (184 pin)

DDR2 SDRAM (240 pin)

DDR3 SDRAM (240 pin)

Speeds

For various technologies, there are certain bus and device clock frequencies that are standardized. There is also a decided nomenclature for each of these speeds for each type.

SDR SDRAM DIMMs – These first synchronous registered DRAM DIMMs had the same bus frequency for data, address and control lines.

144 or 168 pin (two notches)

• PC66 = 66 MHz
• PC100 = 100 MHz
• PC133 = 133 MHz

DDR SDRAM (DDR1) SDRAM DIMMs – DIMMs based on Double Data Rate (DDR) DRAM have data but not the strobe at double the rate of the clock. This is achieved by clocking on both the rising and falling edge of the data strobes.

184 pin (single notch)

• PC1600 = 200 MHz data & strobe / 100 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2100 = 266 MHz data & strobe / 133 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2700 = 333 MHz data & strobe / 166 MHz clock for address and control
• PC3200 = 400 MHz data & strobe / 200 MHz clock for address and control

DDR2 SDRAM SDRAM DIMMs – DIMMs based on Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) DRAM also have data and data strobe frequencies at double the rate of the clock. This is achieved by clocking on both the rising and falling edge of the data strobes. The power consumption and voltage of DDR2 is significantly lower than DDR(1) at the same speed.

200 or 240 pin (single notch)

• PC2-3200 = 400 MHz data & strobe / 200 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2-4200 = 533 MHz data & strobe / 266 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2-5300 = 667 MHz data & strobe / 333 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2-6400 = 800 MHz data & strobe / 400 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2-8000 = 1000 MHz data & strobe / 500 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2-8500 = 1066 MHz data & strobe / 533 MHz clock for address and control
• PC2-9600 = 1200 MHz data & strobe / 600 MHz clock for address and control

DDR3 SDRAM SDRAM DIMMs – DIMMs based on Double Data Rate 3(DDR3) DRAM have data and strobe frequencies at double the rate of the clock. This is achieved by clocking on both the rising and falling edge of the data strobes. The power consumption and voltage of DDR3 is lower than DDR2 of the same speed.

240 pin (single notch)

• PC3-6400 = 800 MHz data & strobe / 400 MHz clock for address and control
• PC3-8500 = 1066 MHz data & strobe / 533 MHz clock for address and control
• PC3-10600 = 1333 MHz data & strobe / 667 MHz clock for address and control
• PC3-12800 = 1600 MHz data & strobe / 800 MHz clock for address and control
• PC3 16000 = 2000 MHz data & strobe / 1000 MHz clock for address and control

Windows Server will auto-install print drivers for clients.  But what driver exactly?

Here are some troubleshooting steps followed by more detailed information about print servers. 

When a print server is involved, the workstation should start with no drivers since the server will provide them and auto-install.

Highlight and delete all network printers

1. If a network printer won’t delete, do these things, trying to delete along the way:a. Delete any queued documents.  If the current document doesn’t delete , it might be OK.
   b. Go to the Services control panel and restart the Print Spooler service.
   c. Go to the Printer Server Properties and remove the driver (see above)
   d. Change the printer port to another port (preferably to any working network port)
2. Delete any network ports in Print Server Properties (see above)
3. Delete any unused drivers in Print Server Properties (see above)
4. Go to \\SERVER and double-click the desired printers.

Note: If you are using NTScript at logon , go to the “\logon\Updates\Logs\User” folder and find the user.ini file and delete the “printers.txt=” line to re-trigger install of all printers at logon.

Advanced Tab

The advanced tab shows you which driver is being used.  You may choose from the print server’s installed drivers in the Print Server Properties window (see below)

Sharing Tab

The sharing tab only allows you to add additional drivers for the 3 basic Windows types: 32, 64, Itanium

Note: that if you want to specify a different driver within the same type you must create another printer / queue.

Print Server Properties

Print Server properties is the little known area that allows you to control the print drivers and print ports that are available on the server or workstation.

To access it, right-click in the printers window and choose “Server properties…”

Note: Even if you are on a workstation it’s still called server properties.

Ports Tab

The ports tab shows the LPT, USB and Network “Ports” that have been configured on the computer.

Note: The printer column shows you which printers are currently using the port.  If no printer is using the port it should probably be deleted.

The highlighted port should probably be deleted.

Drivers Tab

When you set up a printer, the driver is added to the drivers tab.  Unused drivers should be removed.

Remove the whole package when prompted.  Click properties to show the actual files in the package.

Note: The screen doesn’t show you if a driver is being used by a printer, but If you try to remove a driver that is configured for a printer it will not let you continue.

Advanced Tab

This shows the location of spooled print jobs

Netiquette Rulebook

 Golden rule of Netiquette: don’t make people do work for you that you can do yourself.

The rules haven’t really changed but the technology we’re using sometimes allows us to break them easier and quicker than ever before.  So here’s our growing list of the common things you should look out for when trying to be a good corporate netizen.  Any suggestions?

1. The subject line is there for a reason. It should never be left blank. It should never say something useless like “Email”.
2. If you wish to e-mail somebody don’t find any old email from that person in your inbox and press ‘reply’ unless you are willing to erase all the original text and subject.
3. Don’t hit send. Email has the potential to be the most permanent record of communication ever created. In the future, our digital records may be our legacy. Remember that when you are chewing someone out or forwarding some great internet link to questionable content.
4. Learn how to add a standard signature. Include your phone number, your address. If you can make the font small – do so. Do not include a paragraph of disclaimers or useless information if you can avoid it. Get a backbone. Don’t cya with each and every message you send.
5. Don’t ask somebody to call you without giving the phone number to call.
6. Know how big your e-mail message is. Watch those attachments. Anything over 1MB is rude. Anything over 5MB is an IT problem for your company and your recipient’s company.
7. If you are replying to something include the original text beneath yours. Not doing so places a burden on the other side and assumes everyone considers you the most important and memorable person in their world.
8. Don’t press Enter except after a paragraph. If you break up a line using Enter according to your screen size you are assuming the world doesn’t have blackberries, treos, or even computers with screens different than yours.
9. Don’t include those > marks on each line of the original text. After 2 replies it becomes an illegible mess. By breaking up the lines iIt also assumes your screen width is equal to your recipients screen width.
10. Never EVER reply-to-all. reply to the people that care. oh yeah nobody cares.
11. Don’t be sneaky with bcc. For one thing if you send to some unsavvy emailer they may reply-to-all and blow your cover so be prepared to wipe egg off face. For another its cowardly and unsportsmanlike conduct.
12. Sending a msg to lots of people. Here’s a case where you must use bcc. It’s not polite to ‘publish’ a large number of people’s addresses to a lot of people that might not know each other. The bcc hides the addresses so it solves the problem but causes another one: now nobody knows who else the email went to so it’s up to you as the sender to include in the body of the message right at the top “to: all 5th grade parents” or some such.
13. Mass mailings. You may send safely to at most 50 people. Beyond that you are treading into the waters of spammers and there are serious risks. A big one has to do with community based spam filtering. If enough people hit the ‘this is spam’ button then your mail serever may be blacklisted to anyone subscribing to that filter. This means you have just prevented ANY future email from getting to ANY subscriber of that list from ANYONE at your company and even OTHER companies if they share your mail server.
14. Making it pretty. Email was conceived as a text based medium. It works well that way: it keeps the size down and allows for all kinds of cell phones and other devices that can’t handle more than text. When you fancify and embed pictures you are taking a chance: blackberries and such may take your picture out and treat it as an attachment and formatting is ignored for the most part.

By default Blackberry only shows your Inbox folder.  If you want to see other folders you must change the Folder Redirection settings.

Keep in mind that all the mail will appear ‘mixed together’ on the message list even though they are kept in separate folders in Outlook.

 To change Folder Redirection:

1. On the Blackberry, open up Messages so you are looking at your mail
2.  Click Menu (the button with the ‘berry’ on it)
   select Options -> Email Settings
3. Under Message Services highlight Desktop
    (Skip this step if you don’t see Message Services)
4. Click Menu
   select Folder Redirection
5. Then put checks next to folders you want
6. Press Esc (the curly arrow) and save

Do you use a Mac for running Windows?  This can be done using Apple’s Boot Camp or using a ‘real’ Windows machine via Remote Desktop.

Either way you will quickly notice that certain keys and the ability right-click are missing!

 Summary

 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1220

Boot Camp: MacBook Pro built-in keyboard mapping in Windows

• Last Modified: June 11, 2008
• Article: HT1220

Summary

Learn how Boot Camp maps Microsoft Windows functions and special keys to the MacBook Pro built-in keyboard, as well as which keys to use for various functions.

Note: MacBook built-in keyboards are similar to MacBook Pro built-in keyboards, but there are some differences (such as Keyboard Illumination keys, which are not on a MacBook keyboard). However, the majority of this article applies to MacBook keyboards as well.

 

Sample MacBook Pro built-in keyboard

Products Affected

Boot Camp, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Window Vista

Key mappings for Microsoft Windows features

Below is a chart of keyboard functions specific to Microsoft Windows, and equivalent key combinations as they are mapped to Apple keyboards by the Apple Keyboard Support driver.

 

Function	PC keyboard	MacBook Pro built-in keyboard
Print Screen
Print active window	–
Scroll Lock
Pause/Break		–
Backspace delete
Insert		–
Number lock
Alt (Option)
Enter
AltGr / Alt GR	(Right Alt key)
Forward delete
Applications		–
Windows logo (Start menu)

 

Key mappings for Boot Camp features

Some keys are only available on a keyboard designed for Apple computers. They are either named differently or simply not available on a Windows-compatible keyboard.

Your Apple keyboard provides certain keys that are not available on Windows/PC keyboards.

Function	PC keyboard	MacBook Pro built-in keyboard
Brightness down	–
Brightness up	–
Volume down	–
Volume up	–
Mute	–
Media eject	–
Media eject secondary optical drive	–
Delete	–
Fn (Function)	–
Display Mode Toggle	–
Keyboard Illumination Toggle (MacBook Pro)	–
Decrease Keyboard Illumination	–
Increase Keyboard Illumination	–

 

Numeric keypad mappings

Apple external and built-in keyboards provide the same functionality as Microsoft-compatible numeric keypads.

To enable numerical input, press Num Lock on a PC keyboard, or Fn-Numlock on the MacBook Pro keyboard.

The chart below shows equivalent keystrokes.

Function	PC keyboard	MacBook Pro built-in keyboard
Page Up		(Numlock off)
Page Down		(Numlock off)
Insert		–
Decimal Point		(Numlock off)
Delete		(Numlock off)
Up arrow		(Numlock off)
Down arrow		(Numlock off)
Left arrow		(Numlock off)
Right arrow		(Numlock off)
Home		(Numlock off)

Additional Information

Note: If you disable the Apple Keyboard Support driver in Windows, Windows will not recognize extended Function keys, nor the (Fn) key.