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Some Infrequently Asked (but just as important) Questions about MS Outlook

Q: How do I change how I view my messages in my Outlook Inbox?

A: You can change the view for your Outlook Inbox (or any folder in Outlook) by following these steps:

1. Click on your Inbox folder (or whichever folder you’d like to customize)
2. From the File menu located at the top of your Outlook, click View-Arrange By-Current View-Customize Current View

Note: some versions of Outlook may read: View-Current View-Customize Current View. Just click on any button (the explanation is right next to it) to customize your Outlook Inbox.

Q: Can I change the colors of my messages and/or Outlook program?

A: YES! You can change the font for your messages by using the above steps and clicking on the Other Settings button. You can also click on Tools-Options then select the Mail Format tab to get to your Stationary and Fonts.

To change the color of your Outlook program, you will need to change the colors for your entire computer display:

1. Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display (or right-click ¹ anywhere on your desktop and select Properties)
2. Select the Appearance tab.

Here you can change the color scheme of your desktop and Outlook will change colors. You can also select the Themes tab to apply a color scheme already found on your computer.

Q: I received an e-mail with a work assignment; how do I set a reminder to make sure I complete it?

A: There are two ways to do this.

1. Set a follow-up date


1. Right-click on the e-mail and select Follow-Up
2. Select the color of the flag you’d like displayed
3. Right-click on the e-mail and select Follow-Up again
4. Select Add Reminder
5. Customize how and when you’d like Outlook to remind you of the e-mail


2. Create a Task
   1. Click and drag the e-mail to your Tasks folder (look for the icon)
   2. The Task is automatically created with the e-mail subject as the title and email contents attached
   3. Customize how and when you’d like Outlook to remind you of the e-mail

Q: I want to ask my co-workers their opinion by sending them an e-mail. What’s the best way to do this?

A: Outlook has a great feature that works well here – Voting Buttons!

1. Create your e-mail
2. Select Options from the Send toolbar
3. Check the Use Voting Buttons box under Voting and Tracking options
4. In the box next to it, type in the choices you want your co-workers to vote on – adding a semicolon (;) between choices
5. Click Close and send your message.

When your co-workers read the message, they will see your options at the top and can just click on the one they prefer. You will then get an e-mail for each individual response. Also, if you view the original message that you sent in your "Sent Items" folder, you will notice a tab labeled "Tracking." This is where you can easily view the tallied results of your survey.

Have More Questions?

If you need any assistance, or have additional Infrequently Asked Questions, just give us a call at the NIH Help Desk at (301) 496-4357 (local), 866-319-4357 (toll free), or 301-496-8294 (TTY). We have agents who are Microsoft Certified Specialists in Outlook that are available to you!

¹ If you're using a left-handed mouse, just left-click on your desktop.