Other Options

You can use the Other tab, shown in Figure 21.34, to configure the Deleted Items folder, AutoArchive settings, the Reading Pane, and Instant Messenger Smart Tag integration.

Figure 21.34. The Other tab enables you to configure Reading Pane options.

Configuring General Options

The General Options section enables you to tell Outlook to empty the Deleted Items folder on exiting, as well as to set Outlook as the default manager for your email, contacts, and calendar. In versions of Outlook prior to 2002, the only way to make Outlook the default email manager was through a startup switch or through Internet Explorer.

Navigation Pane Options

You can configure the options available on the Navigation Pane by clicking the Navigation Pane Options button to display Figure 21.35.

Figure 21.35. Choose which items to display on the Navigation Pane.

Use the check boxes to customize which items are displayed on the Navigation Pane. You can also change the order of the items displayed on the Navigation Pane. If you never use contacts but always use notes, you can switch the order of these two items. If you remove an item from the Navigation Pane, you can still use the Folder List to access that item.

Advanced Options

The Advanced Options button displays Figure 21.36.

Figure 21.36. Use this dialog box to configure a variety of Outlook options.

You can instruct Outlook to display Outlook Today or any other folder when it first starts. You can also start Outlook and go directly to Outlook Today. Click the Browse button to display a list of all your Outlook folders. You can select any folder in your default Outlook data store (either mailbox or Personal Folders file) or any other Personal Folders file located on your computer. Other options available under General Settings include

• Warn Before Permanently Deleting Items This option is checked by default and warns you if you empty the Deleted Items folder or hold down the Shift key while deleting items.

• When Selecting Text, Automatically Select Entire Word This option is available only if you're using Outlook's mail editor. If so, it's checked by default.

• Provide Feedback with Sound This option is unchecked by default. Turning this on requires that you install Microsoft Office Sounds.

• Show Paste Options Buttons Checked by default, this option displays the Clipboard icon after you paste a selection. Moving the mouse over this icon exposes options to keep the source formatting, match destination formatting, keep text only, or apply a style or formatting to the pasted text.

• Use Unicode Message Format When Saving Messages New to Outlook 2003, this option specifies that all messages are created and sent in Unicode format.

• Enable Mail Logging (Troubleshooting) If you're having problems with Outlook, you can enable mail logging to obtain more information. This option should be unchecked by default because it creates a very large log file.

The middle section of the Advanced Options dialog box enables you to configure some general appearance options. You can choose the font and font size for the Date Navigator, enable viewing of time and date on notes, and configure the number of working hours per day and per week for tasks.

There are five additional buttons at the bottom of the Advanced Options dialog box. You can configure reminder options, display the Add-In Manager, manage custom forms and COM add-ins, and view service options.

• Reminder Options You can choose to display the reminder when it triggers and play a reminder sound. You can also choose a new default reminder sound from this dialog box.

• Add-In Manager Use the Add-In Manager dialog box, shown in Figure 21.37, to add and remove Outlook add-ins. To install a new add-in, click the Install button and locate the ECF (extension configuration file) for your desired add-in. To disable an add-in, uncheck the box next to its name.

  Figure 21.37. The Add-In Manager dialog box enables you to add or remove Outlook add-ins.

  

  NOTE

  You can add a variety of add-ins to your machine through the use of the ECF files. However, just because you have access to an ECF file doesn't mean that it will install on your machine. For example, the Out of Office Assistant is available as an ECF file. However, if you're not connected to an Exchange Server, you cannot access the Out of Office Assistant even if you've installed the ECF file.

  
  

• Custom Forms Manage any custom forms you create and publish. You can configure the amount of memory allocated to temporary form storage as well as copy and install custom forms in other folders.

  For more information about custom forms, see "Creating and Using Custom Forms," p. 757.

  
  

• COM Add-Ins Clicking the COM Add-ins button displays Figure 21.38. From this dialog box, you can install and remove COM add-ins, executable files, or dynamic link libraries that can greatly enhance your Outlook program. COM add-ins are available from Microsoft's Web site and from a variety of third-party developers.

  Figure 21.38. Add and remove COM add-ins.

  

• Service Options The Service Options dialog box is new to Outlook 2003. You can specify when to connect to the Microsoft Office Web site and join the customer experience improvement program.

Archiving Options

Returning to the Other tab on the Options dialog box, you can configure archiving options by clicking the AutoArchive button to display Figure 21.39.

Figure 21.39. Use this dialog box to configure AutoArchive options.

When you install Outlook, AutoArchive is turned off by default. You can turn it on using this dialog box and configure archive options for all of your folders. To configure AutoArchive options for individual folders, right-click on the folder name and select Properties. Then use the AutoArchive tab to customize folder-specific archive settings.

If your network administrator has set retention policies for your mailbox, the Retention Policy Information button will be enabled.

Configuring the Reading Pane

You can configure the behavior of the Reading Pane by clicking the Reading Pane button to display Figure 21.40.

Figure 21.40. Use this dialog box to configure Reading Pane options.

From this dialog box, you can customize the Reading Pane to mark items as read automatically in the Reading Pane after a certain number of seconds, mark the item as read when you change messages, or use the spacebar to mark messages as read and select the next message.

Instant Messaging

The last section in the Other tab of the Options dialog box configures the Person Names Smart Tag. With this Smart Tag enabled, you can click the Messenger icon in the message header to perform various operations, such as scheduling a meeting with a contact or viewing the online status of the contact.