| Sam Young Newsletter |
Issue 48, August 2002
Hi guys,
This time my newsletter is ALL on tips to make those tricky wee PC tasks a bit easier for you. Here is the third in our series of MS Outlook tip sessions. This time we look at Creating Autoreplies below.
In addition, a few of you have required help with installing fonts of late, so I have provided reasonably foolproof destructions below. See Installing New Fonts.
Don't forget, if you want to be taken off my mailing list, click here to send me a reply e-mail and I will remove your name.
| Creating Autoreplies in Outlook |
Do you have any friends or clients who worry that you have not received their email because they haven't heard back from you that day?
I try to get to every message that comes in each day, but the volume can be pretty overwhelming. So I have resorted to an auto-answering system for my voluntary work, so those people who I am dealing with on that basis know that I got their message even if they don't get a response to their query from me that day.
The AutoReply system can be created in Outlook. Both 2000 and 2002 versions can generate automatic replies to all messages sent to a particular email user ID (that's your email address). And you don't need Exchange Server to do it.
However, there are three things to watch out for:
- You have to set Outlook up to use AutoSignatures when REPLYING to messages. Even if your auto signature is only a couple of blank spaces - there is a bug in Outlook that will only send blank messages otherwise (my next newsletter - #49 - will contain details on how to set up AutoSignatures)
- Turn off WordMail as follows (it plugs a security leak as well as stops you tearing your hair out);
- Outlook 97. click Tools | Options | E-mail. Untick the box marked "Use Microsoft Word as the e-mail editor"
- Outlook 98. Click Tools | Options | Mail Format. Select either HTML, Rich Text or Plain Text in the "Send in this message format" drop down list
- Outlook 2000. Click Tools | Options | Mail Format. Untick "Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages"
- Outlook 2002. Click Tools | Options | Mail Format. Untick the box marked "Use Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages", AND untick "Use Microsoft Word to read Rich Text e-mail messages"
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- If you tell Outlook to respond automatically to every message sent to a specific address, it might trigger an infinite loop (or email war, if you prefer). Consider this... your auto response goes to an address that, in turn, auto responds. My autoreply to your email. Your autoreply to my autoreply to your email. My autoreply to your autoreply to my autoreply....
If you're willing to watch carefully and break any loops manually (turning off the auto responder for a little while will do the trick), here's how to set it up:
- Make sure the user ID that people are sending messages TO is in your Contacts list (if they are sending messages to your normal email address, make sure that YOU are in your contacts list)
- Click the new message tool
- In the body of the message, key whatever you want as the automatic response (eg Hiya Name. I have received your message but I haven't had time to read it yet. I will get back to you as soon as I can")
- Click File | Save As. In the "Save As Type" field select "Outlook template". Type a name you'll remember (eg "AutoReply to Name"), and click Save
- Click File | Close, and reply NO if Outlook asks whether you want to keep the saved the message
- Go to your Inbox
- Click Tools | Rules wizard. Click "Check messages when they arrive", then Next. Click "Sent from people or distribution list". Click the underlined "people or distribution list" in the bottom box. Choose the ID people are sending messages to, then click "To", then click OK. In the next tab, click "Reply using a specific template". Click the underlined "specific template" in the bottom box, choose "User templates in file system" from the drop-down list at the top and pick the auto response message you set up. Click Open. Click Next twice. Type in a good name for the rule (eg "AutoReply to Name") and click Finish, then OK.
That's it. Test the setup by sending a message to your auto responding address. Bet you'll like it.
NB: Outlook 2002 needs an extra first step. As you can have multiple Inboxes, first go to the Inbox you want to work with, click "New", then Start from a blank rule
| Installing New Fonts |
I have had a few enquiries from clients, asking how they go about installing new fonts. Following is the method I use (and it tends to be relatively foolproof);
- Receive your new font (by email or download), extract it (if zipped), and save it to your downloads back up area
- Go to the Start Menu, select Settings | Control Panel
- On the Control Panel, select Fonts
- On the Fonts File Menu, select Install New Font
- Under the folders window (bottom left) double click on the C:\ drive at the top of the folder tree. Navigate to the folder you have saved the font files to. The software will automatically find all the font files you have stored in that folder and will catalogue them in the List of Fonts field
- Then, either;
- Select the fonts you want to install using the Ctrl key and your mouse, or
- Click the Select All key on the right
-
- Click the OK button
If any of the fonts you are trying to install have previously been installed, you will get an error message up for each file you try to reinstall saying "The [name of font] font is already installed. To install a new version, first remove the old version". Just click OK and the font installer will skip that font.
There are also font management software packages that you can get as freeware or shareware, or packages that you can buy outright. I use freeware software called "The Font Thing", created by Sue Fisher and available from http://members.ozemail.com.au/~scef/tft.html
| Double-Referencing Footnotes |
Ever wanted to have two or three footnotes in a document, with all of them pointing to the same footnote? So that footnote "3" explanatory text only appears once at the bottom of the first page (or at the end of the doc if you have chosen endnotes), but the "3" in the text shows up three times?
Yes, there IS a way! Follow these simple steps;
- Click where you want the first duplicate reference
- Go to the Insert menu and select Cross Reference
- In the Reference type box, pick Footnote
- Word will give you a list of all the existing footnotes
- Select the one you want
- Leave the box marked "Insert as hyperlink" checked
- Leave the box marked "Include above/below" unchecked
- Click Insert
-
That's all there is to it. And I have been wanting to know how to do this for years. Thanks to Woody's Watch for passing that on (check them out at http://www.woodyswatch.com/).
| TLAs for SMEs |
Here are this newsletter's TLAs for you;
- CHD, Click, hold and drag. Shortspeak for mouse movements
- PIM, Personal Information Management. Usually software like Outlook or Outlook Express
Please feel free to email me with any TLAs that you want to get the bottom (meaning!) of.
| Short+Hot Keys... and now tips |
All the Function keys for you - this time it's all you can do with Alt, Ctrl & F12;
- Excel "Save the active workbook" F12
- Excel "Display the Open dialog box" CTRL & F12
- PowerPoint "Carry out Open command (File menu)" CTRL & F12
- Word "Open" CTRL & F12
- Access "To open the Save As dialog box" F12
- Excel "Save the active workbook" F12
| Hot Linx |
Those of you who are looking at getting a domain name should check out the Domainz website at http://www.domainz.net.nz/Domainz.asp
Want to find out how far it is between Picton and Kaikoura? All you have to do is click on one town, hold and drag to your destination at http://discovernz.co.nz/driving/smlcalc.html
Want to drive yourself mad with some brain teasers? Then maybe Neil/Fred's page is for you at http://www.derf.net/riddles/ . There are NO answers provided. You have to work them out for yourself...
Catch you again soon!! E-mail your suggestions to me here
