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Archive for Outlook email filing

Strategies for Outlook Sent Items Emails

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

There are four things that we can do with emails sent from Outlook: 1) leave them in the Sent Items folder 2) Delete them 3) File them to another folder or 4) Leave a copy in the Sent Items folder and file a copy in another folder.

Here is how QuickFile for Outlook users can do all of these things almost automatically.

QuickFile for Outlook displays the Send&File screen every time you send out an email (i.e. the screen is displayed when you click Send).

Send and File screen

To leave the email in the Sent Items folder:
Click Send Only on QuickFile’s Send&File screen.

If you don’t want this prompt to be displayed (i.e. you want all sent emails to simply stay in the Sent Items folder), you can change the settings .

  • On the QuickFile Toolbar/Ribbon > Click More > Settings…
  • Under the General tab, you will find the option “Action to take when Send clicked
  • From the Drop-down menu, select Do Normal Send
  • Click OK

To delete the email after it is sent (i.e. you do not want a copy in the Sent Items folder or in any other folder)

Click Send & Delete when QuickFile for Outlook displays the Send&File screen.

To file the sent email into another folder and leave a copy in the Sent Items folder:

  • On the Send & File screen, select the folder to which you want to file a copy of the email
  • Click on the Show Options >> link on the bottom right corner of the screen
  • Select the option “File a COPY of email
  • Click Send & File button

If you normally want to file emails this way, you can change the relevant setting on the QuickFile settings screen.

  • On the QuickFile Toolbar/Ribbon > Click More > Settings…
  • Under the General tab, go to the section “Action to take upon Button Click
  • From the Drop-down list for Send & File:, select File a copy of email to folder
  • Click OK

To file the sent email out of the Sent Items folder and into another folder:

  • On the Send & File screen, select the folder to which you want to file the email
  • Click on the Show Options >> link on the bottom right corner of the screen
  • Select the option “File/Move original email
  • Click Send & File button

If you normally want to file emails this way, you can change the relevant setting on the QuickFile settings screen.

  • On the QuickFile Toolbar/Ribbon > Click More > Settings…
  • Under the General tab, go to the section “Action to take upon Button Click
  • From the Drop-down list for Send & File:, select File/Move original email to folder
  • Click OK

We hope this blog post helps you get more out of QuickFile for Outlook. . If you’re not a user yet, you can view a demo video of Quick File for Outlook or download a free Outlook addon trial from our website today.

Is your Email killing your Productivity?

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Emails are a very dominant means of communication nowadays and it can take up hours of our time just checking, reading or answering emails. So let me ask you again, is your Email killing your Productivity?

If your answer to the above is YES, then below are just some simple email tips that can help you stay focused and more productive.

1. Turn-off any forms of Distractions (Email Alerts)

I have always preferred to turn off e-mail notifications in Outlook, particularly the blue notification rectangle that shows up everytime you receive a new email in Outlook versions 2003 and later.

Imagine this pop-ups appearing every 5 or 10 minutes, or even more often and the end result – your productivity is getting affected (even if you do not open and read the email immediately).

You can refer to an earlier post on how to Turn-off the Email alert in Outlook.

2. Automatically highlight important emails

You might receive hundreds of emails a day but this does not necessarily mean that all have to be dealt with immediately.

You can setup Outlook to automatically highlight or color-code important emails that require your immediate attention. This ensures that you are focusing your attention on the right emails.

3. Try to automate as many processes as possible (rather then doing it manually)

If you are using an email program such as Outlook, you can setup rules to perform some of the obvious tasks such as moving SPAM/JUNK emails out of the Inbox automatically. This saves you time which can be used for other important matters rather deleting individual SPAM emails.

4. Process your emails in batches

It’s not necessary to check emails throughout the day or work on them all day long. As noted above, more often you will find that not all emails require an immediate response. So try to process your emails in batches, you can answer the first lot of emails first thing in the morning and the others sometime in the afternoon.

This reduces frustration (that more often happens due to email overload) with emails and at the same time allows you to focus on other productive tasks through the day.

These are if you like some simple tips to help you stay focus and productive.

Do you have other methods of your own to stay productive?

Please share it with us and our readers by leaving a comment below.

Productivity Tools Pack Special Offer (Limited Time Only)

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

For a limited time only, exclusively for our blog readers, we are offering 2 of our best selling Productivity Tools, QuickFile Pro for Outlook and EmailNotes for Outlook as a bundle for only $79.95.

Normally they would cost US $99.90 (QuickFile Pro = $69.95, EmailNotes = $29.95) if bought separately; however as a special offer to all our Blog readers, we are giving away QuickFile Pro and EmailNotes together as a Productivity Tools Pack for only $79.95.

This offer is only valid till the 19th of September so if you are interested, ACT NOW and SAVE UP TO 20% on this special offer.

This Special Offer End on the 19th of September

About QuickFile and EmailNotes

QuickFile is an Outlook addon that allows you to quickly and easily organize your mail into folders with a single click. With QuickFile you can:

  • Organize mail quicker
  • Send & File in one quick step
  • File 90% of emails at the click of one button
  • Find emails again fast and easy
  • Quick and easy to install and use

Click here to see what existing users of QuickFile are saying

EmailNotes is an Outlook addin that allows you to quickly and easily add notes like ‘post-it notes’ to emails: With EmailNotes you can:

  • Immediately jot down ideas while reading emails
  • Add missing information to emails (usually gathered by follow-up phone calls)
  • Improve follow-up on emails (and INCREASE SALES CLOSING RATES)
  • Remember why certain emails were put in certain folders

Click here to see what existing users of EmailNotes are saying

 100% Risk Free Quarantee  We believe in our outlook add ins so much that we offer a unconditional 30 days 100% Money Back Guarantee. No Questions Asked! This removes all risks from your decision so ACT NOW!

This Special Offer End on the 19th of September 

Feel free to share the link to this special offer with anyone you feel might be interested in becoming more productive.

Why (and How) you should split your Outlook data file into 2

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Outlook by default saves all its e-mails into one file. Prior to Outlook 2003, there was a limitation of 2 GB to your Outlook data file. Although 2 GB seems like a lot, this space can be filled quickly particularly if you receive a lot of attachments.

Once you reach that limit, there is no real warning. Outlook just slows down, e-mails start getting lost and in some cases Outlook just stops opening altogether. Retrieving your e-mails from this corrupt PST is a nightmare.

In Outlook 2003, you have the option of using the new Unicode format of Outlook data file which can hold much more data. However if you upgraded Outlook from an earlier version then chances are that you are still using the older format with the 2 GB limitation.

Irrespective of whether you are using the new or old format data file, you should split your Outlook data into at least 2 files. Your main PST file should not be used like a filing cabinet for old e-mails. Create a separate PST file to save e-mails that you want to keep for future reference. This leaves your main Outlook data file lean and mean so that Outlook is able to open up quickly. To create a new Outlook data file:

For Outlook 2010:

  1. Click on Home tab
  2. Select New Items > More Items > Outlook Data File…
  3. Outlook suggests a default location for the file. I recommend that you change this to a folder that you backup regularly, possible a sub-folder in your My Documents.
  4. Enter a filename and click OK to create the file.

For Outlook 2003/2007:

  1. Click File > New > Outlook Data File
  2. Outlook 2003 Only: Outlook 2003 uses two types of Outlook data files. If you will be using the data only in Outlook 2003 or later, choose MS Outlook Personal Folders File. Otherwise choose the Outlook 97-2002 option.
  3. Outlook suggests a default location for the file. I recommend that you change this to a folder that you backup regularly, possible a sub-folder in your My Documents.
  4. Enter a filename and click OK to create the file.

You can create as many Personal Folder files as you need. Most users only need to create one in addition to the one that Outlook creates by default.

PST 1: Default Folder created by Outlook
PST 2: Use to store Project E-mails

If you have a very high volume of e-mails (particularly with large attachments) you may want to have 2 PST files for your Project E-mails, one for Active projects and one for Completed projects.

How to Move Emails from One PST to another (Using Drag and Drop)

One simple way of moving your emails from one PST to another is to Drag and Down the email to the appropriate folder. This method is simple and it works but:

  1. It can be time-consuming to find the right folder if you have a lot of folders
  2. It is easy to accidentally drop the email into the wrong folder

Using QuickFile to move your emails

Our Outlook addin QuickFile has the ability to remember where you commonly file emails related to a project/case/person and it will provide you with a list of recently used folders. You can simply:

  1. Select the email that you wish to move
  2. On the QuickFile toolbar/Ribbon, click the QuickFile button. This will display the QuickFile screen.
  3. You can select the appropriate folder from the recommended list(based on your previous filing)
  4. Click Move

The email will now be moved to the appropriate folder.

QuickFile is the Fastest, Easiest and Error-Free way to file emails in Outlook. Users tell us that they can file as much as 90% of their emails at the click of one button.

Click here to learn more about QuickFile for Outlook.

Filing Emails to Multiple Folders in Outlook

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Do you need to file an email in more than one folder in Outlook? Here’s how to do it using drag and drop… and an easier way if you’re using QuickFile for Outlook.

Normally we have a dedicated folder for each project/case/person in Outlook to which we file all related emails but there are times when the same email may need to be filed in two folders.

Filing to multiple folders using Outlook (drag and drop)

  • Right-Click on the email, drag it to the required folder, release it and select the Copy option.

This works but:

  1. It can be time-consuming to find the right folder if you have a lot of folders
  2. It is easy to accidentally drop the email into the wrong folder

Using QuickFile to file the same email in multiple folders

The latest version of our Outlook addin QuickFile has a new feature we call “Mutli-Select mode” which allows you to select mutliple folders and  file a copy of the email to the selected folders at the click of a button.

We only recommend that you use the Multi-Select mode if the majority of your emails need to be filed to multiple folders.

To turn on the Mutli-Select mode:

* Open Outlook
* On the QuickFile toolbar/Ribbon, click More > Settings…
* Click the View tab, under Display Options, you will find “Multi-Select mode in QuickFile
* From the Drop-down menu, select “Show link to Multiple-Select (with Multiple-Select on)
* Click OK

* Now select a email that you wish to file to multiple folders and click the QuickFile button. QuickFile will display a  screen as shown below with checkboxes beside each folder.

QuickFile Multi-select mode

* Place a tick beside each folder you wish to file the email to
* Click Move

A copy of the email will now be moved to all the folders you selected.

If you’re not a user of QuickFile yet, Click Here to download a Fully Functional 30 day trial version of QuickFile for  Outlook.

QuickFile is the Fastest, Easiest and Error-Free way to file emails in Outlook. Users tell us that they can file as much as 90% of their incoming emails at the click of one button.

Click here to learn more about QuickFile for Outlook

Compact Outlook Data for Speed and Space

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

There could be a lot of unused space inside your Outlook. You may be able to speed up Outlook and also reclaim some precious disk space using this 5 second tip.

In this post, I will focus on two main things:

——————————————————
1. How to Compact your Outlook Data
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When you delete e-mails from folders in Outlook, Outlook does not automatically reclaim the space.

If you are using the e-mail filing system that we recommended in our recent posts (Links to which are provided at the end of this post) then you will be frequently moving e-mails from one data file to another. Internally in Outlook, this is like deleting the e-mail from the first file.

I recommend that you compact your Outlook data file periodically… anywhere from once a week to once a month. The steps to compact your data file are:

  • Right Click the top-level folder and select Properties.
  • Click the Advanced Button.
  • Click Compact Now.

If your data file was quite large, then the compacting may take some time. I would recommend that you do it during your lunch or tea (or coffee if that’s your preference) break.

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2. How to GUARANTEE that your E-mail Filing System does NOT FAIL!
——————————————————————————————–

The Client/Project based E-mail Filing System works. It has worked for years for your physical documents and it will work for your e-mails. But…

Without a little bit of help, you may stop using it within a few weeks (if not days). Even if you don’t, you may start doing batch processing i.e. filing e-mails weekly or monthly. Why?

  • It takes too much effort to drag each and every e-mail out of the
    Inbox and into the correct folder.
  • It’s too easy to forget to go to the Sent Items folder to move
    e-mails out of there into the correct folders. Most people have
    Sent Items folders with thousands of e-mails in them.

We have an inexpensive, easy to use system that we GUARANTEE will  make you file your e-mails AS SOON AS YOU HAVE READ OR WRITTEN THEM!

QuickFile for Outlook is an inexpensive Outlook add-on that works inside Outlook by adding two buttons called QuickFile and Send&File to your Outlook. It doesn’t change Outlook in any other way and it won’t change the way you have always used Outlook.

QuickFile is a fantastic time-saver for anyone who wants to use a client or project based filing system in Outlook.

Please give QuickFile a try. This is the only add-on we know that can guarantee that your e-mails get filed properly.

In the past few weeks I have outlined some simple tips that can greatly improve the security and effectiveness of your business-critical e-mail filing system. I hope that you have found this information useful. Here are the links to the earlier posts again:

The BEST way to file your work e-mails

How to protect your Outlook Data from data loss

Outlook’s Auto-Archive is messing up your Emails

Take Control of Your E-mail Inbox

Take Control of Your E-mail Inbox

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Do you feel stressed every time you look at your Inbox? How many e-mails are just sitting there in your Inbox that you plan to get back to someday?

I have seen clients with hundreds and even thousands of e-mails in their Inboxes. Their Inbox is a massive filing cabinet and action-list rolled into one.

It’s like using your desktop (I mean your physical desk – not the one inside your computer but the one your computer is actually sitting on) instead of a filing cabinet to file all your important papers. Imagine the chaos if you left papers on your desk after you had read them.

Your Inbox needs to be used like a To-Do list. It should contain only the e-mails that you still need to read or take action on.

After reading any e-mail:

  • Keep it in the Inbox if you still need to take action on it
  • File it OUT of the Inbox into another folder if you need it for
    future reference
  • Delete it if you don’t need it for future reference

Once you get into the habit of doing this, you will be amazed at what a useful tool your Inbox will suddenly become.

Don’t use the Deleted Items folder for filing old e-mails

Some users take control of their Inbox by Deleting the e-mails so that they end up in the Deleted Items folder.

They are using Outlook’s built in Trash Can to store their important e-mails???

Please don’t do this!

It is very easy to accidentally clear out your Deleted Items folder and lose all your e-mails. In fact there are automated tools that do this for you to reclaim space on your hard-disk.

Delete item’s that you don’t want to keep! File your important e-mails in project folders created inside Outlook!

Get started NOW with a “Still to File” folder

If you have hundreds of e-mails sitting in your Inbox, here is a quick way to get started.

  • Create a folder inside your Inbox and call it “Still to File”. (Right Click on your Inbox and click New Folder)
  • Drag all e-mails that you have already worked on out of the Inbox into this new folder.

You will now only have e-mails in the Inbox that still need your attention.

Doesn’t it feel good to be able to easily see only your still-to-action e-mails in one place.?

When you get a bit of time, remember to clear out the e-mails from the Still To File folder into dedicated folders for each project or case that you are working on.

Tip 4 in our e-book shows you how to create a Project based E-mail Filing System in Outlook…
Click Here to download your own copy of the special report

Move E-mails out of your Inbox at the click of a button

You can greatly reduce the time it takes to clear your Inbox while increasing the chances that your e-mails are filed in the correct folders using a special Outlook add-on…

QuickFile  for Outlook is an inexpensive user-friendly Outlook add-on that greatly simplifies the filing of e-mails to the correct folders.

Find out more about how QuickFile can simplify your e-mail filing by Clicking Here.

There is a fully functional demo version that you can download and try out for yourself.

Related Posts

The BEST way to file your work e-mails

How to protect your Outlook Data from data loss

Outlook’s Auto-Archive is messing up your Emails

Outlook’s Auto-Archive is messing up your Emails

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Do you know that there is an easier way to archive your Outlook e-mails that will keep all related e-mails in one place?

Outlook comes with a built-in auto-archiving feature that shifts e-mails out of your normal Outlook data file. If you normally file your paper documents by client or project then we recommend that you…

————————————————–
Turn OFF Auto-Archive Right Now
————————————————–

Auto-Archive basically takes e-mails that are older than a certain date and shifts them out of your main Outlook data file and puts them into a second Outlook data file.

If you need to find an e-mail that is older than a certain date then you have to open the second data file.

If you need to track e-mail conversations for a project that has been going on for a while then you have to jump between the two files.

Auto-Archiving has just messed up your e-mails and greatly increased the amount of work you need to do to find your e-mails.

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Why is Auto-Archive Turned on by Default
————————————————————–

There is a physical limit to the size of your Outlook data file. Although this limit is generous, it can easily be reached over time, particularly if you send and receive a lot of e-mails with attachments.

Even before you get close to this limit, Outlook starts slowing down.

Once you reach this limit, Outlook becomes totally erratic. It slows down, crashes and starts losing your e-mails. For many people Outlook stops opening altogether.

To protect you from this, Outlook built the auto-archive feature. By periodically moving e-mails from your main data file to another archive file, Outlook greatly increases the chances that your main Outlook file keeps working.

The intention behind the feature is very good and it works extremely well for most home and casual e-mail users. But it is far from ideal for serious business e-mail users …

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How to setup Outlook for Proper Archiving
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I believe that where possible we should use the same methods irrespective of technology. E-mails are after all just another form of communication … an evolution from letters and faxes.

How do you file you paper files?

You probably keep ALL paper in the same file until the project is finished irrespective of how long ago the project took place. Then when a project is complete, you take the whole folder and put it in a separate section of the office (or storage) reserved for old project.

Do the same for your E-Mails!

You can find detailed step-by-step instructions for creating your Client or Project folders in Tip 4 of our free report. Then when a project is completed, drag the whole folder into another folder or Outlook data file reserved for Archives.

Now when you need to refer to e-mails for an old project, open the folder and it is all there in one place.

There is one additional benefit to filing your e-mails in this way. We frequently get asked by users how they can file their e-mails with the rest of their electronic files once the project is completed.

How can you create one zip file that they can be put away that has all e-mails, Word documents, Excel files etc?

If you use separate Outlook folders for each project as we recommend, you can use Outlook’s built-in tools to easily export all e-mails for any project into a separate file. This file can then be put away with all other electronic files for the project in your electronic archives.

You can find detailed step-by-step instructions for creating your Outlook folders in Tip 4 of our free report. Tip 10 has  additional instructions to export and archive project.
Click this link to download your own copy of the Special Report.

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An inexpensive way to GUARANTEE that your e-mails get filed in the right folders
———————————————————————————————
In order to get the full benefits of archiving using the methods outlined above, you must file your e-mails into dedicated folders for projects or clients.

Unfortunately this is easier said then done. Experience with thousands of clients around the world has shown us that most users fail to continue with their e-mail filing systems because it takes TOO MUCH WORK!

We created QuickFile for Outlook specifically to solve this problem.

QuickFile for Outlook is an inexpensive Outlook add-on that works inside Outlook by adding two buttons called QuickFile and Send&File to your Outlook. It doesn’t change Outlook in any other way and it won’t change the way you have always used Outlook.

QuickFile is a fantastic time-saver for anyone who wants to use a client or project based filing system in Outlook.

Please give QuickFile for Outlook a try. This is the only add-on we know that
can guarantee that your e-mails get filed properly.

Related Posts

The BEST way to file your work e-mails

How to protect your Outlook Data from data loss

How to protect your Outlook Data from data loss

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Do you know that by default Outlook is configured to eventually corrupt itself and lose some and maybe even all your e-mails?

In this post, I will go through simple tips that will greatly improve your use of Outlook.

Here are a few essential tips that will help you to ensure that your Outlook data is safe and protected from software corruption or data failure.

1. Find out where you Outlook E-mails are saved and backup

Unlike other Office programs, Outlook does not ask you where you want to save your e-mails. Instead it creates a data file of its own.

Unfortunately, unless you have a good understanding of the inner workings of Windows, the file is saved in a location you probably will never remember to backup.

Tip 1 in our free e-book shows you how you can easily find out where your Outlook data file is.

You can Click Here to download your own copy of the e-book.

Once you know where your Outlook Data file is, make sure that you back it up regularly.

Have more than one backup set. (I tried to restore from a backup CD a few years ago to find that the backup was corrupt too. I lost more than 12 months of e-mails)

2. Outlook may corrupt itself unless you split your data into at least two files.

By default, Outlook saves all your e-mails in one file. There are a number of problems with this:

  • As the Outlook data file gets filled up, Outlook will get slower
  • There is a physical limit to the size of your Outlook data file.
  • If you reach this limit, Outlook will suddenly stop working and
    there is a great risk that you could lose some if not all of your
    e-mails.

The solution is to split your data into more than one data file.

Tips 3 and 4 of our free e-book have step-by-step instructions on how you should split your data file.

You can Click Here to download your own copy of the e-book.

3. Use QuickFile to simplify shifting e-mails out of your Inbox and Sent Items folders

QuickFile is an inexpensive, easy-to-use Outlook add-on that greatly simplifies the filing of e-mails.

  • It works inside Outlook by adding two buttons to your toolbar
  • It does not require you to change the way you use Outlook
  • It will dramatically reduce the time and effort required to file
    your e-mails.

Click Here to learn more about QuickFile and download a fully functional trail version.

The BEST way to file your work e-mails

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Do you know that there is a simple e-mail filing technique (that you have probably been using for years) that will virtually guarantee that all your work e-mails are super easy to find and archive in the future?

With almost 80% of business correspondence now taking place by e-mail, you NEED a good system for filing your e-mails.

Do you, like many other Outlook users, print and file paper copies of important e-mails because you don’t trust your electronic filing system?

There lies the secret to your e-mail filing system. You already TRUST your physical paper filing system so …

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Duplicate your Paper Filing System INSIDE Outlook
—————————————————————–

That’s it, that’s the big secret… create folders inside Microsoft Outlook following the same folder structure that you have for your paper folders (most probably by client or project).

Once you have your Outlook folders setup, file all e-mails (incoming and outgoing) that you need to keep for future reference into the correct Outlook folders.

Filing your e-mails like this has a lot of benefits… even if you print out copies of critical e-mails for future reference.

  • BENEFIT 1: You don’t have to learn anything new to use this filing system (chances are your office has been filing your paper files using this system for years)
  • BENEFIT 2: You can quickly see all e-mails for a client or project in ONE PLACE. You can use Outlook’s built in sorting to see the time-line of e-mails etc.
  • BENEFIT 3: It is super-easy to export or archive projects. By filing in this way, you can use Outlook’s built-in tools to easily export e-mails out into a separate file if you need to. You can now file an electronic copy of all e-mails with your Word and Excel documents once a project is completed.

You can find detailed step-by-step instructions for creating your
Outlook folders in Tip 4 of our free report. Tip 10 has instructions to export and archive project.
Click Here to download your own copy of the special report.

——————————————————————————–
WARNING! Your e-mail filing system may FAIL … and a solution
——————————————————————————–

This e-mail filing system clearly works. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be filing your paper files this way.

Yet most users are not able to continue filing their e-mails this way for very long. Why?

The reason is simple.

  • It takes too much effort to drag each and every e-mail out of the Inbox and into the correct folder.
  • It’s too easy to forget to go to the Sent Items folder to move e-mails out of there into the correct folders.
  • It’s not as easy to delegate e-mail filing as it is to delegate paper filing.

We created QuickFile to solve the above problems.

QuickFile 4Outlook is an inexpensive Outlook add-on that works inside Outlook by adding two buttons called QuickFile and Send&File to your Outlook. It doesn’t change Outlook in any other way and it won’t change the way you have always used Outlook.

QuickFile is a fantastic time-saver for anyone who wants to use a client or project based filing system in Outlook.

Please give QuickFile a try. This is the only add-on we know that can guarantee that your e-mails get filed properly.

 
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