Taming [a few] Outlook 2003 Annoyances

I always get so excited when I load new beta software, especially when it’s something like Office, which I use a lot. So, I’m always eager to see what wonderful changes Microsoft has made. When the first stack of Office 2003 CDs arrived, it was no different.

Gaaaaghhhh!!! What the #%*&$! have they done to Outlook!!!??? Surely, this can’t be intentional. It has to be a bug, a glitch, a programming error, an oversight, something done on a Friday as a joke, after one too many beers at lunch. Surely, they will fix it before release!

Or not.

In any event, I recently got a refresher course in just how ticked off I was when I first saw Outlook 2003. My sister just bought herself a new Dell with Office 2003 Small Business Edition on it. I spent a good chunk of this weekend helping her move her data to the new machine, as well as try to ease the culture shock of the new Outlook. As I did for her, I’ll help you get rid of the things that bugged my sister (and me, probably not coincidentally) the most.

What Have They Done to My Folder List?

The first nightmare was the new Navigation Pane, or Aggravation Pain, as some of you might call it. That’s the left area when you first open Outlook. In the past, you either had the Folder List or the Outlook Bar there. The problem is, if you liked the Folder List, Microsoft didn’t provide you with a sufficiently similar replacement. Or… did they.

Try this. At the bottom of the Navigation Pane there is a small window with icons in it. Hover the mouse pointer over them until you find the one that says Folder List, and click on it. Well, it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s closer than the default view, and it’s a start.

Next, click the Configure buttons » tool at the southeast corner of the Navigation Pane. Choose Show fewer buttons. Do this until all of the large buttons have disappeared.

Now, right-click any item in the bottom area and choose Navigation Pane Options. If, like some of us, you never plan to change your view from the folder list, remove the checkmarks next to all of the items. While this, alas, can’t reclaim the real estate at the bottom of the Navigation Pane, at least it can now look less cluttered.

Grid Lines? Who the Heck Ordered Grid Lines?

The next thing that seems to really annoy Outlook 2003 upgradees are the grid lines and multi-line listings that appear in message folders. Using Outlook 2002, you might be able to display 30 messages in the same space in which you can now only show 12 or so.

So, on the menu, choose View – Define Views. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

I’m so evil. Yes, I knew there’s no Define Views on the menu. Instead, you now use the Advanced Toolbar. Right-click any toolbar and choose Advanced. On the Advanced toolbar, look for a dropdown textbox list that shows the names of views. Drop it down, and choose Define Views. With View Name set to Current view settings, click the Modify Button. In the Customize View dialog box, choose Other Settings.

In Other Settings, next to Grid line style, click the list arrow and choose None. While you’re here, if you’d like to restore some other Outlook 2002-ish settings, go for it! Remove the check next to Show items in groups. Down at the bottom, remove the check next to Use multi-line layout in widths smaller than… Great. Do you like AutoPreview? If not and if it’s checked, uncheck it. Do you like the reading pane? I didn’t. So, I choose Off. Now choose OK, twice, then Close.

If there is blank space at the bottom of your message window, there’s a shortcut for getting to the Customize Current View settings window, which is where you just visited. Right-click the blank space in your message window and choose Customize Current View. Remember this shortcut. You’ll need it for “repairing” other problems as you encounter them.

A View of Your Own

If you use folders as much as I do, you likely won’t want to go through that exercise for each and every folder. A better plan is to clone the view you just created, give it a name, and then apply it to offending folders. Here’s a quick tutorial.

Display the message folder you just modified, and choose Define Views from the Current View tool on the Advanced toolbar. Choose Copy. Give the new view a handy name such as No Gridlines, accept the other defaults, and choose OK – OK – Close.

Now, visit a different folder—one that contains messages. See those gridlines? Zap em! Using the Current View dropdown tool on the Advanced toolbar, choose the name view you just created. Presto! No more gridlines.

Now, sit back and admire your handiwork. With just a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, you’ve rolled back Outlook 2003 to 2002. Well, not quite. There are a lot of changes, and most for the best, for my money. Now, start clicking and exploring to see what’s under the hood.