Limitation on Rules in Outlook

[Guest]

I recogize the limit of 32Kb in rules for Outlook (about 60 move rules). I
really like the rules feature, but my problem is I need more. I have created
individual folders for each person I receive email from. I have over sixty
folders under the Inbox but now I have reached the limit on moves to folders
of 60. I read a little about Distribution Lists, but it is a little
confusing.

Does anyone have a work around or "really" good explanation for how to set
up and use the Distribution Lists to move emails that I want to move
automatically to the folders I created?

Currently using Outlook 2003 with Exchange Server 2003 SP2.

Help, Teaching a class on Outlook in a couple days.

 

[F.H. Muffman]

I recogize the limit of 32Kb in rules for Outlook (about 60 move
rules). I really like the rules feature, but my problem is I need
more. I have created individual folders for each person I receive
email from. I have over sixty folders under the Inbox but now I have
reached the limit on moves to folders of 60. I read a little about
Distribution Lists, but it is a little confusing.

Does anyone have a work around or "really" good explanation for how
to set up and use the Distribution Lists to move emails that I want
to move automatically to the folders I created?

Currently using Outlook 2003 with Exchange Server 2003 SP2.

I have a workaround, but you're not going to like it:

Exchange Server 2007 and (possibly) Outlook 2007.
"The rules size limit for mailboxes in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 has
been increased to a default size of 64 KB per mailbox. The rule limit is now
a customizable limit up to 256 KB per mailbox."

I'm not 100% sure if OL2k3 against Exchange 2k7 doesn't have the 32k limit.

 

[Guest]

F.H.

Thank you for your post. I did know about the expanded space in Exchange
2007 and Outlook, but thought maybe someone had come up with something for
Outlook 2k3.

Bummer.

Well, what about the "Distribution List"? I do not have a handle on it and
the class is next Wednesday Night. I tried setting up a Distribution List but
I do not see it effectively working. I must be missing something.

Are you aware of a Microsoft On Line tutorial or Web Cast that may help walk
me through a couple of demos? Then maybe I can get a handle on this and not
need the added rules space.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks Again

Rick

 

[F.H. Muffman]

Well, what about the "Distribution List"? I do not have a handle on
it and the class is next Wednesday Night. I tried setting up a
Distribution List but I do not see it effectively working. I must be
missing something.

Are you aware of a Microsoft On Line tutorial or Web Cast that may
help walk me through a couple of demos? Then maybe I can get a handle
on this and not need the added rules space.

To be honest, I don't see how you could use a distribution list to seperate
mail out into multiple folders without it going into all folders. But,
really, I'd not use seperate folders like this, I'd just use search folders
and keep everything in the Inbox (or, if it's just for this one class, move
everyone into a single 'Class' folder and then set up a search folder
against that Class folder).

 

[Guest]

F.H.,

Thank you for the quick response. Not what I wantted to hear, but I will
have to accept.

I was reading at one of the Miscrosoft sites that the Distributed list was
one method to get around the limitations of the rules, but now I see that it
just won't work.

The nice thing about the rules is that when email comes in I can have the
emails go into the corect respective folders that I create or have the
students create. Bummer is the 60 or so folder limit. I tis nice to have
everything go into the persons folder for sorting and response reasons. Keeps
everything together.

Guess I'll just need to wait until we can afford to upgrade to 2007.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

Rick

 

[F.H. Muffman]

I was reading at one of the Miscrosoft sites that the Distributed
list was one method to get around the limitations of the rules, but
now I see that it just won't work.

Well, in a way, it is a way around the limitation but not in the way you
want.

The rule 'Move mail from Mary, Joe, Tom, Bill into the My Team folder' is
larger than 'Move mail from My Team DL into the My Team folder'. That's
where the size savings come into play.

The nice thing about the rules is that when email comes in I can have
the emails go into the corect respective folders that I create or
have the students create. Bummer is the 60 or so folder limit. I tis
nice to have everything go into the persons folder for sorting and
response reasons. Keeps everything together.

Which is really the same thing you'd get if you used Search folders. The
only difference is the folders are virtual instead of real. You could keep
all the mail in your inbox and just never go into it. It's actually the
same thing that gmail does, where they don't use folders, but let you put
labels on messages and then you just put a filter on the inbox to only show
those labels.