Close all messages/windows but leave Outlook open (Outlook 2003)

[mcambrose]

As I work, I seem to open lots of messages, and
leave them open. So after a while I can have 20 or more messages open. I
want
to be able to close all the message windows in one fell swoop, but
leave the main Outlook app running.

If I do a "close group" on the Outlook task in the task bar, the
messages close, but so does outlook.

Is there a way to close all message and leave outlook running. I guess
this is analogous to "close all tabs on except this one' in Firefox.

I found the following response in a google search, but I don't know how to
implement the suggestion. My outlook minimizes to the task bar. Can anyone
please offer a solution or explain how to implement the solution given below.

Solution found via Google:
Configure Outlook to minimize in the Notification Area. Minimize the main
Outlook screen and close the rest of the group.


Thanks to anyone for your help!

--

 

[Pat Willener]

Google found you the correct solution; now if you feed some of the
resulting keywords into Outlook Help, it will answer you
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA011203051033.aspx