Organize-color bug?

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Guest

I have replicated this on 3 computers. All using Outlook 2003 SP2.
If you use the Organize functionality and assign a color to a name in your
Inbox. If you highlight and change the color for Mary Jones all the entries
also named Jones also get the color assigned to them. So Harry Jones and Pete
Jones also get the same color.
Likewise, if you apply the color to Jim Smith all the Jim's get the same
color.

I didn't see mention of this on the Microsoft site or elsewhere here in this
newsgroup.
 
This is because when you use Organize, in Automatic Formatting the Rule is
set to "contains" instead of "is (exactly)".
Can get around it by using a rule in Automatic Formatting instead of using
the Organize functionality.
Select View, Arrange By, Current View, Customize Current View. Select
Automatic Formatting button and do an Add. Name the rule and select the font
color to change. Then select the Condition button and set up the condition on
the Advanced Tab to "From" "is (exactly)" and the name.
 
I thought this was a bug that was fixed years ago on 2002 and 2000. Are you
up to date with Service Packs?????? I saw it a lot on clients' sites and
they all fixed it with SPs.

I hope this helps you at least a little bit!

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook

read my articles here: www.judygleeson.com
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
Johann von Neumann (1903 - 1957)
 
Yes Judy we are all up to date with Service Packs. I even checked Outlook
2007 and found the same result. The default rule is a "contains" so that's
why it picks up all the Smiths and all the Jim's in one fell swoop.
 
Not so for me on 2007. Mine says From contains Jim Smith. From contains
Karen StClair.



Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook

read my articles here: www.judygleeson.com
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
Johann von Neumann (1903 - 1957)
 
I am confused by your response. On 2007 it is the same as 2003. The default
rule is a "contains" so if you do an organize - colors function and select
Jim Smith, Outlook will color all the Jims and all the Smiths.
 
When I make a colour change using the Tools | Organise | using colour
function for Jim Smith and then go to the Automatic Formatting button to see
what I have done, it says From Jim Smith. Not contains Jim or contains
Smith. Just From JIM SMITH.


Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook

read my articles here: www.judygleeson.com
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

"Wasted end-user time due to lack of training accounted for the biggest
piece of the spoftware spending pie" -Gartner
 
Okay, for clarification, here are the steps:
Highlight an email from example: John Smith.
Go to Tools, Organize, Using Colors, Use the first option to pick a color
for those messages. Select Apply color. Close that top window.
Observe in the Inbox that all Johns and all Smiths are now colored with the
choice you made above.

Select View, Current View, Customize current view. (Outlook 2007) it's view,
arrange by, current view, customize current view in Outlook 2003.
Select Automatic Formatting, Click to select the Rule you just created
above. Click on the Condition button. Select the Advanced Tab. That's where
you will see in the criteria: From... contains... John Smith. And it is here
that you can change the "contains" to "is (exactly)".
 
I'll have a look again tomorrow when I get to the office - wireless at home
and can't access my rules at present.


Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook

read my articles here: www.judygleeson.com
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

"Wasted end-user time due to lack of training accounted for the biggest
piece of the spoftware spending pie" -Gartner
 
Ok I am still at the same point. Mine says contains and DOES NOT colour any
other Sarah red or any other John blue.

So there's something wrong with yours.

Try my much quicker way of getting to the Automatic formatting button too -
it's on the top right corner of the window when you're in the Organize
screen.

I'll log it as a bug and see what happens.

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook

read my articles here: www.judygleeson.com
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

"Wasted end-user time due to lack of training accounted for the biggest
piece of the spoftware spending pie" -Gartner
 
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