Search folder question (OL2k3)

[Gerhard Fiedler]

Hi,

the search folders are really a good new feature in Outlook 2003. However,
I haven't found a way to do these the following important things:

- I use the For Follow Up search folder a lot. When I see a flagged message
there, I often want to see the context of that message; that is, the folder
where it is located. I have the folder name displayed in the In Folder
column, but it's only the folder name, not really the location in the
folder hierarchy. And in any case I have to manually browse to the folder.
I'd like something like an item on the right-click menu that says "Open
containing folder". Is this possible?

- I not only mark emails for follow-up, but also contacts. Is there a way
to display all follow-up items (emails, contacts, whatever else) in a
search?

- I have always wanted a list of /everything/ that's due today (or
tomorrow, or in any timeframe). Flagged emails, flagged contacts, tasks
with a due date or a reminder in that timeframe, appointments that start in
that timeframe or that have a reminder set in that timeframe -- in short,
everything that's set to start or happen in that timeframe. Is there any
way to create such a list? It seems to me that this would be one of the
most useful views in a PIM.

Thanks for any help,
Gerhard

 

[baltobernie]

Hi,

the search folders are really a good new feature in Outlook 2003. However,
I haven't found a way to do these the following important things:

- I use the For Follow Up search folder a lot. When I see a flagged
message
there, I often want to see the context of that message; that is, the
folder
where it is located. I have the folder name displayed in the In Folder
column, but it's only the folder name, not really the location in the
folder hierarchy. And in any case I have to manually browse to the folder.
I'd like something like an item on the right-click menu that says "Open
containing folder". Is this possible?

- I not only mark emails for follow-up, but also contacts. Is there a way
to display all follow-up items (emails, contacts, whatever else) in a
search?

- I have always wanted a list of /everything/ that's due today (or
tomorrow, or in any timeframe). Flagged emails, flagged contacts, tasks
with a due date or a reminder in that timeframe, appointments that start
in
that timeframe or that have a reminder set in that timeframe -- in short,
everything that's set to start or happen in that timeframe. Is there any
way to create such a list? It seems to me that this would be one of the
most useful views in a PIM.

Thanks for any help,
Gerhard

Hi Gerhard,

The Google Desktop Search Tool will perform quick searches within your
Office applications similar to their Web search engine. It's not perfect,
but it does display file names and extensions, so you can view search
results as Word, Outlook, etc. files. Clicking on an individual result
opens it with the native program.

If you attach a date to a Task, it will appear in Outlook Today (Personal
Folders) when it is due. Same with an item on your Calendar.

Bernard

 

[Gerhard Fiedler]

The Google Desktop Search Tool will perform quick searches within your
Office applications similar to their Web search engine. It's not perfect,
but it does display file names and extensions, so you can view search
results as Word, Outlook, etc. files. Clicking on an individual result
opens it with the native program.

I know that one. Even better for use with Outlook is Lookout Software's
indexed search. But AFAIK none of them is capable of searching with
criteria that would result in such a list.

If you attach a date to a Task, it will appear in Outlook Today (Personal
Folders) when it is due. Same with an item on your Calendar.

I also knew that one. But it still leaves me with four lists in three
locations, and those lists only show a subset of all scheduled items:

- The due tasks and start dates of scheduled appointments for a fixed time
range appear on two lists on the Outlook Today page.
- The flagged emails appear in the For Follow Up search folder.
- The flagged contacts appear in a filtered view in Contacts, with no way
that I know of to order or filter by the due date of the flag.
- The reminders of tasks and appointments appear in no list.

What I'd really like is to be able to select a timeframe, say "today",
"tomorrow" or "next week" (or by date, or whatever) and see everything
that's scheduled to happen in that timeframe: tasks (start or due date),
appointments (start or end date), reminders, flags, ... everything.

When I switched from ACT! to Outlook many years ago, this was the one thing
that I missed most. I can't believe that the guys who write Outlook in all
those years never thought of creating a list that shows all scheduled
events in a selectable time frame. For a PIM, that seems to be one of the
most important lists -- to me at least

Thanks,
Gerhard

 

[baltobernie]

Sorry the Reply was info you already had. I could really use a tool as you
describe, too. And I agree that it should be easy to include within Outlook.

Bernard