The infamous unread email flag bug

[Brian Tillman]

"Corporate Training Manual for Outlook Section 44.2" ....snip...
"This is by design, because when you mark mail read using a rule,
Outlook knows you didn't really mean to do that. Whereas if you mark
it read by clicking on it, then you must have done it on purpose. This is
Outlook's way of protecting you."

Too funny.

"There is another new protection feature from our IT department: when
you configure an automatic Out of Office notification, it won't be
sent when you're away from your desk. This is because you are not
really out of the office unless you turn off the computer. When you
physically press the power button, the notification will be sent."

Sorry, but this isn't even close to having the intent you wish, since
Outlook DOES send OO messages as soon as you enable the feature. Unless you
have your delivery location on a PST, it doesn't matter whether Outlook is
running or not, since the Exchange server takes care of the message. You
don't have a valid complaint on this one.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Solution: I made two separate rules- the first moves the mail to a
new folder and the second marks it as read. This circumvents the bug
(which is a bug, obviously) and allows me to focus on the emails that
I actually need to read.

I'd like to see the definitions of these two rules, since the usual method
of defining two rules, with one of them a move, should cause only the first
rule to act, unless you have the "mark as read" rule first and did not
specify the "stop processing more rules" action.

 

[fpbear]

Sorry, but this isn't even close to having the intent you wish, since
Outlook DOES send OO messages as soon as you enable the feature. Unless
you have your delivery location on a PST, it doesn't matter whether
Outlook is running or not, since the Exchange server takes care of the
message. You don't have a valid complaint on this one.

I know that Out of Office is on the server and will send the message as soon
as you configure it, but this was meant as a joke that the IT dept would
mess with OO to change its behavior to a ridiculous scenario of having to
push the power button, protect the user - similar to the new mail icon
"protection."

 

[fpbear]

I'd like to see the definitions of these two rules, since the usual method
of defining two rules, with one of them a move, should cause only the
first rule to act, unless you have the "mark as read" rule first and did
not specify the "stop processing more rules" action.

Brad, this is a nice idea and I just tried this, but just like Brian says,
only the first rule takes effect. After the email is moved into the folder
it is not marked read, even though there is another rule attempting to mark
it read.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I know that Out of Office is on the server and will send the message
as soon as you configure it, but this was meant as a joke that the IT
dept would mess with OO to change its behavior to a ridiculous
scenario of having to push the power button, protect the user -
similar to the new mail icon "protection."

I get it now. Humor-impaired, I guess.

 

[Brad]

I have Microsoft Outlook 2003 SP3. I was seeing the terribly obnoxious permanent envelope icon before splitting the rules into two. Even after clicking and "reading" every new email I had received that icon would not go away. The problem is annoying, but this work around isn't terribly difficult. I hope it works with whatever Outlook version you have.

The first rule reads:
Apply this rule after the message arrives
with 'Updated Procedures' or ...
move it to the Proc Updates folder

The second rule reads:
Apply this rule after the message arrives
with 'Updated Procedures' or ...
mark it as read
and stop processing more rules

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have Microsoft Outlook 2003 SP3. I was seeing the terribly
obnoxious permanent envelope icon before splitting the rules into
two. Even after clicking and "reading" every new email I had received
that icon would not go away. The problem is annoying, but this work
around isn't terribly difficult. I hope it works with whatever
Outlook version you have.

The first rule reads:
Apply this rule after the message arrives
with 'Updated Procedures' or ...
move it to the Proc Updates folder

The second rule reads:
Apply this rule after the message arrives
with 'Updated Procedures' or ...
mark it as read
and stop processing more rules

You should be able to combine these rules into a single rule:

Apply this rule after the message arrives
with "Updated Procedures" or...
Move it to the Proc Updates folder
and mark it as read
and stop processing more rules

 

[Brad]

That's how the rules started out, but since it seemed to mark it as read before moving it to the new folder, the envelope icon would get stuck in my systray and I would have to close Outlook and reopen it to get the icon to disappear.

 

[Brian Tillman]

That's how the rules started out, but since it seemed to mark it as
read before moving it to the new folder, the envelope icon would get
stuck in my systray and I would have to close Outlook and reopen it
to get the icon to disappear.

If the two rules do what you want, well and good.

You could also simply open ANY message to make the icon disappear. It does
for me. No need to close and reopen Outlook.