Reader Stephen writes in with an excellent, time-saving Windows 7 tip: you can create Outlook templates for boilerplate emails and pin them to the Windows taskbar for easy access.
This technique is not limited to readers using Windows 7, since you can pin a folder to the taskbar in any version of Windows—but the new Jump lists in Windows 7 make it a lot simpler. To create your own set of Outlook templates, Stephen advises:
- Create an Outlook template by composing a new email message with the text you want, and then using File -> Save As to save the message as an Outlook Template into a folder of your choice.
- If you are using Windows 7, simply drag the template files onto the Outlook icon.
- For previous versions of Windows, right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars -> New Toolbar, and pick the folder that you saved the templates into.
- Now you can quickly access your templates from the Jumplist by right-clicking on the Outlook icon. For previous versions of Windows, you can use the pop-up folder menu.
It’s a great tip for anybody that repeatedly sends emails on the exact same topic. Thanks, Stephen!
For more ways to be productive while dealing with email overload, learn how to save time and typing with Outlook 2007′s Quick Parts, tweak Outlook to empty your inbox faster, knock down repetitive email with AutoHotkey, or just take a look through our top ten Outlook boosters.
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