My 'Getting Things Done' Tip - Disable all Message Arrival Notifications

Here's my two cents for the GTD idea bucket:

Remove all message arrival notifications.

If you are using Microsoft Outlook, here's how to do this in Outlook 2010:

• Go to File -> Options

• Open Mail tab

• Uncheck all options under Message Arrival

Outlook: Week Numbers Lost and Setting Disabled for Good (Unable to Change)

 

I'm a big fan of week numbers. I've always had the week number visible as it's how things often are scheduled.

The pics at the right demonstrate how Outlook shows the week numbers when they are set visible.

However, a while ago the week numbers mystically went missing. Instead of the week number the month view showed date range (pic at the right) - which is useless for me, at least.

I jumped to Outlook'sOptions -> Calendar, as I know that's where the checkbox is. For my surprise the setting "Show week numbers in the month view and in the Date Navigator" was unchecked and the the setting was completely disabled - I couldn't change it.

As an end user, I didn't have much options to dig into this (from server rule-perspective for example) but with some help and try-error method found out that removing and adding my account again solved the issue. The setting is now checked (week numbers visible) but the box is disabled - i.e. can't be modified.

Why were the week numbers lost? I'm not sure, but I think the updates I installed a few days earlier - or some corporate server rules - are to blame.

Have you experienced the same issue, and/or any idea on the root-cause?

Also, I'm curious on what is the reasoning to completely disable the user to change a purely visual setting as the week number? :) Shouldn't at least have anything to do with security.

Quickly Copy Outlook Appointment's Tracking Status to Any Other Program

Scheduled an appointment in Outlook and want to quickly get the attendees' tracking status to say - Meeting Minutes or notes?

In Outlook 2010 this is easy:

• Open the appointment in Outlook
• In the Meeting ribbon click the small arrow under Tracking button
• Click "Copy Status to Clipboard"
• Open Word/Excel/other and paste - you're done!

How to copy Outlook appointment tracking status

The format is pure text with tab separated values so you can paste it to almost any program.

Outlook Social Connector: LinkedIn for Outlook is for 32bit Office Only

Hey LinkedIn, thanks for not mentioning your Outlook Social Connector plugin - called LinkedIn for Outlook - is for 32bit Office only.

I spent a while trying to install the plugin for my 64bit Outlook 2010. There's no indication on the LinkedIn for Outlook website that there is such a limitation.

I assume it's a too big task to add a few numbers and letters close to the Office version list.

Check the buzz around the 64bit issue from The LinkedIn Blog. As you can see, it took LinkedIn quite a while before answering the related questions.