Rules and Alerts in Microsoft Outlook Program – For Better Email Management
[adrotate banner=”5″]
Ever since MS Outlook has been launched for Windows platform, it has always been known for its easy and simple interface along with numerous other features that very few people know about. Hence, the article is written as an attempt to inform users that it is not just simplicity which is its identity, but is equipped with many enhanced and advanced characteristics also. Including a variety of distinctiveness that the desktop email client possesses one of the most significant and chief functionality that it provides to its users is Rules and Alerts. On a whole it can be defined as an action to manage and organize emails even better than as provided by default in Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Outbox, Deleted Items, etc.
Acknowledge ‘Rules and Alerts’ Functionality
Basically a rule is nothing but an act that MS Outlook executes in an automated way upon both incoming as well as on outgoing messages to manage them in a better way. It is implemented based on the conditions that a user specifies as per need using Rules and Alerts wizard. It is, on the whole an added feature in Windows, Outlook, built to better manage and organize both sent and received emails. It allows doing much more with mails than expected or that maximum of its users might have known till date. It is present in all Outlook versions that incorporate releases 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013. However, the process to create rules and alerts varies a bit depending on editions.
Points to be noted:
- Note 1 – Rules do not function on mails that have already been read. It operates only messages those that belong to unread status.
- Note 2 – Rules lay in any one of two categories mentioned below:
- Organization
- Notification
How Can Rules Help? – Undoubtedly By Managing Emails
Rules assist users to customize and systematize emails fine with the three types of templates that it provides in the Rules and Alert wizard. The three templates that it offers are mentioned and explained in section below.
1. Stay Organized – The rules in this template fall in organization class.The pre-defined rules herehelp in organizing unread mails received from a specific sender or messages with specific words in the subject, etc.
2. Stay Up to Date – The rules in this template fall in notification class. The pre-defined rules in this templatenotify users indifferent ways on receiving email messages. For instance, a rule can be created to automatically send an alert on the mobile device when a message is received from a particular sender or a rule can be created to play a sound when any mail is received from someone specific, etc.
3. Start from a blank rule – This template provides freedom to users to create rule using own conditions without the aid of any pre-defined set of rules. So, it is completely customizable without restrictions.
- So, it is found that Outlook is entirely customizable according to user’s needs and requirements.
The three templates are shown by means of a screenshot of the Rules wizard pasted below.
How to Create a Rule in Outlook?
Rule can be created from a template, from a message or by using own conditions. The methods to create rule in different versions of Outlook are explained below.
In Outlook 2003 and 2007
Step 1: From menu; click Tools and then click Rules and Alerts. A new window pops up having a tab New Rule on top left corner.
Step 2: Click on the New Rule button as shown in the figure below. Then proceed to step 3 mentioned below.
In Outlook 2010 and 2013
Step 1: From the File tab, click Manage Rules & Alerts. A new window pops up that has a button named New Rule on top left side.
Step 2: Click New Rule tab.
Step 3: The Rules Wizard appears on the screen for selecting template. For this, as a first step users can select either one or more pre-defined rules in the templates provided and then proceeding to second step, they can provide necessary details in ‘Edit the rule description’ section by clicking the underlined values provided just below. Then the tab ‘Next’ should be clicked upon as shown in the figure below.
Step 4: On doing this another small window comes up with option to select conditions. For selection of conditions, firstly users need to select either one or more pre-defined conditions. Secondly, they need to provide necessary details in ‘Edit the rule description’ section by clicking the underlined values provided just below. Then the tab ‘Next’ should be clicked upon.
Step 5: On doing this another small window comes up with actions. Again as a first step users can select either one or more pre-defined actions and then as a second step they can provide necessary details in ‘Edit the rule description’ section provided just below. Then the tab ‘Next’ should be clicked upon.
Step 6: On doing this another small window comes up with exceptions which is optional. For choosing exceptions as a first step users can select either one or more pre-defined exceptions and then as a second step they can give essential details in ‘Edit the rule description’ section rendered just below. Then the tab ‘Next’ should be clicked upon.
Step 7: This is the last step in creation of rule where the Rule Wizard provides three steps. Firstly, a name should be specified for the rule. Secondly, any one or more options can be selected as per want as shown in the figure below as to whether rule should be created for all accounts, the rule should be run on messages already in Inbox, etc. Any new rule created is turned on by default. To turn off the rule, ‘Turn on this rule check box’ can be unchecked. Thirdly, rule description can be reviewed and edited as shown in the image below.
Finally, at the end the tab ‘Finish’provided should be clicked upon to complete the process of creating a rule.
When you are using earlier versions of Outlook to Create rules and alerts, you need to be aware of Outlook version compatibility problems that can be corrupt your Rules. The best view point is to use the current version of Outlook to Edit, Create or Apply Rules, especially if you are using MS Outlook 2007, which expands the functionality for Rules. These Rules may corrupt, if you upgrade to Outlook 2007 then uninstall program and go back to an earlier version.
If you want to remove applying rules in Outlook, then you need to follow few easy steps:
Click Start > Run > Type outlook.exe /cleanrules > press Enter
Sometimes when you delete a rule, you may lose your email items and Outlook data file during this procedure. At that time you need to access your data with the help of third party utility like- Outlook Recovery Software.
Outlook Recovery Software is a more competent to Recover deleted, lost or inaccessible Outlook file items. It perfectly works when the corruption level occurs at a High level and it helps us to fix Outlook error messages without getting more complications. The software provides many enhanced features like splitting, filter option, export options (EML, PST, MSG) etc.
Authors Bio:
The Company is a leading pioneer in data recovery industry. However, it has spread itself in various areas such as file conversion, forensic tools, etc. Outlook Recovery is its one development that has broken records and marked heights in recovering corrupt PST files.
The Author
