To Do Items in Outlook 2007

A check box next to a task typically lets you check off a task as completed. Not so in To-Do Bar's Task List unless you Set Quick Click. The box next to the task identifies its category. Click the box next to the task to change colors.

"No category" is the default, so clicking on it changes a colored box to white to indicate the task doesn't have a category.

Set Quick Click lets you change the setting for an item to take action when single clicking the item. For example, using Set Quick Click for the Flags column in the Task List lets you change the option to click once on a Flag to modify its due date or delete it depending on its status.

If you frequently use one category, change the category quick click setting to that category:

1. Right-click category box.

2. Select "Set Quick Click."

3. Select your most frequently used category."

4. Click "OK."

After changing the quick click, the category will change between no category and your selected category each time you click the box.

Outlook removes an item from the To-Do Bar one of the following two ways:

• Marked Complete: Upon checking a task as complete, Outlook removes the item from the To-Do Bar. The item remains in the To-Do List and Tasks list as a completed item.
• Cleared Flag: Clearing a flag on an item means the task no longer has time constraints. Outlook removes it from the To-Do Bar and the To-Do List. The item remains in its original location. For example, an e-mail with a cleared flag will no longer appear in the To-Do Bar or To-Do List. It still shows up in Mail.

Tip: The To-Do Bar Task List has a quirk. You cannot clear flags from To Do items entered in Tasks. Yet, you can clear flags for tasks from e-mails, contacts and notes. Right-click the flag next to a task to access its options.

• To remove an item from the To-Do Bar, right-click it to open the menu, and then do one of the following:
• Select "Follow Up," and click "Mark Complete." This identifies an item as complete.
• Select "Follow Up," and click "Clear Flag," to clear a flag. See the Important note regarding clearing flags.
• Click "Delete" from the shortcut menu to delete the item.

Take care in deleting an item as Outlook may delete it from elsewhere as explained in the following Note.

Note: When you use "Clear Flag," "Delete Task" or check a task as complete, Outlook retains a record of the item. However, if you "Delete Item," the item disappears from Outlook for good. Using "Delete Item" on a flagged e-mail not only deletes it from the task list, but also from the Inbox.