Set up the Do Today List

by | Jun 12, 2022

  1. Go to the Tasks view (using the Navigation Pane at left).
  2. Go to the Task view manager.
  3. Highlight All Categories. Copy and rename it Do Today. Select This folder, visible only to me (or This folder, visible to everyone if you are using Exchange Server).
  4. Define the view with the following settings:
    • Fields: Complete, Priority, Subject, Categories (only)
    • Group By: None
    • Sort: Sort items by Due Date, Ascending, then by (none); do not show field in view when asked.
    • Filter: Go to the SQL tab and click Edit these criteria directly. Copy the following text: 
      ("https://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062003-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/810f0040" IS NULL AND "https://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x10910040" IS NULL AND "urn:schemas:httpmail:importance" = 2 AND "https://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/id/{00062003-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}/811c000b" = 0)
    • Paste the text into the SQL box, replacing all existing text.
    • Standardize the Other Settings.
    • Turn off red highlights.
    • Click OK to save your changes.
    • Add a Group By box.
  5. Click OK to save your changes.
  6. Resize the columns as needed.

Disable the To-Do Bar

Outlook 2007’s To-Do Bar was a promising feature, but some serious bugs made it unreliable. You need to disable this feature to avoid confusion:

  1. Press Ctrl+1 to select the Mail screen.
  2. Press Alt+V, then press B, then press the letter O, then Enter. This turns off the To-Do Bar.
  3. Press Ctrl+2 to select the Calendar screen.
  4. Press Alt+V, then press B, then press the letter O, then Enter. This turns off the To-Do Bar.
  5. Press Alt+V, then press K, then press the letter O. This turns off the Daily Task List, which is not useful in a TRO system.
  6. Press Ctrl+3 to select the Contacts screen.
  7. Press Alt+V, then press B, then press the letter O, then Enter. This turns off the To-Do Bar.
  8. Press Ctrl+4 to select the Tasks screen.
  9. Press Alt+V, then press B, then press the letter O, then Enter. This turns off the To-Do Bar.