OL2000: How to Track Contact Activity Items

ID: Q195109

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000

SUMMARY

This article describes the new Contact Activity Tracking features of Microsoft Outlook 2000.


MORE INFORMATION

Outlook 2000 includes Contact Activity Tracking which provides you with a dynamic view of the relationship between contacts and activities.

Contact Activity Tracking allows you to create links that associate a contact with other items in Outlook. To track tasks, appointments, e-mail, notes, or documents related to a contact, you can link any item or document to a contact. For example, when you create a new Outlook item, such as a task, you can link it to the contact to which it relates. And you can link to a contact any items already existing in folders.

You can relate the following items with any contact.

  • Journal entries for:

    E-mail messages
    Telephone calls
    Notes
    Tasks
    Appointments
    Tasks
    Documents


How to View Items Related to a Contact

The Activities tab on the contact item allows you to view, group, sort, and filter the set of associated items for that contact. Double-clicking on an item in the list opens that item.

  1. Open the contact for which you want to view the related items.


  2. Click the Activities tab.


  3. In the Show list, click the type of item you want to see, or click All Items.


How to Link a New Item to a Contact

  1. Create an item, such as a new task or message.


  2. Do one of the following:

    In a message, click Options, and then click Contacts.

    In all other items, click Contacts.


  3. In the "Look in" list, click the folder that contains the contact to which you want to link.


  4. In the Items list, click the contact or contacts to which you want to link the item. To select adjacent items, click the first item, press the SHIFT key and click the last item. To select nonadjacent items, click the first item press the CTRL key and click additional items. To select all items, on the Edit menu, click Select All.


The Select All command is available only in a table, card, or icon view. To select items in a card, click the card heading for each item you want. If the item is not visible, click a letter or number on the right side of the window. For example, to view a contact filed under the last name Myers, click the "m" button.

How to Link Existing Items to a Contact

  1. Open the contact to which you want to link the item.


  2. On the Actions menu, point to Link, and then click Items.


  3. In the "Look in" list, click to select the items to which you want to link.


Note: You can open a contact form any item that is linked to it just by double-clicking the contact's name in the Contacts box in the item. In an e- mail item, on the View menu, click Options, and then double-click the contact's name in the Contacts box.

How to Link a Document to a Contact

  1. Open the contact to whom you want to link a document.


  2. On the Actions menu, point to Link and then click File.


  3. In the Choose A File dialog box, double-click the file you want to link to the contact.


  4. Click Save and Close.


How to Create a New Activity View

  1. Right click the Contacts folder, click Properties, and then click the Activities Tab.


  2. On the Activities tab, click the New button and type a name for the Filter.


  3. Click the + to expand folders that contain items to include, and then click to select the folders in the search. Click OK to accept the selection.


  4. Click OK to close the Properties window.


How to Change the Default Activities View

  1. Right-click the Contacts folder, click Properties, and then click the Activities Tab.


  2. On the Activities tab, change the Default activities view to the new default view.


Additional query words: OL2K

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: October 15, 1999
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