Archiving Tasks

[Thomas M.]

Outlook 2007

I have something of a catch 22 when it comes to archiving my Tasks folder,
and I'm hoping that someone here will have a solution for me. I work in a
new unit that is currently severely understaffed. As I work, if I have an
idea about something that needs to be done, I create and categorize a task
with the expectation that at some point in the future, when we've got more
staff, I'll be able to start clearing items off that task list.

The problem that this creates is that I've got some very old tasks sitting
out there, some of which are more than a year old. If I setup archiving on
the Tasks folder those older items will get archived whether or not they've
been completed. I suppose that's not the end of the world as I can always
open the archive and view those tasks. However, a better solution would be
one that archives only completed items (the vast majority of the items in my
Tasks folder). Unfortunately, it appears that Outlook does not have a way
to archive only completed items.

Are there any tools available that would add this functionality to Outlook?
Does anyone know how I might go about making a product suggestion to
Microsoft?

--Tom

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

You can set a no archive flag on the tasks - or periodically move the
completed tasks to the archive yourself.

If you add the Archive field to the view, you can click it off or on if you
enabled in-cell editing.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
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newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[Thomas M.]

Thanks for the reply. I found the field and it is called "Do Not
AutoArchive." I added that field to a couple of my views, checked the items
that I don't want to archive, and then set auto archiving on the Tasks
folder. It cleaned out all the old stuff that was marked as completed and
left those items that I didn't want to archive, all of which would have
otherwise archived based on their dates. That's exactly what I wanted.

Now another question...

There are times when I create a task that I know I won't get to for several
months. In those cases it would be handy to be able to mark the Do Not
AutoArchive box as the task is being created. The only way that I have
found to do this is to create a custom form and put the Do Not AutoArchive
field on the second page of that form. That works, but opening the custom
form to create a task isn't the most convenient thing. Is there a way to
make the custom form the default for all new tasks, and what drawback might
there be to doing that? Otherwise, is there another way to make the Do Not
AutoArchive field available when a task is being created?

--Tom

You can set a no archive flag on the tasks - or periodically move the
completed tasks to the archive yourself.

If you add the Archive field to the view, you can click it off or on if
you enabled in-cell editing.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Outlook 2007

I have something of a catch 22 when it comes to archiving my Tasks
folder, and I'm hoping that someone here will have a solution for me. I
work in a new unit that is currently severely understaffed. As I work,
if I have an idea about something that needs to be done, I create and
categorize a task with the expectation that at some point in the future,
when we've got more staff, I'll be able to start clearing items off that
task list.

The problem that this creates is that I've got some very old tasks
sitting out there, some of which are more than a year old. If I setup
archiving on the Tasks folder those older items will get archived whether
or not they've been completed. I suppose that's not the end of the world
as I can always open the archive and view those tasks. However, a better
solution would be one that archives only completed items (the vast
majority of the items in my Tasks folder). Unfortunately, it appears
that Outlook does not have a way to archive only completed items.

Are there any tools available that would add this functionality to
Outlook? Does anyone know how I might go about making a product
suggestion to Microsoft?

--Tom

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

The setting is also on File, properties (office icon, properties in 2007) so
you don't need a custom form. But if you want it always on, create a custom
form with it set. To do this, open a new task form, go to properties and
set do not archive then publish it. right click on the task folder and
choose properties and set the new form as the default for new tasks. (see
http://outlook-tips.net/beginner/publish_form.htm for more details)

You are typing them in the New task row? Add the do not autoarchive field
to the view and you can click in it when you don't want one archived.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Thanks for the reply. I found the field and it is called "Do Not
AutoArchive." I added that field to a couple of my views, checked the
items that I don't want to archive, and then set auto archiving on the
Tasks folder. It cleaned out all the old stuff that was marked as
completed and left those items that I didn't want to archive, all of which
would have otherwise archived based on their dates. That's exactly what I
wanted.

Now another question...

There are times when I create a task that I know I won't get to for
several months. In those cases it would be handy to be able to mark the
Do Not AutoArchive box as the task is being created. The only way that I
have found to do this is to create a custom form and put the Do Not
AutoArchive field on the second page of that form. That works, but
opening the custom form to create a task isn't the most convenient thing.
Is there a way to make the custom form the default for all new tasks, and
what drawback might there be to doing that? Otherwise, is there another
way to make the Do Not AutoArchive field available when a task is being
created?

--Tom

You can set a no archive flag on the tasks - or periodically move the
completed tasks to the archive yourself.

If you add the Archive field to the view, you can click it off or on if
you enabled in-cell editing.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

Outlook 2007

I have something of a catch 22 when it comes to archiving my Tasks
folder, and I'm hoping that someone here will have a solution for me. I
work in a new unit that is currently severely understaffed. As I work,
if I have an idea about something that needs to be done, I create and
categorize a task with the expectation that at some point in the future,
when we've got more staff, I'll be able to start clearing items off that
task list.

The problem that this creates is that I've got some very old tasks
sitting out there, some of which are more than a year old. If I setup
archiving on the Tasks folder those older items will get archived
whether or not they've been completed. I suppose that's not the end of
the world as I can always open the archive and view those tasks.
However, a better solution would be one that archives only completed
items (the vast majority of the items in my Tasks folder).
Unfortunately, it appears that Outlook does not have a way to archive
only completed items.

Are there any tools available that would add this functionality to
Outlook? Does anyone know how I might go about making a product
suggestion to Microsoft?

--Tom

 

[Thomas M.]

Generally, I don't enter tasks on the New task row in the view. I know that
I can do most stuff there, but I just like the look and feel of the New Task
form.

I didn't realize that the Do Not AutoArchive checkbox is available via
Office Button > Properties in the task. Since these "it will be months
before I can get to it" kinds of tasks are rare, I think setting the option
through the Office Button will work fine. If it was more frequent, or if I
had a number of fields that I might want to set on various kinds of tasks,
then I might go the custom form route. But for now, setting it through the
Office Button should work just fine.

Thanks for the help!

--Tom

The setting is also on File, properties (office icon, properties in 2007)
so you don't need a custom form. But if you want it always on, create a
custom form with it set. To do this, open a new task form, go to
properties and set do not archive then publish it. right click on the task
folder and choose properties and set the new form as the default for new
tasks. (see http://outlook-tips.net/beginner/publish_form.htm for more
details)

You are typing them in the New task row? Add the do not autoarchive
field to the view and you can click in it when you don't want one
archived.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Thanks for the reply. I found the field and it is called "Do Not
AutoArchive." I added that field to a couple of my views, checked the
items that I don't want to archive, and then set auto archiving on the
Tasks folder. It cleaned out all the old stuff that was marked as
completed and left those items that I didn't want to archive, all of
which would have otherwise archived based on their dates. That's exactly
what I wanted.

Now another question...

There are times when I create a task that I know I won't get to for
several months. In those cases it would be handy to be able to mark the
Do Not AutoArchive box as the task is being created. The only way that I
have found to do this is to create a custom form and put the Do Not
AutoArchive field on the second page of that form. That works, but
opening the custom form to create a task isn't the most convenient thing.
Is there a way to make the custom form the default for all new tasks, and
what drawback might there be to doing that? Otherwise, is there another
way to make the Do Not AutoArchive field available when a task is being
created?

--Tom

You can set a no archive flag on the tasks - or periodically move the
completed tasks to the archive yourself.

If you add the Archive field to the view, you can click it off or on if
you enabled in-cell editing.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


Outlook 2007

I have something of a catch 22 when it comes to archiving my Tasks
folder, and I'm hoping that someone here will have a solution for me.
I work in a new unit that is currently severely understaffed. As I
work, if I have an idea about something that needs to be done, I create
and categorize a task with the expectation that at some point in the
future, when we've got more staff, I'll be able to start clearing items
off that task list.

The problem that this creates is that I've got some very old tasks
sitting out there, some of which are more than a year old. If I setup
archiving on the Tasks folder those older items will get archived
whether or not they've been completed. I suppose that's not the end of
the world as I can always open the archive and view those tasks.
However, a better solution would be one that archives only completed
items (the vast majority of the items in my Tasks folder).
Unfortunately, it appears that Outlook does not have a way to archive
only completed items.

Are there any tools available that would add this functionality to
Outlook? Does anyone know how I might go about making a product
suggestion to Microsoft?

--Tom

 

[Thomas M.]

Okay, I just thought of another related question. I have some tasks that I
have created recently that have no start date or due date. I looked at the
fields available when customizing the view and it looks like the Create data
can be added to the view. That makes me think that the start and due dates
on the task have nothing to do with when the task gets archived, but rather
that Outlook most likely keys on the creation date of the task for that
purpose. Am I correct in assuming that items lacking start and due dates
will still get archived if they meet the criteria set in the archiving
options for the folder?

FYI, I marked them as "Do not archive" just to be on the safe side.

--Tom

The setting is also on File, properties (office icon, properties in 2007)
so you don't need a custom form. But if you want it always on, create a
custom form with it set. To do this, open a new task form, go to
properties and set do not archive then publish it. right click on the task
folder and choose properties and set the new form as the default for new
tasks. (see http://outlook-tips.net/beginner/publish_form.htm for more
details)

You are typing them in the New task row? Add the do not autoarchive
field to the view and you can click in it when you don't want one
archived.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Thanks for the reply. I found the field and it is called "Do Not
AutoArchive." I added that field to a couple of my views, checked the
items that I don't want to archive, and then set auto archiving on the
Tasks folder. It cleaned out all the old stuff that was marked as
completed and left those items that I didn't want to archive, all of
which would have otherwise archived based on their dates. That's exactly
what I wanted.

Now another question...

There are times when I create a task that I know I won't get to for
several months. In those cases it would be handy to be able to mark the
Do Not AutoArchive box as the task is being created. The only way that I
have found to do this is to create a custom form and put the Do Not
AutoArchive field on the second page of that form. That works, but
opening the custom form to create a task isn't the most convenient thing.
Is there a way to make the custom form the default for all new tasks, and
what drawback might there be to doing that? Otherwise, is there another
way to make the Do Not AutoArchive field available when a task is being
created?

--Tom

You can set a no archive flag on the tasks - or periodically move the
completed tasks to the archive yourself.

If you add the Archive field to the view, you can click it off or on if
you enabled in-cell editing.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


Outlook 2007

I have something of a catch 22 when it comes to archiving my Tasks
folder, and I'm hoping that someone here will have a solution for me.
I work in a new unit that is currently severely understaffed. As I
work, if I have an idea about something that needs to be done, I create
and categorize a task with the expectation that at some point in the
future, when we've got more staff, I'll be able to start clearing items
off that task list.

The problem that this creates is that I've got some very old tasks
sitting out there, some of which are more than a year old. If I setup
archiving on the Tasks folder those older items will get archived
whether or not they've been completed. I suppose that's not the end of
the world as I can always open the archive and view those tasks.
However, a better solution would be one that archives only completed
items (the vast majority of the items in my Tasks folder).
Unfortunately, it appears that Outlook does not have a way to archive
only completed items.

Are there any tools available that would add this functionality to
Outlook? Does anyone know how I might go about making a product
suggestion to Microsoft?

--Tom

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Yes, you are correct - archive works on the modified date, not start or due
dates.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Let's Really Fix Outlook 2010
http://forums.slipstick.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34

Okay, I just thought of another related question. I have some tasks that
I have created recently that have no start date or due date. I looked at
the fields available when customizing the view and it looks like the
Create data can be added to the view. That makes me think that the start
and due dates on the task have nothing to do with when the task gets
archived, but rather that Outlook most likely keys on the creation date of
the task for that purpose. Am I correct in assuming that items lacking
start and due dates will still get archived if they meet the criteria set
in the archiving options for the folder?

FYI, I marked them as "Do not archive" just to be on the safe side.

--Tom

The setting is also on File, properties (office icon, properties in 2007)
so you don't need a custom form. But if you want it always on, create a
custom form with it set. To do this, open a new task form, go to
properties and set do not archive then publish it. right click on the
task folder and choose properties and set the new form as the default for
new tasks. (see http://outlook-tips.net/beginner/publish_form.htm for
more details)

You are typing them in the New task row? Add the do not autoarchive
field to the view and you can click in it when you don't want one
archived.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Thanks for the reply. I found the field and it is called "Do Not
AutoArchive." I added that field to a couple of my views, checked the
items that I don't want to archive, and then set auto archiving on the
Tasks folder. It cleaned out all the old stuff that was marked as
completed and left those items that I didn't want to archive, all of
which would have otherwise archived based on their dates. That's
exactly what I wanted.

Now another question...

There are times when I create a task that I know I won't get to for
several months. In those cases it would be handy to be able to mark the
Do Not AutoArchive box as the task is being created. The only way that
I have found to do this is to create a custom form and put the Do Not
AutoArchive field on the second page of that form. That works, but
opening the custom form to create a task isn't the most convenient
thing. Is there a way to make the custom form the default for all new
tasks, and what drawback might there be to doing that? Otherwise, is
there another way to make the Do Not AutoArchive field available when a
task is being created?

--Tom

You can set a no archive flag on the tasks - or periodically move the
completed tasks to the archive yourself.

If you add the Archive field to the view, you can click it off or on if
you enabled in-cell editing.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point
your newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.


Outlook 2007

I have something of a catch 22 when it comes to archiving my Tasks
folder, and I'm hoping that someone here will have a solution for me.
I work in a new unit that is currently severely understaffed. As I
work, if I have an idea about something that needs to be done, I
create and categorize a task with the expectation that at some point
in the future, when we've got more staff, I'll be able to start
clearing items off that task list.

The problem that this creates is that I've got some very old tasks
sitting out there, some of which are more than a year old. If I setup
archiving on the Tasks folder those older items will get archived
whether or not they've been completed. I suppose that's not the end
of the world as I can always open the archive and view those tasks.
However, a better solution would be one that archives only completed
items (the vast majority of the items in my Tasks folder).
Unfortunately, it appears that Outlook does not have a way to archive
only completed items.

Are there any tools available that would add this functionality to
Outlook? Does anyone know how I might go about making a product
suggestion to Microsoft?

--Tom