Outlook 2003 reminders

At work we have just upgraded from Outllok 97 to Outlook2003. Now in outlook 97 when you had an appontment a pop-up reminder could be made to appear in top of whatever you were doing so you got the message. But in the 2003 version the pop-up just lurks behind whatever you are doing without coming to the fore. So it may be hours before you notice this reminder which is now telling you that you should have been elsewhere two hours ago.

So is there anyway of making the reminder take the focus away from whatever else you are working on so you at least get chance to see it because it's as much use as a chocolate fireplace if it just hides in the background.

 

Yes it does blink in the task bar but I tend to have a bazillion things running at once and don't notice it. And its company policy the we use Outlook.

 

Yes I think there is but none of the PCs at work have anything other than the internal speaker and in a noisy office sometimes you don't hear it. And you may be away from your desk at the precise moment it yells.

 

I would to both but my wife sits at the desk next to me!!

 

ROFLMAO.

 

Now that's a thought send it to someone elses PC... or get a second PC just for reminders...or what was that you mentioned about a secretary.

Oops gotta go the wife is requesting my company (Oi!! Come down here!!!)

 

So, far, everything I have read, is that in outlook 2003 the reminders are set this way, cause to many people complained that reminders show in the foreground. Retarded yes.

What do you see in Tools>Options>Other>Advanced Options>Reminder options?

 

That certainly seems to be in agreement with what I've managed to find out. I just wonder if some clever soul has written a macro or a bit of code to overcome this odd idea that reminders shouldn't actually remind you.

As for the settings all the right boxes are checked and I have tried unchecking and re-checking them.


@TimW

As much as I love that idea my life wiuldn't be worth living if I tried.

 

Not sure if this would help or just drive you to drink, but, assuming you are using windows xp, if you go to accessibility options in the control panel, and click on the sound tab, you can enable "soundsentry" which can cause (for example), the desktop to flash when as sound is played. Depending on how much stuff you have playing sounds, you might be able to use that as a visual queue that you have a reminder (since the screen would flash when the reminder sound is played). You would get false alerts, and would probably need to turn of sounds in other programs and even some windows sounds for it to work, but it might be an option.

 

Now that's certainly an interesting idea though I can imagine going insane if I was listening to a CD.

 

Not the most efficient use of resources but, to get the reminders to 'pop up' in front of what you are doing don't minimise outlook, just open what ever document you want in front of it. It will then show as as required.

 

OK I'll give it a go.

 

Well sorry Onekeith but that made no difference at all - the reminders just remained behind everything else.

 

must be something to do with the set up on your machine, as it works just fine on mine at home and at work. Have to go away and have another think...Oh god, that wil make my brian ache

 

Just as a matter of interest OneKeith what version of Outlook 2003 are you using. We have version 11.6502.6408 SP1.

 

Now there's a thing I'm on 11.8010.8036 SP2, perhaps there is a fix in the SP.

 

Maybe there is. I'll see what I can find out. Cheers.