Sorting Emails - Outlook 2007

[eques4]

Hope you can help me with a little problem that has been driving me mad.

I generally find the best way to bring up all the e-mails from one person is to click on a recent e -mail from them and then hit the "From" bar to sort by sender. This should bring together on the screen all the e-mails from that person. I sometimes do the same thing on "Subject" (the search function on our server is very slow).

The problem is that about half the time it does this as it should. The rest of the time what will happen is that it will sort them and then the bar will jump right up to the top (so the "As" or e-mail addresses beginning with a number).

I cannot work out any pattern to which ones work properly and which ones don't. Sometimes one will work OK and then I can do another one immediately afterwards and it will jump to the top.

Just now I had one that jumped up to the top. As a test I just kept on doing it and after about the 15th time it worked properly.

The same thing happens when using different computers and mice and I have tried using different levels of heaviness and lightness when touching the mouse button.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

 

[kjv1611]

Which version of Outlook are you using?

In 2010, and I think 2007, you can create custom search folders. Doing that would allow you to filter and sort those as you need - for common searches - and then you'd only have to go and click on that new search folder the next time you need it...

Using the filters should help as well, I think, with performance. You may can filter out some of the things that would cause the bulk of the slowdown.

 

[eques4]

Thanks - the main problem isn't the slow search function - its the fact that the bar sometimes jumps to the top of the page when I sort by sender or subject, rather than staying on the e-mail I sorted from.

 

[kjv1611]

I realize which is the main problem from your post... I'm just saying it'll help 2 issues with one fix... you know the old "kill 2 birds with one stone"?

If you are using a version of Outlook that supports the search folders, give that a shot.

Otherwise, tell us more information, such as which version you're using..

 

[eques4]

It is Outlook 2007. Our IT people are working on the slow server problem.

Thanks

 

[kjv1611]

Try a search folder for one of your frequent searches/sorts, and see if it works well enough for you. Or have you already tried it?

 

[eques4]

Thanks, i will give that a try.

Any ideas, anyone, on the sorting problem? I really would like to get to the bottom of it. It doesn't seem to make any sense.

 

[tonyvee1973]

Have you the latest 2007 SP applied? There is a new one released i think?

 

[eques4]

SP? Sorry I am not very technical

 

[tonyvee1973]

Sorry, i meant Service pack. May be worth a look incase its an issue in your Outlook.
Other than that, in outlook 2010 there is a "People Pane" where you select an email from someone and then in the pane it displays all emails from that person. You can also select to view just attachments from that person etc. Its very handy and we use here in our domain all the time.
I believe that 2007 may not have it (But well worth a look) if not then you can download the 2007 equivalent "social connector" i believe. that should give you the "People panel" option.
Have a look, may be some help.

 

[tonyvee1973]

link below which may help:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/o...outlook-2003-or-outlook-2007-HA101927275.aspx