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Unified Messaging Service

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Outlook isn't just for Mail: Using Outlook's Calendar


Getting Started with Calendar
in Outlook 2007
(PDF File)

Calendar Quick Tips for Outlook Users
(PDF File)

Basic calendar functions in Outlook are similar to that of Meeting Maker, but Outlook offers greater functionality and integration with the UMS environment.

When a new meeting is created, the people who are invited to the meeting will automatically receive an email notification. Meeting notifications look different from other email messages, because they have a special icon next to the email (left image). When you accept your meeting invitation, the email notification will disappear.

The Basics


Calendar Quick Reference Guide (Handout)
(PDF File)

Use the Calendar to schedule appointments, make all-day events and set up meetings with Contacts from the Global Address List or your own Contacts. Outlook sends email invitations to the invitees and adds the meeting to their Calendars if they are using Outlook or Entourage.

  • Export Your Meeting Maker Calendar Data for Future Reference
  • How to Export Contacts from Meeting Maker (PC) >>
    1. Launch Meeting Maker
    2. Go to File > Export as Text
    3. In the Export as Text dialog box, uncheck the Calendar and To-Dos checkboxes and click Ok
    4. Type in a name for the address book you are going to export (this can be any name; the exported file just needs a name)
    5. Select a location on the hard drive, such as the Desktop, that will make it easy to find the exported file
    6. Make sure the "Save As Type" is .txt (otherwise Outlook will not be able to import the file) and click Save
    7. Open the exported .txt file in Excel (when opening, you may need to select "All File Types" in order for the .txt file to show up in the open dialog box).
    8. If the first row with text has just one column of data (probably titled Contacts), delete that row so that the field headers move to the top of the page
    9. This step is necessary because if the exported file doesn't have field headings on the first row, you will have trouble properly importing the contacts.
    10. Once you have modified the file as above, save the file (still as a .txt) and close it.
    11. Open Outlook if it isn't already opened
    12. Go to File > Import and Export... in Outlook
    13. Select Import from another program or file and click Next
    14. Select Tab Separated Values (Windows) and click Next
    15. Browse to the .txt file you just exported and select it
    16. Choose whichever method you prefer for dealing with duplicates and then click Next
    17. Select the Destination Folder for the import (this should be either the Contacts folder found on the server or under Personal Folders) and click Next; if you want the contacts to be stored on the Exchange server, you should select the Contacts folder on the server
    18. On the next window that appears, you should manually map the fields (at least check the field mappings). You can do this by selecting Map Custom Fields ... You will probably need to, at least, manually map the Email address, Work Phone, and Address fields.

      NOTE: To verify you have the correct field mappings in place, you may want to test importing one or two records first. Make a copy of the exported data and delete all records in Excel except one or two records that have data in the highest number of fields for the address book in question. Then your test will require you to properly map all the fields you will need to map for the import of the entire set of contacts.

    19. Once you are finished with the field mappings, click Finish to complete the process.
  • Navigating the Outlook Calendar >>
    1. Click the Calendar button in the Button bar (or click the Calendar folder in the All Folders view).

    2. Click buttons on the toolbar to display either the "Day," the "Week", or the "Month." Toggle either "Show work week," or "Show full week."

      Note: While in the day view, press ALT+1 to display one day, ALT+2 to display two days, and so on through ALT+9 to display nine days. To display 10 days, press ALT+0.

      To display more than one week, click a date in the navigation month and drag to select the days that you want to view.

    3. Click the Today button to return to the current date.
    4. The pane on the left displays the date navigator months at the bottom. If it is not visible, click the arrow button in the lower-left corner to expand it into view.
    5. Click arrows on the left or right of the date navigator to move to the previous or next month.
    6. Click any date in a navigator month to go to that date.
    7. Click the scroll bar on the right to move ahead or back in the month.
    8. The My Calendars pane on the left displays check boxes for the default and any user-created calendars. Click a check box to display one or more other calendars side-by-side.
    9. The Other Calendars pane displays calendars of those who have shared them with you. Click a check box to display one or more other calendars side by side with your own.

      Note: you can uncheck any calendar to make more display room, but you must have at least one calendar checked.

    10. The Open a Shared Calendar... and Share My Calendar...links at the bottom allow you to open a newly-shared calendar or to share your calendar with another user.
  • Create an Appointment in Outlook >>

    Note: An appointment is an activity that involves only you.

    1. Create a New Calendar Appointment
      • On the Menu bar, click Actions - New Appointment to access a blank slate for the appointment and enter all of the appointment details.
      • Or right-click a calendar day and select New Appointment, or double-click on a day.
      • Or select a time block on the calendar, right-click the selection and click New Appointment. Use this method to book the appointment at a specific time. Since you've already selected the time, it will be auto-filled.
    2. Be sure you have the Appointment Tab selected
    3. In the Subject box, type a description.
    4. Enter the location in the Location box.
    5. Uncheck the All Day Event box and enter the Start and End times for the meeting.
    6. Change the reminder time or select None.
    7. Enter appropriate information in the text area.
    8. Click Save and Close.
  • Create a Meeting in Outlook >> (Watch Video)

    A meeting is similar to an appointment with other people invited.

    • Meeting organizer — Whoever creates a meeting is the meeting organizer. Only the organizer can change the meeting, and she or he cannot assign a new organizer to an existing meeting.
    • Attendee — Anyone invited to a meeting is an attendee, designated as either required or optional. Once someone is added to the attendee list, that person will remain an attendee, even if she or he declines the invitation, unless the meeting organizer removes her or him from the list of those invited.
    • Location — In Outlook, Conference Rooms should be included as an Invitee selected from the Global Address List (GAL). To find a Conference Room with an available timeslot, invite multiple Conference Rooms. Then, once the Free/Busy time has been viewed via the Scheduling tab, delete those that were unavailable or unneeded.

    To Schedule a Meeting

    1. Create a New Meeting
      • On the Menu bar click Actions - New Meeting Request to access a blank slate for the meeting and enter all of the meeting details.
      • Or — In Calendar on the Menu bar, click Plan a Meeting. This command starts you off on the Scheduling tab. Use this method when the time of your meeting can adapt to the schedules of the people who are coming.
      • Or — In Day or Week view, select a time on the calendar, right-click and select New Meeting Request. You can use this method when you want to book the meeting at a specific time. Since you've already selected the time, it will be auto-filled.
      • Or — Right-click in your calendar and select New Meeting Request.
    2. Ensure you have the Appointment Tab selected
    3. In the Subject field, enter a description.
    4. Enter the location in the Location box.
    5. Uncheck the All Day Event box and enter the Start and End times for the meeting.
    6. On the Appointment tab, change the reminder time, if desired, or uncheck the box.
    7. Enter appropriate information in the text area.
    8. Click the Scheduling Assistant Button.
    9. Click Add Attendees....
    10. In the Type name or select from list box, enter the name(s) of people invited to the meeting.
    11. For each name entered, click Required, Optional, or Resources.
      (The Required and Optional attendees appear in the To box on the Appointment tab, and Resources appear in the Location box.)
    12. Click OK.
    13. Click Send.

      14. When Some Attendees are Unavailable

      • Change the start and end times at the top to a period when all invitees are available
      • Or — The beginning or ending edges of the meeting time displayed in the free/busy graph (or the entire meeting time) can be dragged to an open time for all Invitees, if needed. The meeting times in the event will be adjusted accordingly.

        • Note: Free/busy times for each attendee appear as a colored horizontal in accordance with the key at the bottom of the window.

      • Use AutoPick Next at the bottom of the window to find the next available free time for all invitees.
  • Create a Recurring Meeting in Outlook >> (Watch Video)
    1. Begin by making a meeting as you normally would (see Create a Meeting in Outlook)
    2. Click Recurrence on the Meeting Group on the Ribbon once you , then select the recurrence pattern. Select any other appropriate options.
    3. Click Invite Attendees.
    4. Click Send.
  • Add Another Category to a Recurring Meeting in Outlook >>
    1. Highlight one of the items in the recurring meeting.
    2. Use the following shortcut (hot-key) combination CTRL + C. This will copy the meeting.
    3. Place the cursor just below the existing meeting entry.
    4. Click CTRL + V. This will paste the meeting in just below the existing meeting entry.
    5. Delete the existing meeting above it (only that occurrence) and click OK.
    6. Next, drag/drop the new meeting up to the time slot and you are done.
  • Create an All-Day Event >>

    An All-Day Event is posted as a banner on your calendar so other items can continue to appear on your schedule for that day.

    Turn any calendar entry into an all day event by selecting the All day event check box in that entry. Be sure to click the status button to set your time for the event as Free, Busy, Tentative or Out Of Office. Close the window and Save when prompted.

  • Make Changes to a Meeting and Send an Update to Attendees >>
    1. Double-click the meeting to open it.
    2. Click the Appointment button to change options such as the date, time, occurrence of the meeting or reminder.
    3. Click the Scheduling tab button to view details about the Attendees' free/busy time.

    Note: If you add or remove attendees, you can choose to send an update to everyone or only to those who have been included or removed.

    Select Yes to Send updates only to added or deleted attendees or No to Send updates to all attendees.

  • Respond to a Meeting Request in Outlook >>

    Part 1

    • Accept — When you accept a meeting, it appears in your Calendar and you receive updates of changes of the meeting. If others view your free/busy time, the time appears as Busy by default.
    • Decline — When you decline a meeting, it does not appear on your Calendar, you will receive any updates and be able to respond to them. To be fully disengaged from a meeting, ask the organizer to remove your name from the attendee list.
    • Tentative — Use this option if you are interested in the meeting, but are not sure whether you will be able to make it. The meeting will appear on your Calendar and that block of time is displayed to others as tentatively unavailable.
    • Propose New Time — If the organizer allows this option, you may propose a new time for the meeting; the meeting organizer receives your request and can choose to change to the time you prefer.

    Part 2

    • Edit the response before sending — Use this option if you want to include a message with your response. When you respond to a message, you can send a personal note to the organizer.
    • Send the response now — The meeting response is sent back to the organizer's Inbox and the meeting entry is updated in the Calendar.
    • Don't send a response — The meeting is added to your Calendar, but the meeting organizer will not be notified.
  • Cancel a Meeting in Outlook >>

    Only the meeting organizer can cancel a meeting.

    1. Open the meeting.
    2. On the toolbar, click Cancel Meeting.
    3. Click Send Cancellation.
    4. Recipients will receive a cancellation message and can click Remove from Calendar in the message.

    Cancel One Occurrence of a Recurring Meeting

    1. Open the meeting on the date to be cancelled.
    2. Click Open this occurrence.
    3. On the Actions menu, click Cancel Meeting.
    4. On the "Do you want to delete all occurrences ... or just this one?" Dialog, Click Delete this occurrence.
    5. Click OK
    6. Click the Send cancellation and delete meeting.
    7. Click OK.
    8. Click Send.
    9. Recipients will receive a cancellation message and can click Remove from Calendar in the message.

    Cancel Recurring Meeting Series

    To retain meetings that have already occurred as a record on the Calendar, do not "Cancel" the entire series, but change the end date

    1. Open the meeting.
    2. In the dialog box, click Open the series, and then click OK.
    3. On the Ribbon, click the Recurrence tab.
      Important: If Recurrence is not on the Ribbon, you are not the meeting organizer and you cannot cancel the meeting.
    4. Under Range of recurrence, click End by, select the date that you want the meeting to end, and then click OK.
    5. Click the Send Update button.
    6. In the Confirm Delete dialog box, click Delete this occurrence.

    Note: By changing the end date of the recurring meeting, the instances of the meeting that have already occurred will remain on the attendees' calendars.

  • Import JPL Calendar Items (2010 and 2009 RDO, Payday, and Holiday Calendar files) >>

    Note: Run the following steps for any of the calendar file downloads listed below. You will need to import each file separately.

    1. Click the Calendar file you want to add to your Calendar listed below.
    2. Select a location you can remember (e.g. Desktop) to where it is saved. Click "Save".
    3. Open Outlook, and select File > Import and Export.
    4. Select Import an iCalendar or vCalendar file.
    5. Select the file you downloaded earlier. Click OK.
    2010 Payday Calendar (Calendar File)
    9/2/2009 — File to import list of JPL 2010 Paydays into your UMS Calendar
    2010 Regular Day Off (RDO) Calendar (Calendar File)
    9/2/2009 — File to import list of JPL 2010 RDOs into your UMS Calendar
    2010 Holiday Calendar: 9-80 Workweek (Calendar File)
    9/2/2009 — File to import list of 2010 9-80 Holidays into your UMS Calendar
    2010 Holiday Calendar: 5-40 Workweek (Calendar File)
    9/2/2009 — File to import list of 2010 5-40 Holidays into your UMS Calendar
  • Create and Use Public and Private Groups (Distribution Lists) in Outlook >>

    Public Groups in Outlook:

    The Public Groups that were used in Meeting Maker have been moved to the JPL Directory and are available for use as either email distribution lists or calendar invitee lists. In the future, these groups will be maintained using the JPL Directory Groups Interface. Until owners are identified for each of these groups, please submit a Service Request or call 4-HELP to request changes.

    To Create a Distribution List in Outlook:

    Note: In Outlook, private groups are referred to as private or non-sharable Distribution Lists.

    1. Go to the Contacts screen
    2. Select Distribution List from the New drop-down menu
    3. Type the List Name in the given field
    4. Add the contact to the list
      • If the contact being added has a JPL UMS account, it is best to add that contact from the Global Address List (GAL). This will allow you to see the Free/Busy time when using the Distribution List for invitees to a meeting
  • Recover Deleted Items in Outlook >>

    How to Recover a Deleted Item in Outlook 2007:

    The following instructions are how to recover deleted items if the items had previously been "emptied" or deleted from the Deleted Items folder. In Outlook 2007, you can recover deleted items from any folder, as well as the Deleted Items folder.

    1. From the Tools menu, select Recover Deleted Items...
      the "Recover Deleted Items From - Inbox" window appears.
    2. Select the item to be retrieved.
    3. From the icons at the top of the window, select the icon "Select All," "Recover Selected Items." or "Purge Selected Items."

    In Outlook 2003 or OWA Premium, you can recover deleted items from the Deleted Items folder.

    In OWA Premium:

    1. Click Options.
    2. Click Deleted Items.
    3. Select the item.
    4. Click Recover to Deleted Items folder.

    Note: There is no way to recover deleted items in either Entourage or OWA Light (either version).


Managing Another User's Calendar or Mail in Outlook 2007 (brochure)
(PDF File)

Sharing

Sharing any Outlook default folder is a two-step process. (1) The owner of the folder must grant permission, and (2) the person to share must open the folder.

  • Share My Calendar >>
    Grant someone sharing permissions to your calendar.

    1. In the Calendar Navigation pane, right-click your Calendar.
    2. Select "Change Sharing Permissions".
    3. In the Name box, click Add.
    4. In the Add Users dialog box, in the Type Name or Select from List box, all or part of the name of the person to share your calendar.
    5. Select the name and click Add and then click OK.
    6. Under Permissions, in the Permission Level list, click a permission level or check the appropriate boxes.
      • Owner — Create, read, modify, and delete all items and files, and create subfolders. As the folder owner, you can change the permission levels others have for the folder. (Does not apply to delegates.)
      • Publishing Editor — Create, read, modify, and delete all items and files, and create subfolders. (Does not apply to delegates.)
      • Editor — Create, read, modify, and delete all items. Having editor permissions allows a delegate to perform tasks such as rescheduling an existing meeting that the manager created.
      • Publishing Author — Create and read items and files, create subfolders, and modify and delete items except items created by the owner. (Does not apply to delegates.)
      • Author — Create and read items and files, and modify and delete items except items created by the owner. For example, a delegate can create task requests and meeting requests directly in the owner’s Task or Calendar folder, and then send either item on the owner’s behalf.
      • Non editing Author — Create and read items, and delete items except items created by the owner.
      • Contributor — Create items and files only. The contents of the folder do not appear. (Does not apply to delegates.)
      • Reviewer — Read items and files only. Note: If you would like to grant someone permission only to view your calendar, it is highly recommended that you use “Sharing” instead of Delegates.
      • Custom — Perform activities defined by the folder owner. (Does not apply to delegates.)
      • None — Not perform any activity. The user has no permissions and cannot open the folder.
    7. Click OK.

    Note: If you select the Private check box on a Calendar item, anyone with Read permission could view the details of a private item.

  • Unshare Your Calendar With Another Person >>
    Remove calendar sharing privileges.

      1. In the Calendar Navigation pane, right-click your Calendar.
      2. Select "Change Sharing Permissions...".
      3. Select the name of the person you want to remove sharing priviledges with and click the Remove button.
      4. Click OK.
      5. The person now does not have priviledges to your calendar.

  • Open a Shared Calendar >>
    After someone has given you permission to view their calendar, you will need to open their calendar.

    1. Under My Calendars in the left pane, click the Open a Shared Calendar link.
    2. Click the Name button.
    3. Select the name of the person whose calendar you would like to open.
    4. Click the OK button.
JPL IT
Comments, concerns, or questions: AskIT@jpl.nasa.gov
Last Updated: 11/05/2009
Page URL: http://ocio.jpl.nasa.gov/ums/outlook.php