How to: Add Outlook folders to tlb

Ever wanted to add Outlook folders to your TrueLaunchBar? In some versions of Outlook you can just drag and drop them but this doesn't always work, you can't change the icon and it always opens a new window. This guide tells you about a better way.

1) Find out the "Outlook:" address of the folder
If you're using a folder like Inbox or Calender, the address is just "Outlook:Inbox" or "Outlook:Calender". If you're using subfolders, the address is a bit more complicated... see the picture for a few examples.



2) Make a new shortcut to Outlook
Note: you can't copy the one on the desktop or in the start menu, you have to make a new shortcut with the new shortcut wizard. Copy and pasting a shortcut you've made yourself is OK though.

3) Change the shortcut's command line
In the shortcut's properties, after where it says ...Outlook.exe" add a space then /recycle or /select, then a space, then the Outlook: address of the folder you're after. The difference is that /recycle will reuse the current Outlook window if it's open already, whereas /select will always open a new window.

The command line should now look something like this:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\Outlook.exe" /recycle Outlook:Inbox\Work

4) Change the shortcut's icon, and you're done!
Outlook.exe has icons for all the folder types in it, although the mail icon just looks like a normal folder.


Feel free to ask questions about this in this thread.

Hi,

it looks like as you have to use the english names of the folders (calendar, inbox) and not the german ones (Kalender, Posteingang).

Do you also no a way to access publix exchange folders?

Chris

Any idea how to open the contact folder? What about searching for a name directly in the contacts folder from the command line box?

Any idea how to open the contact folder?

For any folder you can see in outlook, it will show you the address in the web toolbar. If you go to contacts it will say outlook:Contacts, if you go to calendar it will say outlook:Calendar, or if you go to the inbox, it will say outlook:Inbox. This is the same for any other folders outlook can view, such as hotmail accounts. That address is what you add to the shortcut, and it will just tell Outlook where to open to. It's not a 3rd-party program with limited support like you often see.

I have tried this without outlook 2003 but it didn't work. Does anyone know how to do this exactly with outlook 2003. All the shortcut does with the /recycle option is opens up outlook in the deleted files folder. If I add the name of the folder behind the /recycle switch then it opens outlook within that folder lets say inbox for an example. Thanks.