Save Time with Pre-addressed Emails

Do you find yourself emailing the same people over and over? Here is a way to create pre-addressed emails and launch them with a single mouse click and no typing (because clicking and typing are entirely too much work).

First of all, to get the most out of this tech tip you'll need to read and configure your desktop using my Ultimate Desktop Layout tech tip (click here to read the tech tip). If you choose not to arrange your desktop as mentioned in the earlier tech tip, this tip will still work, it just will not have the same punch.

Step By Step

1. Find an MS Outlook shortcut on your Quick Launch bar OR on your Start Menu OR on your desktop and with your "right" mouse button drag and drop the icon somewhere on your desktop. When you release your right mouse button a context menu will appear asking if you want to copy or move the icon. Select copy. You should now have another MS Outlook shortcut on your desktop.
Click here to view an example image.

2. Right click on the new MS Outlook shortcut and click Properties on the context menu.
Click here to view an example image.

3. On the Properties window add the following characters to the end of the Target path which ends in "…outlook.exe". The characters are { /c ipm.note /m "your email addresses here" } WITHOUT the brackets {}. Where I have "your email addresses here" you can put the email addresses for which you want to pre-address this email shortcut. For multiple email addresses, you can separate each with a semicolon. You can also put a group name there after creating an email group in your address book if you choose to do it that way. Also, for an explanation of what the "ipm.note" is all about, read my previous tech tip on Time Saving Outlook Shortcuts by clicking here.
Click here to view an example image.

4. On the Properties window click on the Change Icon button to select a new meaningful icon for your new pre-addressed email shortcut. Once you have done this, click OK on the Change Icon window.
Click here to view an example image.

5. Click on the General tab of the shortcut Properties window and change the name of the shortcut to something more meaningful. I named mine "New Email to Friends".
Click here to view an example image.

6. Click the OK button on the shortcut Properties window. Now you should have a shortcut that resembles something like this on your Windows desktop.
Click here to view an example image.

When you click this shortcut you should get a new pre-addressed email like mine in the image below.
Click here to view an example image.

Now to get the greatest benefit from this tip you'll need to drag the shortcut down to your Quick Launch bar so that it is never more than one click away. With this single tip we have eliminated several mouse clicks and who knows how much typing. With all this extra time you're saving, you'll have more time for golf.

Happy teching,

Ryan Williams

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FREE Time Tracking Application and the Windows Task Scheduler

If you have ever wanted to keep better track of how you spend your time, this tech tip is for you. For just about everyone who provides a professional service, keeping track of billable time is a necessary evil. It is also A LOT harder than it sounds. Many professionals wait until the end of each week and try to document how they spent their time for the previous 5 days. As you can imagine, this is probably not the most accurate way of tracking time. Even trying to recall how a morning was spent at the end of a single day is often less accurate than you might think.

To combat this problem and make time tracking as easy as possible, I developed a very simple time tracking application which I am giving away for free to anyone who wants it. In order to utilize the time tracking application, you'll also need to become familiar with the Windows Task Scheduler. Therefore, we will cover both applications in this Tech Tip.

The way the time tracking application works is by asking you what you are doing every 10 minutes (you determine how often). The application remembers your responses from one prompt to the next so if you are doing the same thing several prompts in a row, all you have to do is press the enter key to make the prompt go away and log a time entry.

First, you can download the time tracking application using the link below. After downloading the zip file, I suggest creating a folder on the C drive named "TimePrompt" (C:\TimePrompt). Then, extract the TimePrompt.exe executable into this folder. You can put the executable anywhere you choose, this is just my suggestion.
Click here to download TimePrompt.

You'll also need to download and install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 if it is not already installed on your computer.
Click here to download the Framework.

Double click on the TimePrompt.exe executable to see what it looks like. As I said earlier, it is a pretty simple application. There are two big textboxes, one for reminders and one for keeping track of how you are spending your time. The application will remember the text in each field each time the application is launched. The first time the application runs it will create three text files, one to store your reminders, one to store your last time entry and one which is a log of all your time entries with dates and times. You can test this now if you choose.

The engine that makes the TimePrompt application do its thing is the Windows Task Scheduler. The Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler looks quite different depending of whether you are running Windows Vista or Windows XP. Therefore, I have provided step by step instructions for both operating systems. Choose whichever instructions apply to you.

Windows Vista Task Scheduler Instructions

1. Click on the Open Task Scheduler button on the Time Prompt screen.
Click here for an example image.

2. Click on the Action menu and then Create Task.
Click here for an example image.

3. On the Create Task window enter a description for the scheduled task and make sure it is set to run only when you are logged in.
Click here for an example image.

4. On the Triggers tab click on the New button to create a new trigger.
Click here for an example image.

5. Fill out the New Trigger window as I have in this example picture.
Click here for an example image.

6. Next click on the Action tab and then click on the New button to create a new action.
Click here for an example image.

7. On the New Action windows enter the path to wherever you saved TimePrompt.exe when you extracted the zip file. Then click the OK button.
Click here for an example image.

8. Click on the Conditions tab and complete the form as I have in this example image.
Click here for an example image.

9. Click on the Settings tab and complete the screen as I have in this example image.
Click here for an example image.

10. Now click OK on the Create Task window. Your time prompt is now scheduled to prompt you to capture your time every few minutes.

Windows XP Task Scheduler Instructions

1. Click on the Open Task Scheduler button on the Time Prompt screen.
Click here for an example image.

2. In the Tasks window click on Add Scheduled Task. This will open the Scheduled Task Wizard. Click the Next button.
Click here for an example image.

3. On the next screen click the Browse button.
Click here for an example image.

4. In the Select Program to Schedule window browse to the directory to which you saved TimePrompt.exe. My suggested location was c:\timeprompt\. Click Open after you find and select TimePrompt.exe.
Click here for an example image.

5. You should now be looking at a window where you select how frequently to run TimePrompt.exe. Select daily and click Next.
Click here for an example image.

6. The next screen is for selecting the start time of the scheduled task. Select 12:00 AM every day and click Next.
Click here for an example image.

7. The next screen asks for a username. Just leave everything the way it is and click Next.
Click here for an example image.

8. The next screen is the final screen of the Scheduled Task Wizard. Be sure to check the checkbox to open advanced properties and click finish. If you get a warning message, just click OK.
Click here for an example image.

9. You should now be looking at the TimePrompt scheduled task properties window. Check the box beside Run only if logged on.
Click here for an example image.

10. Next click on the Schedule tab and click the Advanced button.
Click here for an example image.

11. On the Advanced Schedule Options, check the checkbox beside Repeat task and configure the rest of the screen as I have in this example image. Click OK when finished.
Click here for an example image.

12. Next click on the Settings tab. Uncheck every box as I have in this example image. Then click OK. Your time prompt is now scheduled.
Click here for an example image.

Now, the time prompt application will prompt you every 10 minutes to ask what you are doing. Each time you enter your comments they will be saved with the current date and time in the timelog.txt file. You can refer to this file at any time to see a log of how you have been spending your time.

Another handy feature of the TimePrompt application is the reminder box. Instead of writing reminders on sticky notes, try entering them in the reminders box. Every 10 minutes you will be reminded of what you should be working on and it should help you stay on track.

Now, not only can you keep better track of how you are spending your time, but you have also been exposed to the Windows Task Scheduler. In later tech tips I will provide additional examples of how you can utilize the Windows Task Scheduler and also some other beneficial uses for the TimePrompt application. I hope you find this application useful. If you experience any issues with the TimePrompt app, please use the "Ask Me A Tech Question" link below. Until next time…

Happy Teching,

Ryan Williams

Ask Me A Tech Question
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Reader Questions: Cell Phone Wi-Fi and the Vista Admin Account

In this tech tip I am going to address two questions that were submitted recently.  Sorry I cannot get to them all.

QUESTION #1:  The first question comes from a reader in Texas.  The question is "Can cell phones with built in Wi-Fi use the Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet?"  The answer is definitely yes.  However, phones with built in wireless still have to be configured just the same as a laptop with wireless.  If the place where you are trying to access the Internet has wireless security enabled, you will still need to configure your phone's wireless settings to match.  The process is slightly different on every phone so I cannot provide step by step instructions, however, having Wi-Fi on your phone is really handy, and it is definitely worth paying for when you are shopping for cell phones.  Most cell phones now days allow for surfing the Internet, however, the data connection is often slow and you often have to pay extra for Internet usage.  Having built-in Wi-Fi on your phone avoids having to pay your cell phone service provider for Internet access.  It is also especially nice for surfing the Internet in your living room while the rest of your family is watching the Food Network.

QUESTION #2:  Another reader says she accidentally removed the administrator privileges from her Windows Vista account.  Now, she cannot install new software nor do other things that require administrator privileges.   This person wants to know if there is another option besides formatting and reloading the entire computer to reestablish an account that has administrator privileges.  The answer is thankfully yes.  There is another option.

In Windows Vista there is a hidden administrator account that is disabled by default.  The following steps will enable this hidden administrator account and allow you to reestablish your personal account with administrator privileges.  I suggest that you disable this hidden administrator account after you fix your existing personal account. 

Here are the steps for enabling the hidden Windows Vista administrator account.

1.  Click on the start menu and type "command" in the search bar.  This will pull up the Command Prompt program in the search results above.
Click here for an example image.

2.  Right-click on the Command Prompt program and select Run as Administrator.
Click here for an example image.

3.  Next, type in the following command at the command prompt and press enter.
net users administrator /active:yes
This will activate the hidden administrator account.
Click here for an example image.

4.  Now, log off or restart your computer.  You should have the option to log in as the administrator.  By default the administrator login does not have a password.  I suggest that you disable the administrator login after using it.  To do so, use this command at the same command prompt as in step 3 above.
net users administrator /active:no
This will deactivate the hidden administrator account.

That's all there is to it.

If you would like to ask me a tech question, please click on the link below.  I look forward to hearing from you. 

Happy Teching,

Ryan Williams

Ask Me A Tech Question
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