Outlook 2011: Keyboard shortcut to assign categories

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In Outlook 2011, is there some way to assign keyboard shortcuts to specific categories, so I can categorize messages without having to use the mouse to select the drop-down from the Categories menu in the Ribbon?

Best Answer

Yes, you can do this.

Open System Preferences.
Select Keyboard.
Select Keyboard Shortcuts.
Select Application Shortcuts in the left navigation pane.
Click the + button to create a new shortcut.
Choose Microsoft Outlook.app in the Application drop-down menu.
Enter the exact name of the menu command you want to add. E.g. for an Outlook category named "Project X" enter that category name, "Project X."
Click in the Keyboard Shortcut field and press a unique keyboard sequence such as Control-Option-T.
Click the Add button.

For some more ideas about how you could add keyboard shortcuts to Outlook:Mac, check out "Unleash new uses for keyboard commands in Outlook for Mac" in the Office:Mac Help Blog.

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Opening .msg file in Outlook for Mac 2011

I'm sorry to say, currently .msg files can't be opened using Outlook 2011. I have found the only way is one of three things:

Get them in a .pst file ( which might not work for you, cause you are getting them as a .msg file for a reason).
Install Windows and Outlook on your Mac through Boot Camp (although it seems like to much just to view emails).
Try Klammer (in the Mac Store) it will let you open them, and on their site is says open in Outlook.

I think your best bet might be number 3.

resources:

Can saved Outlook email and contacts (in .msg format) be converted and then imported?

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I wrote a little AppleScript to do this. If you copy it to your "~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/Outlook Script Menu Items" folder you can assign a shortcut key to it using System Preferences/Keyboard.

Works like a charm.

The script is:

on run {}   
    tell application "Microsoft Outlook"    
        set selected folder to inbox
    end tell
end run

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