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Change the order of tasks

Applies to: Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

 

Do one of the following:

ShowSort all tasks in the task list

  • In Tasks, sort the list.

ShowHow?

  1. On the View menu, point to Arrange By, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View.
  2. Click Sort.
  3. In the Sort items by box, click a field (field: An element of a table that contains a specific item of information, such as a last name. A Title field might contain Mr. or Ms. Databases such as Microsoft SQL Server refer to fields as columns.) to sort by. If the field you want isn't in the Sort items by box, click a different field set in the Select available fields from box.

(If the field you sort by is the same as the field items are grouped (group: A set of items with one common attribute; for example, priority or status. Also, to group is to combine items with a common attribute under a shared heading in a table or on a timeline.) by, Microsoft Outlook sorts the group headings instead of the items within each group. To sort the individual items in a group, click a field in the Sort items by box that is different from the Group by field you have chosen.)

  1. Select Ascending or Descending for the sort order.
  2. To sort by an additional field, click a field in the Then by box.

ShowTip

ShowMove individual tasks up or down in the task list

  1. In Tasks, on the View menu, point to Arrange By, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View.
  2. Click Sort, click Clear All, and then click OK.
  3. Click Group By, click Clear All, and then click OK twice.
  4. Drag a task (task: A personal or work-related duty or errand that you want to track through completion.) up or down in the task list (task list: A list of tasks that appears in the Tasks folder and in the TaskPad in Calendar.), using the guide to position the task.
  5. To save this order as the default, on the Actions menu, click Save Task Order.

 Note   You can also move tasks up or down in the TaskPad (TaskPad: The list of tasks in Calendar.) in Calendar if tasks are not sorted or grouped (group: A set of items with one common attribute; for example, priority or status. Also, to group is to combine items with a common attribute under a shared heading in a table or on a timeline.).

ShowPrioritize tasks

If you want to sort task (task: A personal or work-related duty or errand that you want to track through completion.) in priority order, you first need to specify a priority level for each one. By default, tasks have a Normal priority level; however, you can change this level to Low or High.

  1. Open the task you want to change the priority level for.
  2. In the Priority box, click a priority level.

When you're done assigning priority levels, return to the task list (task list: A list of tasks that appears in the Tasks folder and in the TaskPad in Calendar.), and then sort it by priority using the first procedure in this topic.