Outlook can notify you that you have new e-mail messages in several ways, including playing sounds. What if you want a special sound to be played only when you receive messages from certain senders? By using Outlook rules, you can know who sent you a message just by the sound that is played when you receive the message.

1. On the Tools menu, click Rules and Alerts.
2. Click New Rule.
3. Click Start from a blank rule, and then click Next.
4. Under Step 1: Select condition(s), select the from people or distribution list check box.
5. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description (click an underlined value), click people or distribution list.
6. Select a name from the list or type an e-mail address in the From box.
7. Click OK, and then click Next.
8. Under Step 1: Select action(s), select the play a sound check box.
9. Under Step 2: Edit the rule description (click an underlined value), click a sound.
10. Select a sound file, click Open, and then click Next twice.
11. Under Step 1: Specify a name for this rule, type a name for this rule.
12. Click Finish.
13. When the This rule is a client-only rule and will process only when Outlook is running dialog box appears, click OK.

Now, whenever you receive an e-mail message from the person you specified in step 6, the sound you specified in step 10 plays.

Note  If Outlook is configured to play a sound when new e-mail messages arrive, you hear that sound, followed by the sound specified by the rule you just created.