Periodically run outlook rules

I have a Windows Mobile 6.1 smart phone which I really like using. The thing that really bugged me though was when I would receive an email, my rules would run on the Exchange server and send my mail off into different folders. The only way that I would know that I had a new email on my phone would be if I drilled down into my different folders to check. The new email notification only appears if the email is in the inbox.

Now the main problem I had was that I would have to leave all my rules in Outlook disabled for a few days and then after that would go through and tick all the rules to run to clean up my inbox. There is no way in Outlook to enable or disable all the rules in a simple way. I have so may rules sorting my email that unticking and ticking each rule to "Run Now" just wasnt realistic. Sooooo I have written a Macro for Outlook that enables and disables rules with the push of a button. The code is at the bottom of this.

To get it working you start Outlook then go into Tools / Macro / Visual Basic Editor. Then on the toolbar just below the File Menu there should be a little drop down arrow. Click on the arrow and choose module. This will open up a new window on the right. Simply paste the code into that and then save and exit.

Now, having closed the Visual Basic window and being back in the main outlook window click on Customize, then the toolbars tab and then New and give your toolbar a name you like.

Once you have done that click back on the commands tab and choose macro. On the right you should see 2 commands. Project1.EnableRules and Project1.DisableRules. Drag each of rules onto the new toolbar that you just made (it will be floating around on your screen somewhere) and hey presto you are done.

Only thing left to do is to change your macro security so that they can run. In outlook click on Tools / Macro / Security and check warnings for all Macros. You will get a pop up each time you try and run this but just click enable macros and it will go away until the next time you close and open outlook. I wouldnt advise turning macro security all the way off.

Now whenever you want to turn all your rules on or off you just click on the respective button....easy as pie.

Here is the code you need...enjoy.

Sub DisableRules()

Dim Rules As Outlook.Rules
Dim OutlookRule As Outlook.Rule
Dim counter As Integer
On Error Resume Next

Set Rules = Application.Session.DefaultStore.GetRules

For Each OutlookRule In Rules
OutlookRule.Enabled = False
counter = counter + 1
Next

Rules.Save

Set Rules = Nothing
Set OutlookRule = Nothing

End Sub

Sub EnableRules()

Dim Rules As Outlook.Rules
Dim OutlookRule As Outlook.Rule
Dim counter As Integer
On Error Resume Next

Set Rules = Application.Session.DefaultStore.GetRules

For Each OutlookRule In Rules
OutlookRule.Enabled = True
OutlookRule.Execute ShowProgress:=True
counter = counter + 1
Next

Rules.Save

Set Rules = Nothing
Set OutlookRule = Nothing

End Sub

My Cisco SDM wont work

I had a problem where I was trying to use the Cisco SDM to work on a router. I had just upgraded my machine to Windows 7 RC, launched the SDM and then got the requisite username and password settings. My internet browser of choice, firefox, started up and looked like it was starting the SDM, got the splash screen e.t.c and then....naddah, nothing...just sat there and did nothing. After a bit of umming and arhhhing I decided that it must be something to do with Windows 7 so dug out and old laptop with XP installed and tried to get that going but...same result. Strange, turns out that I had installed the latest versions of JAVA 6.13 I think it was and that was what was stopping me from successfully starting the SDM. Uninstalling the current version and re-installing 6.6 fixed the problem straight away and then I was back in business. Thanks JAVA, I had 2 hours to waste anyway.

Windows SBS 2008 and Hyper V

So a situation arose at work where it became necessary to install the Hyper V role inside Windows SBS 2008 Std Edition. Everything I read was basically saying not to do this, Microsoft doesnt support it, no one supports it, dont pray to God when it doesn't work because even he doesn't support it.

Well I did it and sure enough I broke something...well a few things actually. Firstly DHCP stopped working as everyone said it would. Then the network started doing really strange things and basically I thought that my new nice clean server was going to end up bricked.

However to cut a long story short it is possible to do it and I have got it working. I now have a Windows XP machine humming along quite merrily in a Hyper V session inside SBS08 and it has been for the last couple of months. The critical mistake that I made was not to install a second network card and use it exclusively for the virtual machine. Because I didnt do this the first time round all of the virtual network settings tried to bind to the main NIC and ended screwing everything up. With its own dedicated NIC everything has been working just fine....and yes I know....its not supported.

Bloggin huh?

In an effort to do my part in filling up the internet I have decided that I would create a....wait for it.....blog. Yup, I have realised that the internet is lacking without my input and so have endeavoured to bestow upon subnets of all classes and races...my insights into life.

Enjoy.