IT Gang - A place for tips and tricks

The Tasks application built into Pocket PCs lets you enter and organize the things you have to do. It can also remind you when they need to be done.

Tasks on touch screen Pocket PC devices

• To create a new Task, tap Start >Programs >Tasks and then tap the New button (Windows Mobile 6: Menu >New Task). You can enter the subject, priority, start and due dates, categories, and detailed notes about the Task. When you are done, tap OK.
• To edit an existing Task, tap it in the Tasks list and tap the Edit button. You can change any of the above-mentioned information.
• To delete a Task, tap and hold it in the list view and select Delete Task from the pop-up menu.
• To mark a Task as completed, tap the check box to the left of the Task name in the list view. You can also do this by editing the Task and changing the Status field.
• To set a Task reminder, open a new Task or edit Task screen, tap the Reminder field, and select "Remind me" from the drop-down menu. By default, you will receive a reminder at 8:00 AM on the due date. You can change the date and time in this field. To set a reminder for a Task, you must first set a due date. (Time not available on pre-Windows Mobile 5 devices).
• To change the display options, go to the Tasks list view and tap Menu >Options (pre-Windows Mobile 5: Tools >Options). Then check the appropriate boxes in this screen to show start and due dates for each Task, show the Tasks entry bar, and set reminders for every new item you enter.
• To Sort and Filter Tasks (Windows Mobile 5 and 6), go to the Tasks list view, tap Menu, and select Sort By or Filter from the pop-up menu. Sort By lets you sort the list by status, priority, subject, start date, and due date. Filter lets you display Recently Viewed tasks, Active Tasks, Completed Tasks, and Tasks with a particular category assigned to them (see "How to set up and use Outlook Mobile categories" in the Using section).
• To Sort and Filter Tasks (pre-Windows Mobile 5), go to the Tasks list view and tap the small sort arrow in the upper-right corner of the screen below the X button. Then select the sort options from the drop-down menu. To Filter the Tasks list, tap the small filter arrow in the upper-left corner of the screen below the title bar, and select the filtering options from the drop-down menu.
• To display Tasks on your Today screen, go to Start >Settings >Today, select the Items tab, and make sure the Tasks entry is selected. You can further specify which Tasks are displayed by tapping on the Options button.

You can do all the above operations similar on the PC. Edit, delete, sort, filter tasks, and even assign it to somebody (via email).

Tasks on Desktop PC devices (NOTE: Tasks is an Outlook component. All the steps below assume you have Outlook installed and opened on your PC. These steps were tested on Outlook 2003)

• To create a new Task, maximize Outlook and click on the Tasks tab in the left bar. Then, you can click on the New Task button (same spot where New Email button is in the Mail tab). You can enter the subject, priority, start and due dates, categories, and detailed notes about the Task. When you are done, click Save and Close.

The fun part about Tasks is that you can synchronize your Pocket PC with your Desktop PC. This way you can have all the information you need with you when you are not in your main office. You need Active Sync for this purpose.

That's all folks. Happy tasking!