Outlook Tip: Change the Subject Line of an E-Mail You Want to Save

An e-mail discussion can stretch on for days and days, sometimes even weeks. When it's over, you may decide to file the last message for future reference -- something I often do. Just one problem: The subject line no longer reflects the content of the e-mail.

Suppose, for example, you started off talking about Q3 sales forecasts, with a subject line to match. But along the way the conversation shifted to year-to-date sales figures, and someone pasted in a bunch of useful data. That, ultimately, is what you want to keep, but how will you remember that year-to-date sales figures are contained in a message thread with the subject, "Re: Fw: Q3 sales forecasts"?

Simple: Edit the subject line. In Outlook, open the e-mail in question (you can't do this with message previews -- you have to double-click the message to open it in a new window), then click anywhere in the Subject line to drop your cursor. Now you can edit the subject as you see fit.

When you're done, hit Enter, then accept whatever warning Outlook gives you. Now you can file the e-mail with a more fitting -- and recognizable at a glance -- subject line. (Note: This works in Outlook 2007, but I'm not sure about earlier versions. Anyone?)

While we're on the subject of Outlook and e-mail, don't miss Dave's recent posts: Save Space, Organize E-mail with Outlook Thread Compressor and Take Control of Your Inbox with Categories and Flags.