If you’re an advanced user of Outlook, you probably have lots of data stored in it already. You’re probably wondering if you can apply a custom form to all those items. The answer is yes!

First, you need to have your custom form created and published. Next, we’ll use a utility made by Microsoft called Omsgclas. (This file and its readme have been placed in the sample files folder; you can also download it for free off Microsoft’s Web site.)

Here’s how we use Omsgclas:

1. Back up your Outlook data first!
2. Open Microsoft Office Word 2002.
3. Click the Tools menu, click Macro, and click Security. Click Medium and click OK.
4. Open the Omsgclas document.
5. If you get a macro warning, click Enable Macros.

A document will open explaining how to use the utility. (Although it states that the utility is only designed for use with Office 97, Microsoft’s Web site states that omsgclas can be used for later versions as well.) On top of the document, you will see this window:

In the first section of this utility, you can select whether you want to use your currently selected Outlok folder or the default folder for a particular item type. Then, in the bottom part of the window, type the name of your form after IPM.<item type>. (In the sample above, the New Form field reads IPM.Contact because the Contacts folder is selected as the one to modify.)

Once you click Process Items, your new custom form will be applied to all your existing items in that folder. (This does not change the default form for that folder.) You can use this utility to change the form applied to the items in any folder except Notes. You can also use the utility to change items with a custom form back to the default form.

Once you’re done modifying your items, click Close on the utility and close out of the Word document. Now take a look at your newly modified items!