Globally change a default form

You can change the default form in Microsoft Outlook by making changes to the Microsoft Windows registry. The registry settings specify which forms are substituted for the default Outlook forms. For example, if you create a custom form called "Default," that custom form has a message class of IPM.Note.Default, instead of the standard Outlook e-mail message class of IPM.Note. You can add certain registry keys to indicate that Outlook should substitute the IPM.Note.Default form for the standard IPM.Note form.

The Forms Administrator utility has not been updated for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, and it does not create the registry keys in the correct location for Office Outlook 2003. However, you can use the Forms Administrator utility to create a Windows registry file that requires only minor changes to work with Office Outlook 2003. To use a Windows registry file to change the default form in Office Outlook 2003:

1. Download the Outlook 2000 Forms Administrator utility.
2. Run the Forms Administrator utility, and then change the settings as you would for Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002.
3. To save the registry settings on your computer, click Save. This also makes the Export Saved Settings button available.
4. Click Export Saved Settings to save a Windows registry (.reg) file.
5. Open the .reg file in a text editor, such as Notepad.
6. The registry key paths reference 9.0, which is the location for Outlook 2000 registry settings. Change all of the references to 9.0 to 11.0, which is where Office Outlook 2003 stores registry settings.
7. Save the .reg file.
8. To change a default form for Office Outlook 2003, run the .reg file on the computer so that the keys are added to the Windows registry.

Note  If you used the Forms Administrator utility to change the default forms in Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002, and you then upgrade to Office Outlook 2003, Microsoft Office or Outlook Setup migrates the registry keys to the correct location so that Office Outlook 2003 continues to use the substituted forms.