Outlook forms can be customized to fit your needs, and just hiding fields or adding new ones is rather easy. Here we show how to customize the article form of KBase, the kalmstrom.com knowledge base for Outlook, but the principle is the same for all Outlook forms, like Contacts, E-mail messages or Appointments.
This description is for Outlook 2010, but you will probably find
it useful even if you have an earlier version of Outlook. Outlook 2007 is similar to Outlook 2010, but for Outlook 2003 you will have to open the form in a new instance and select Tools >Forms >Design this form.
If there
is a folder home page for the folder where the form
you want to customize is used, you
first have to uncheck that homepage. This way you make sure nothing is running in the background that might disturb the customization.
Right click the folder in Outlook
and select Properties.
When the Properties dialog opens, go
to the second tab "Homepage" and
uncheck the folder homepage.
Before you start customizing you must get the
tools for it, as they are not shown by default.
To
reach the Developer tools
in the Outlook
Ribbon, go to File >Options.
The Options dialog opens.
Select Customize Ribbon and check the box for Developer in the
list to the right.
Click OK
Now a new tab, "Developer" is shown in your Outlook Ribbon.
Open the Developer tab and click Design a Form. Then select the folder
where you wish to customize a form, in this case "KBase for Outlook".
When you select a folder, the forms of that folder
will be shown.
Select the form you wish to customize and click Open.
Now the form opens, and you can start customize it. I recommend you to not
delete any fields but instead hide the ones you don't want. Do that by right
clicking the selected field and choose Hide.
Here I will instead add a new field, so I click the Field Chooser.
In the Field Chooser there are already a number of fields to
choose from, but
I will create a new field ‒ a checkbox to
be used when an article has been controlled by an administrator or supervisor..
I will give the new field the name "Checked" and click OK.
When you have clicked OK to the new
field you will see that it has been added to the Field Chooser, under User
defined fields.
Drag the new field from the Field Chooser
and drop it on the place where you want it.
When the form looks as you want it to look, next step is to publish it.
(If the folder homepage has
been checked, you must add the home page to the folder again, by checking the box in Properties, Home Page tab. Refer to step
1.)
Now you can use your customize
form, and all items in the folder,
both old and new ones, will look as you
want them to look.
(If you don't need the developer
tools anymore you can go into
Options, Customize banner and
uncheck that box again, refer to
step 2.)
If there
is a folder home page for the folder where the form
you want to customize is used, you
first have to uncheck that homepage. This way you make sure nothing is running in the background that might disturb the customization.
Before you start customizing you must get the
When you select a folder, the forms of that folder
will be shown.
In the Field Chooser there are already a number of fields to
choose from, but
I will create a new field ‒ a checkbox to 
When you have clicked OK to the new
