Nick Cooper's reminders don't pop up on top of all the other windows:

Since we've upgraded to Outlook 2000, reminders don't pop up on top of all the other open windows. For at least 2 years I've been looking for how to change it back. It worked this way automatically in the previous version. Do you know of a way to resolve this? There've been many changes over this time, including multiple operating systems, but it doesn't work properly on any of my PCs, whether running XP or Win2K Pro.

Don Keele would like a dialog box to appear for his reminders:

I would like the option to select a "modal" dialog box for a reminder that pops up on the screen. I have the sound turned off on my PC and would like to be forced to "OK" a reminder pop-up before continuing with what I was doing. Too many reminders get missed with only a blinking icon in the tray area on my PC running Outlook 2003 on Windows 2000.

If the reminder pop-up window isn't appearing for appointments, then check to make sure you have "Display Reminder" enabled under Tools->Options->Other->Advanced Options->Reminder Options, and that you're using the default Calendar for your appointments.

If the reminder option is enabled but you're still not receiving the reminder pop-up, then try running the following command-line switches to resolve the issue /cleanreminders and /resetfolders. The following link provides the steps needed to run the command-line switches, http://www.outlook-tips.net/howto/commandlines.htm

If the issue persists, then consider running a Detect and Repair on the Outlook program, and make sure the system is up-to-date with the latest patches.

Francine Otterson is the President of the San Diego Outlook User Group and a Microsoft Outlook MVP. She has been in the IT industry for over 10 years, providing technical support, software customization solutions and training in corporate settings, and as a consultant. She balances her work around her daughter and husband in sunny San Diego, California.