• Download, Install Steps
  • Extra Steps Needed
  • Uninstalling or Reinstalling
  • Changing Topic Folder Location

Download and Install Steps

The full installation instructions for the base ClearContext IMS product are provided on the ClearContext Corp link below, and those instructions cover most of the MYN installation needs; the list below summarizes those steps, and adds a bit more that is specific to MYN. One important point when using the installation instructions on the ClearContext Corp links: do not use the download links there--that takes you to the non-MYN version. Instead, use the link found in various places on this site including below in step 2.

Below are the five basic install steps.

  1. If you already have a previous version of ClearContext, you should uninstall it first. Currently registered users of ClearContext v 4 note the MYN version is a free upgrade. When you uninstall, the registration key is still retained on your computer. Just download and install the trial version (as in step 2 below) and the key will be picked up.
  2. All users, close Outlook, then download the MYN install software here. Also if you like, see the ClearContext Corp instructions. Again, do not use the download link there.
  3. Run the install software, which completes the first phase of the install. This step is very quick. Details of this and the next step are provided in these ClearContext Corp instructions.
  4. Start Outlook; this starts the second phase of install, which takes a little longer. The software will be analyzing your e-mail usage, and this could take a while, maybe up to 10 minutes or more, depending on how much software you have saved. But it is worth it as it creates an accurate color coding of your e-mail.. Do not quit during this analysis step, as you will just need to do it the next time you start Outlook.
  5. Finally, do the MYN extra steps to complete the MYN install. These are not covered in the instructions linked above. Rather, go to the next tab of this web page to learn and do those steps.

Then go to the Features page to get started with using your new software.

 

 

 

Extra Configuration Steps Needed after Install

Adding and Using the Advanced Toolbar

Most of these views will be accessed through an optional Outlook toolbar called the Advanced toolbar. You activate this with these steps:

  1. Open Outlook’s View Menu,
  2. Choose Toolbars,
  3. Then select Advanced.

Here is how that will look once added:

 

Using the Dropdown View Menu

Using the dropdown menu shown above is the main way to choose the non-Inbox TWC-MYN views. If you are in the Inbox, you can use this as well, but you may want to use the "TWC Inbox Views" submenu on the ClearContext main menu; it's a little clearer.

If you are in the Inbox and using the Advanced Toolbar to select views, you'll see three categories of views listed there. The standard Outlook views, the ClearContext views, and the TWC-MYN views, so the list is a bit long. All the special TWC-MYN views start with"MYN" at the front of the view name, and the ClearContext views start with "ClearContext."

The ClearContext views are also accessible through the ClearContext menu, using the Inbox Views submenu; either access point works fine (the menu is a little clearer on what you are getting in each ClearContext view). You may wonder why the non-Inbox TWC-MYN views are not accessible through a menu like that as well; someday they will be, we just didn't have time to do that in this release.

For a full explanation of the MYN views, see the User Guide Views page. Also, you can look the view name up in the index of the book and read more there; however, not all are documented there. Some such as the TWC Inbox views are only documented in these pages.

 

Activating the 2002, 2003 TaskPad

Outlook 2007 users, as long as you restarted Outlook after IMS install, your MYN To-Do Bar is already activated. But 2002 and 2003 users need to take another step to activate the MYN TaskPad view. Do this as follows:

  1. Go to the Calendar View.
  2. Once there, in the Advanced toolbar, choose MYN-Day/Week/Month from the view selector (see figure below).
  3. Then, 2003 users if the TaskPad is not visible go to the View menu and ensure “TaskPad” is selected.
  4. If the TaskPad is still not visible, follow the steps below. Also see Lesson 2 in the book (pg 28).

Finding a TaskPad hidden in 2003

If the TaskPad is still not visible after following the above steps, it may be hidden; here are some ways to try to unhide it:

  1. Try activating the Day view in the Calendar by clicking the word "Day" at the top of the Calendar window. Then try week.
  2. Make sure you really selected the MYN-Day/Week/Month view in the steps above.
  3. If all you see is the mini-calendars section on the right side of your Calendar window, then drag the bottom of the mini-calendar section up. You have to grab it just right to do that; look for the cursor to change to a split cursor before you click and drag. That may expose the TaskPad.
  4. If you see no mini-calendars at all, then click and drag the border just inside the right edge of the Calendar window to the left. That may expose the TaskPad.
  5. Finally, if still not visible, make sure you are viewing your primary Calendar folder, the one in your main mailbox. The TaskPad is not visible in any secondary Calendar folders you may have created.

Turning Off the Task Reminders Default in Outlook

In the TWC Manage-Your-Now! system, Outlook reminders are not recommended for tasks (they are for appointments, just not tasks). If all your new tasks automatically have a reminder set, you need to clear the Outlook setting that makes this default. Go to the Tools menu, choose Options, Preferences tab, then click the Task Options button. In the dialog that opens (below) clear the third check box down. Page 59 in book.

 

Changing the ClearContext Topic Folders Location

If you are using the Processed Mail folder as a subfolder of the Inbox (per Lesson 5 in the book), then you should make one more configuration change in the new ClearContext IMS software. Go to the last tab of this web page to learn why and how.

Next Steps

Your installation is complete. Now go to the Features page to get started with using your new install. On those pages, I'll show you a few more optional configurations you can make if you wish, and some tips to help you be successful.

 

Uninstalling or Reinstalling

As with most well designed software, you can uninstall ClearContext using the standard Windows Add or Remove Software tools.

Note: Views are not uninstalled

One thing to note: when you uninstall ClearContext IMS, the custom views (both ClearContext and MYN) remain in Outlook. If you are using the older TWC version of ClearContext, those views will still be around after you install the newer, MYN-ClearContext IMS version

If you already have (or accidentally installed) the non-MYN version

If you already have installed the non-MYN version of ClearContext, or the older TWC version, be sure to uninstall the previous ClearContext IMS version before you install the new MYN version.

 

 

Changing the ClearContext Topic Folders Location

Introduction

Every time you create a new ClearContext Topic name, ClearContext IMS automatically creates a new Outlook folder with the same name. These are stored in the current ClearContext Topic Folders location. The default location for these folders is immediately under the Inbox, but this is configurable. As a TWC-MYN users, you will probably want to change that location, and you will probably want to do that right after you install MYN ClearContext IMS. Furthermore, you should probably plan to do this even if you do not you intend to use ClearContext Topics right away.

Who Should Change the Topic Folders Location, and Why

Any TWC-MYN user who is using the Processed Mail folder in the postion recommended in Lesson 5 (as a subfolder of the Inbox) should consider making this change. Why? Because ClearContex considers any folder directly under the Inbox to be a topic folder, and starts doing special things with it. So ClearContext will incorrectly treat the Processed Mail folder as such a special folder. You will see this the first time you drag mail to the Processed Mail folder, after installing ClearContext IMS. You will get the following dialog box (see below) asking if you want to assign a topic name called "Processed Mail." Clearly this is not what you want to do.

 

 

You might think just answering No in this dialog box, and clicking the Remember check box would solve this. It does, but that then turns off all auto assignments when dragging, which is something you might want to do in the future. It is better to just change the Topic folders location immediately, right after installation.

 

How to Change the Topic Folders Location

The way to change the location is easy. Here are the steps:

1. Open the ClearContext menu (on the main Outlook menubar), and select Options (near the bottom).

2. Click the Configuration button. You will see the following dialog box:

 

 

3. Change the top text field (by typing) from its current value (/Inbox) to something else. I suggest: using: /Inbox/ClearContext Topics, as shown below.

 

 

4. Then click OK and OK again.

This will create a new subfolder under the Inbox called ClearContext Topics. From now on you will no longer be prompted to tag mail when you drag it into the Processed Mail folder. And all new topic folders will appear inside this new folder.