# Customizing Outlook 2007 keys? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052 "2011-03-09T15:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/1 "2011-03-09T15:04:00Z")
I have a macro to paste unfomatted text. But unlike Word (and older versions of Outlook), running it takes as many steps as going through the regular paste special rigmarole. In Word, there is a customize keyboard option that lets me tie the macro to a keyboard shortcut. Is there any way to do this in Outlook? If there’s a keyboard paste unformatted, that would be great, but I have a few other macros I’d like to assign to the keyboard too. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/2 "2011-03-09T15:32:16Z")
Get [PureText](http://www.stevemiller.net/puretext/). It lets you paste unformatted text to anywhere - not just Outlook - just by using Start + V. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/3 "2011-03-09T15:38:34Z")
Have you tried setting Word as your email editor in Outlook? It’s under Tools, Options, Mail Format. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/4 "2011-03-09T17:54:05Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Get [PureText](http://www.stevemiller.net/puretext/). It lets you paste unformatted text to anywhere - not just Outlook - just by using Start + V. That looks like a great tool, especially as I have a 12-button mouse that can take key-commands. But I’m hoping to find ways to map other macros to the keys as well–any idea? > [@yoyodyne](#): > > Have you tried setting Word as your email editor in Outlook? It’s under Tools, Options, Mail Format. I could be an idiot (much evidence towards that), but I can’t find that anymore. It was available in Outlook 2000, the version I upgraded from, but Outlook 2007 seems to have its own editor and no longer gives the option to use Word–no option that I can find … am I having a following directions fail? ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/5 "2011-03-09T19:00:24Z")
No, you’re right the option was removed in 2007. What version of Windows are you running? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/6 "2011-03-09T19:03:50Z")
Windows 7 Pro on this machine, Home on the laptop. (Note that I may have been correct, but that does not disallow the potentiality for idiocy.) ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customizing-outlook-2007-keys/574052/7 "2011-03-09T19:20:42Z")
Go to Control Panel, Folder Options. On the View tab check “Show hidden files and folders” Close Outlook and Word. In Explorer go to C:\users\yourusername\appdata\roaming\microsoft emplates. Rename normalemail.dotm to normalemail.old Copy normal.dotm and rename the copy to normalemail.dotm Try Outlook again.