# MS Outlook – How can I get Calendar Reminders “on top?” **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771 "2007-03-20T21:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/1 "2007-03-20T21:01:26Z")
I put all my appointments at work on MS Outlook and set the reminder alarm to display 15 minutes beforehand. Most of the time the reminder duly pops up, and I make it to the meeting on time. However, there are some applications where the reminder occurs but doesn’t display “on top” of the window I’m working in. This happens in my case with Notepad as an example. I was working in it for quite a while today and missed an appointment because the reminder was below the Notepad window. My Help Desk and I have found no selection in Outlook that allows setting the reminders to “always on top” or anything like that. He suggested that perhaps it could be some setting in Windows itself but had nothing specific. I appeal to the wisdom and knowledge of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/2 "2007-03-20T21:05:59Z")
Forgot to mention that I’m aware that one can have Outlook play an audible alarm, but I can’t stand them. Everyone around here has them turned off or uses headphones, which I can’t stand either. I’m really looking for a solution that always displays the reminder window on top. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/3 "2007-03-20T23:54:24Z")
I have Outlook, and I didn’t realize it worked that way. There doesn’t seem to be an option that’ll make it work the way you want, so record a short, silent sound and use that for the reminder sound. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/4 "2007-03-21T00:06:25Z")
What version of Outlook? ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/5 "2007-03-21T01:44:19Z")
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle] record a short, \*\*silent sound \*\*and use that for the reminder sound. [/QUOTE] :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/6 "2007-03-21T16:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=Number] What version of Outlook? [/QUOTE] MS Office Outlook 2003 ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/7 "2007-03-21T20:12:10Z")
I can get you close… Options, other tab, advanced options, reminder options, check Display the Reminder. I don’t know if that puts it on top, but it’s close. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/8 "2007-03-21T20:36:56Z")
It sounds to me like you already have the option turned on, as suggested by **muttrox**. I think what is happening is that it comes on top, however if you are doing something else, such as typing, the instant you type the next letter (probably fairly quickly) it selects that program to be on top. Does the reminder not display on your taskbar? It should display on the taskbar and flash, unless you have taskbar on autohide. ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/9 "2007-03-21T22:01:20Z")
[QUOTE=Queuing] It sounds to me like you already have the option turned on, as suggested by **muttrox**. [/QUOTE] Yes. [QUOTE=Queuing] I think what is happening is that it comes on top, however if you are doing something else, such as typing, the instant you type the next letter (probably fairly quickly) it selects that program to be on top. [/QUOTE] No. I’ve tested this while just watching for the reminder to show up. No typing, mouse movement or anything. [QUOTE=Queuing] Does the reminder not display on your taskbar? It should display on the taskbar and flash, unless you have taskbar on autohide. [/QUOTE] Yes, the small reminder icon does show up on the taskbar, but many times I have a lot of icons on the task bar, and the reminder icon is not enough to get my attention while I’m working in the main window. I don’t want to miss any more meetings. I realize I’m asking for some deep dive stuff - somehow jiggering the way Windows (Windows XP Professional) prioritizes windows, but that’s why I came to SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/10 "2007-03-22T13:41:37Z")
Sorry, no idea then. I don’t completely understand how the flashing on the taskbar fails to get your attention, but thats ok. If you do have a lot of windows open on the taskbar, and the tend to be similar windows (such as a lot of IE windows open) causing the taskbar to shorten the size of the windows you could try to “group similar taskbar icons”, or if it does tend to be internet browser windows go to Firefox or upgrade to IE7 to take advantage of tabbing. Beyond that (and my quick google search), I am out of ideas. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-outlook-how-can-i-get-calendar-reminders-on-top/396771/11 "2007-03-22T16:43:56Z")
There doesn’t appear to be a way to do it. MS changed the behavior in 2003 because of complaints of the pop-up stealing focus while people were typing. Why they didn’t make it optional I don’t understand. Probably out of spite.