Taskline FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

-	The form required to view this message cannot be displayed. Contact your administrator.
-	The custom form could not be opened. Outlook will use the outlook form instead. The form required to view this message cannot be displayed.

I am getting strange errors with Taskline or Taskline Setup, for example:
- The operation failed, Call was rejected by callee or SINGLE_STEP errors.
- Taskline is unable to communicate with Microsoft Outlook error message.
- Taskline Setup just disappears part way through running it.

Ordering

Is ordering safe and secure?

Absolutely. All sensitive information is transmitted over a secure connection. For added security, ResultsWare Limited does not retain any credit card details. Names and email addresses will not be passed on to any other organization.

What if I lose my Product Key?

No problem. Just click here to visit our Resend Product Key web page and have your registration information automatically resent.

What if I lose my copy of Taskline?

Just download another copy from our web site. All versions will always be available for download.

Will I be sent a boxed product?

No. Taskline is downloaded from our web site. We have a policy of continuous product improvement and easy access to downloadable product updates makes this possible. It also keeps the software price down by removing packaging and shipping costs.

I have a desktop computer and a laptop. Do I need to buy 2 licenses if I want to install Taskline on both computers?

You only need buy one license, provided that said Taskline license is used exclusively by you.

Do you give discounts for educational use?

Yes. Discounts are available for students and teachers of legitimate educational institutions. Please click here for further information.

About Taskline

How do I display the online help?

To display the help, click the Help button at the bottom right corner of Taskline's dialog box.

Is a PDF version of the help file available?

Full online help is included with Taskline. However, if you prefer the user guide in a PDF format, you can download it here:

	Letter sized paper
	A4 sized paper

I've lost my product key. How can I get it resent?

Please click here to visit our Resend Product Key web page and have your registration information automatically resent.

Where can I download the current or a previous version of Taskline?

Please click here to access our download page.

If I install Taskline, will anything else get installed as well?

Absolutely not. Our Setup program installs Taskline and nothing else. There is absolutely no adware, spyware, or anything else of that nature.

Is Taskline suitable for planning the work of a team?

Taskline is designed to help one person plan and manage their own work. It is not suited to one person planning the work of several others. In a team environment, each person would plan their own work using Taskline, perhaps keeping tasks in a central or shared location, such as on Microsoft Exchange Server.

What is your upgrade policy?

We are committed to continuously improving Taskline and intend to produce regular upgrades. Upgrades are priced at around 40% of the purchase price. Upgrades are free if you have purchased Taskline within three months of an upgrade release.

We also produce regular minor updates to fix any bugs and keep the current version up to date. These updates are always free.

How can I report a bug?

We are very keen to fix any problems you may find with our software. If you find a bug, we ask that you tell us about it, so that we may fix it. To report a bug, please click on the Help and Support button on the Help / About tab of Taskline's main dialog. Then choose the Report a Bug option and click OK.

Requirements and Compatibility

What are the system requirements for Taskline?

Please click here for detailed system requirements.

What version of Outlook does Taskline require?

Taskline Version 3 works with Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2007. Taskline Version 2.1 works with Outlook 97 and 98 too. However, there are some minor functionality and interface limitations with Outlook 97.

Does Taskline work with Microsoft Exchange Server?

Yes, Taskline works well when Outlook is connected to Microsoft Exchange Server. The only issue that sometimes arises is that some System Admins restrict access to features required by Taskline, for example the ability to publish a custom task form.

Please note that Taskline has not been tested with non-Microsoft Exchange Server replacements, such as HP Open Mail or SUSE OpenExchange Server. We recommend that you do not install Taskline if you are using a non-Microsoft exchange server.

Will Taskline work with Outlook® Express?

No. Taskline requires Outlook. Outlook Express does not support tasks.

Will Taskline work with my Palm?

Taskline only runs on Outlook on the PC. You copy tasks back and forth between Outlook and your Palm using HotSync. However, when tasks are copied from Outlook to your Palm, information not supported by the Palm is not copied across. For example, Total Work (which is how long you think the task will take) isn't copied across to the Palm, and thus you can only see and change this field using Outlook. In summary, the standard Palm To Do fields sync fine, but the custom Taskline fields are ignored. However, most of the important information, such as Task Start and Due dates, being standard To Do fields, will synchronize correctly.

Will Taskline work with my PocketPC?

Taskline only runs on Outlook on the PC. You copy tasks back and forth between Outlook and your PocketPC using ActiveSync. However, when tasks are copied from Outlook to your PocketPC, information not supported by Pocket Outlook is not copied across. For example, Priority (A1) (which is a Taskline field that can be used to set the order of tasks) isn't copied across to the PocketPC, and thus you can only see and change this field using Outlook. In summary, the standard Pocket Outlook fields sync fine, but the custom Taskline fields are ignored. However, the most important information, such as Task Start and Due dates, and task Total Work, being standard fields, do indeed sync correctly.

Is Taskline compatible with ClearContext®?

Taskline is compatible with ClearContext® version 4.6.4. You will need to configure ClearContext to use Taskline's custom task form. In Outlook, click ClearContext menu -> Options -> Preferences button -> Tasks/Appt tab. Then enter IPM.Task.Taskline in the Tasks box.

Is Taskline compatible with Franklin Covey® PlanPlus?

Taskline is compatible with PlanPlus Versions 1 thru 6, although the PDA sync software that comes with PlanPlus will not synchronize Taskline tasks. Please lookup "PlanPlus" in the online help for more information.

Is Taskline compatible with Live Search Maps for Outlook?

On Outlook 2007, Taskline is compatible with Live Search Maps for Outlook. However, you can’t use mapping on the task entries that Taskline creates in Outlook’s calendar. On all other appointments, mapping works fine.
On Outlook 2003 and earlier, Taskline works with Live Search Maps for Outlook, but task entries in the calendar cannot be created. You will need to work from the task list instead.

These compatibility issues are caused by Live Search Maps for Outlook using its own appointment form.

Is there a version of Taskline for the Mac?

No, sorry. Taskline requires Microsoft Windows.

Taskline and the Getting Things Done Outlook Add-In

Is Taskline compatible with Netcentrics' Getting Things Done Outlook Addin?

Yes, Taskline is compatible with all GTD versions up to and including 2.7. Click here to find out more about how these two great tools can work together to manage your workload and save you time.

When I create a task using the Getting Things Done Outlook Addin, I get a standard Outlook task. How can I get GTD to create a Taskline task?

If you are using GTD versions 2.5 or later:

In Outlook, click on the GTD drop down toolbar button and select the Options menu item.
On the General tab of the Options Page dialog, click the Other Settings button.
Select the Use Custom Form in Tasks folder check box and OK the dialogs.

If you are using GTD version 2 or earlier:

In Outlook, click on the Tools → Options menu item.
Click the Getting Things Done tab, and then click Other Settings button.
Select the Use Custom Form in Tasks folder check box and OK the dialogs.

Do you have any recommendations on how Taskline and GTD can work together?

Yes. Please click here for details.

Task Scheduling

Nothing changes when I run Taskline. Why?

Check that you are scheduling the folder that contains your tasks. Be especially careful if you have several folders with the same name. The tasks folder that Taskline will schedule is shown on the Schedule the tasks in... setting, which is on the Tasks tab of Taskline's main dialog.

If you are using more than one Outlook Data Store (e.g. PST file), check that you haven't selected task and/or calendar folders in the wrong data store.

Why are there gaps of unused time in my schedule?

Do you have any All day events in your calendar? Taskline will not schedule work on days that have All day events on them, unless they have Show time as set to Free.
Do you have a filtered calendar view? Are you sure that you can see all of your appointments? Taskline won't schedule tasks where there are appointments already occupying that time.
Check your Task can be split and Minimum split settings. Perhaps the gaps in your schedule are too small to be utilized? For example, a 3 hour task that cannot be split will not be able to use any part of a free 2 hours time slot. The Default minimum task split setting, on the Options tab of Taskline's dialog, also plays a role here. You can check whether the task split settings are resulting in unexpected gaps by telling Taskline to temporarily ignore these settings. To do this, click the Advanced Options button on the Options tab of Taskline's dialog. Then select the Ignore task split settings and allow tasks to be split without restriction check box.
Gaps can also be caused by travel time on appointments. Check the Default time allowances before and after an appointment settings, which are on the Calendar tab of Taskline's dialog. Also check, for Taskline Professional Edition, whether any individual appointments have overridden these settings using the "{30m/1h}" style on the appointment subject.
Check task constraints. Start on, Start on or after and Finish on constraints can stop tasks being scheduled earlier than would otherwise be possible and hence can force gaps into schedules. You can check whether task constraints are resulting in unexpected gaps by telling Taskline to temporarily ignore them. To do this, click the Advanced Options button on the Options tab of Taskline's dialog. Then select the Ignore task constraints check box.

Why are some tasks not scheduled in the order I specified?

Tasks do sometimes get scheduled out of order. There are several reasons for this:

Task constraints, such as a Finish On constraint, override task order, but only if this is necessary to make sure that the constraint is met.
A task with a missed constraint, or a recurring task that has missed its recurrence date, is regarded by Taskline as overdue. Overdue tasks take priority over all others.
Different tasks assigned different Working Hours can get scheduled out of order.
If you have turned off Task can be split or if you have set Minimum split on a task, then it's possible that a higher priority task isn't able to use the first available free time slot, because it's too small. Thus the task will get scheduled in a later time slot, leaving the earlier one free for another (perhaps lower priority) task.

I have set a Due date on a task, but Taskline is ignoring this. Why?

Taskline doesn't actually take a task's Due date into account when scheduling, mainly because many people prefer Taskline to actually set the Due date when it runs. However, you can certainly specify a date that the task must finish on or by, for example to meet a deadline. You do this by setting up an external constraint, which is simply a matter of selecting the Finish on or Before constraint type from the Task should drop down list on the Taskline task form in Outlook.

How do I define task order?

To define task order, you should not use constraints, such as a Finish on or before constraint. Rather, on the Tasks tab of Taskline's dialog, there is the section entitled Schedule tasks in the following order . That is how to define task order. Whatever method you choose, you then set the corresponding information on the task appropriately. Most people use Priority (A1) or Natural Order. It is then just a matter of setting the appropriate Priority (A1) value on a task, or dragging tasks up and down the task list to set their Natural Order. Things like Finish on or before constraints only come into play if you have a deadline to meet. And, even if you have a deadline, you only need to select other tasks if the deadline applies to several tasks, not just one.

For further information on task ordering, please read the appropriate page in the online help. To display the help, click the Help button at the bottom right corner of Taskline's dialog. Then, on the Contents tab of the help, navigate to:

Introduction to Outlook Tasks and Taskline
→ Defining the Order in Which Tasks are Scheduled

How can I override Taskline’s normal scheduling and schedule a task for exactly when I want to do it?

You can place a constraint on a task to have it scheduled to a specific date and time. On the Taskline tab of the task form in Outlook, External constraint section, set Task should to Start on or Finish on. Then enter a date to the right. If you want to lock down the task to the exact minute, enter a time too. You can also use constraints for deadlines – a Finish on or before is generally ideal for this.

I don’t understand why Taskline schedules some tasks the way it does.

If the task reschedule is producing results that you don’t understand, try selecting one or more of the Understanding Taskline options, which are on the Advanced Options dialog.

Can I have my tasks automatically scheduled on a regular basis?

Yes, you can set up the Windows® task scheduler to do this for you. See "Background Task Scheduling" in the online help index for more information.

Calendar Issues

I want to see my tasks in Outlook's calendar, but when I run Taskline, nothing appears. Why?

On the Calendar tab of Taskline's main dialog, Task entries in the calendar section, check that you have selected the Create for tasks that are Not Started or In Progress option.
Check that the folder chosen to contain calendar task entries is the one you think it is. This is the Write task entries to option on the Calendar tab of Taskline's main dialog. Be especially careful if you have several calendar folders with the same name.
If you are using more than one Outlook Data Store (e.g. PST file), check that task entries aren't being written to a calendar folder in the wrong data store.
Calendar task entries are not created for tasks with a Total Work of zero unless you have the Create all day events for milestones option enabled on the Calendar tab of the Taskline dialog. Total Work is your best guess at how long you think each task will take. If it is set to 0, the task is called a milestone, and it will start and end at the same time. Milestones represent significant events, or goals, in your task list.
It is possible that the task has been created in the calendar, but at a date you did not expect. To check, open the task in Outlook. Go to the Taskline tab of the task form in Outlook and note the Scheduled Start date. Now check the calendar at this date to see if the Taskline created calendar task entry exists.

The Week and the Month calendar views in Outlook show the appointment times twice. How can I stop this?

The problem is that both Outlook and Taskline are showing the appointment time. To stop Taskline displaying appointment times, start up Taskline and go to the Calendar tab of the Taskline dialog. Click the Define Subject button to show the Calendar Task Entry Subject dialog. Locate the text box entitled Subject for outstanding entry and delete the text "<AlignStartEndTime>". Repeat for the other three boxes and OK the dialog.

<AlignStartEndTime> and other tokens are described in the online help. Please consult the Showing Your Tasks in Outlook's Calendar chapter, Defining the Subject of Task Entries section, if you would like further information.

Taskline seems to ignore some appointments in my calendar. This results in tasks being scheduled at times that clash with these appointments. Why does this happen?

Taskline ignores any appointment that has Show time as set to Free. By default Outlook sets up all day event appointments as free time. To change this, double click on the appointment in Outlook to open the appointment form. Then change the Show time as drop down list to be Tentative, Busy or Out of Office.

You can also instruct Taskline to ignore appointments with Show time as set to Out of Office. This setting is on Taskline's Advanced Options dialog.

Using Outlook with Taskline

I want to schedule my tasks in Natural Order, but in Outlook, when I try to drag tasks up or down the task list to change the order, nothing happens. Why?

To display tasks in their natural order in Outlook, select the View → Current View → Customize Current View menu option and turn off all sorting and grouping. For Outlook 2003, click the View → Arrange By → Current View → Customize Current View menu option. For Outlook 97, use the View → Sort, View → Filter and View → Group By menu options.

Having your tasks displayed in natural order and scheduled in descending natural order is often the most convenient way of working, because the order you see your tasks in is the order that Taskline will schedule them in. It's also easy to change this order by dragging the tasks up and down the task list.

When I copy a task, the Taskline custom fields are cleared. Why is this?

This is caused by a known Outlook problem. For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles 285142, 285143 or 292023—Custom Field Values Lost After You Copy a Task http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;292023

What if I want to track my tasks in a separate spreadsheet or other software?

Outlook allows you to export the tasks in your Task folder to an Excel spreadsheet, comma separated values files, dBase file, or Microsoft Access file, and other formats. In Outlook, select your Tasks folder and click File → Import and Export to start the Import and Export Wizard. For more information, see the online Help in Outlook. To export the Taskline custom fields, see the FAQ entry below.

I want to export Taskline task information to another program. However, Outlook does not let me access the Taskline custom fields.

Outlook does not support the export of custom fields. However, you can get round this to a large extent by creating a task table view showing the fields you wish to export, selecting the tasks you wish to export, and then clicking Edit → Copy. The task table view is then copied to the clipboard as tab separated text which can, for example, be pasted straight into Excel.

See Getting the Most out of Outlook Views in Taskline's Online Help contents for instructions on customizing the Outlook task table view.

Miscellaneous Issues

Nothing happens when you click the Taskline button on Outlook's toolbar, or you get the message "Taskline's Outlook Add-In is not responding" when you start Taskline.

If you are using Outlook 2007:

Outlook, click Tools menu → Trust Center.
Click Add-ins in the left hand list on the Trust Centre dialog.
On the Manage drop down list near the bottom of the dialog, select Disabled Items then click Go.
Select the Taskline Add-In and click Enable.
Click Close.
OK the Trust Center dialog.

If you are using Outlook 2003 or earlier:

On the Help menu, click About Microsoft Office Outlook.
Click Disabled Items.
Select the Taskline add-in and click Enable.

When I create a task using Outlook VBA I always get a standard Outlook task. How can I create a Taskline task?

Use:

Set Task = TasksFolder.Items.Add("IPM.Task.Taskline")

For more information on using VBA with Taskline tasks, please lookup "VBA Code and Taskline" in Taskline's online help index.

When you try to open a task in Outlook, you get one of these messages:
- The form required to view this message cannot be displayed. Contact your administrator.
- The custom form could not be opened. Outlook will use the outlook form instead. The form required to view this message cannot be displayed.

This is usually caused by a problem with Outlook's forms cache. Try clearing the cache as follows. In Outlook, click Tools menu → Options → Other tab → Advanced Options button → Custom Forms button → Manage Forms button. You should now be at the Forms Manager dialog. Click the Clear Cache button. Close or OK all the open dialogs. Note that some versions of Outlook 2000 do not have the Custom Forms button.

I am getting strange errors with Taskline or Taskline Setup, for example:
- The operation failed, Call was rejected by callee or SINGLE_STEP errors.
- Taskline is unable to communicate with Microsoft Outlook error message.
- Taskline Setup just disappears part way through running it.

The most likely cause of these errors is a conflict with another Outlook add-in. Try temporarily disabling other add-ins before installing Taskline:

For Outlook 2007, click Tools menu → Trust Center. On the Trust Center dialog, click Add-ins to list the installed Add-ins. Select COM Add-ins from the Manage drop down list at the bottom of the dialog and click the Go button. You will then be presented with the COM Add-ins dialog. Write down which items are checked and which are unchecked, then uncheck all non-Microsoft Add-ins and click OK. This will temporarily disable them. Then go back into the Trust Center and again display the list of Add-ins. This time select Exchange Client Extensions from the Manage drop down list and click Go. On the Add-In Manager dialog, again note down which items are checked, then uncheck all non-Microsoft items and click OK.
For all other versions of Outlook, click Tools menu → Options → Other tab → Advanced Options button. You should now see the Advanced Options dialog. Click the Add-In Manager button to show the Add-In Manager dialog. Write down which items are checked and which are unchecked, then uncheck all non-Microsoft items. This will temporarily disable them. Click OK. Now do the same for the COM Add-Ins button. Finally OK all the dialogs.

Now shut down Outlook and retry Taskline Setup. Then go back into the Add-In Manager and COM Add-Ins dialogs and puts things back how you found them. Return to top of page

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