Top 10 Outlook Tips

127tech has been using Google Business Apps for three years now; we recognize that there are quite a few Outlook users out there.  Here are our Top 10 Outlook Tips: 

1.       Add a new 'Contact' from an e-mail message - Open the message and right-click the name of the person that you want to add to your contacts.  On the pop-up menu, click Add to Outlook Contacts.   

2.      Reduce Your Data File Size - Archive - Outlook data files slow down considerably and eventually crash if they get too big. If you have a lot of large attachments, you need to occasionally purge your data file.  In the menu, choose File>Archive.  Make sure you are choosing an archive date that you are comfortable with and click OK.  

3.      Reduce Your Data File Size - Compact Your Data - After you have archived, you need to reclaim this space.  Do the following: 

·         On the File menu, click Data File Management.

·         Click to select your Personal Folder, and then click Settings. 

·         On the General tab, click Compact Now.  

·         Click OK, and then click Close.

4.      Color Code E-mail addressed to you – If you receive a lot of e-mail, wouldn’t it be nice to filter your mail that is addressed only to you?  That e-mail is likely to be more important than if you are one of fifty people in a cc list.   From the Tools menu choose Organize, and then in the "Using Colors" section hit the "Turn on" button next to "Show messages sent only to me in ."

5.      Start Outlook in a folder other than Inbox - On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab.  In the Advanced Options dialog box, set the startup folder that you want.

6.      Try the quick way to print an item - Right-click the item, and then click Print on the shortcut menu. 

7.      Outlook doesn’t have a great default font setting when you first set it up – Change it! 

·         Select Tools>Options from the menu. 

·         Go to the Mail Format tab.

·         Click Fonts under Stationary and Fonts. 

·          Use the Font buttons under New mail messages, Replying or forwarding messages and Composing and reading plain text messages to choose the desired font faces, sizes and styles.

·         Outlook 2003, use Choose Font for When composing a new message:, When replying and forwarding: and When composing and reading plain text. 

8.      Sync Outlook to Google Calendar – Do you use Outlook at work but Gmail at home?  Use Google Calendar Sync to make your two calendars match up.  Works with Outlook Exchange environments, too!  Google Calendar Sync

9.      Turn off Desktop Alert – Do you need some additional privacy?  A Desktop Alert is a notification that appears on your desktop when you receive a new e-mail message, meeting request, or task request and are ripe for prying eyes! 

·         On the Tools menu, click Options.

·         On the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options, and then click Advanced E-mail Options.

·         Under When new items arrive in my Inbox, clear the Display a New Mail Desktop Alert (default Inbox only) check box.

10.  Are you an advanced Outlook user?  Try Xobni!  Find People, Email & Attachments Instantly.  Xobni