If you're just getting started with Microsoft
Outlook, this page is
for you. We've gathered tips and links to some of the questions that
newcomers ask most often. If you don't find your question here, try
using the Search box to the left or visit one of the
great discussion forums for Outlook.
... synchronize Outlook data between my desktop and laptop?
There's nothing built into Outlook to handle this (other than
copying .pst files back and forth), but there
are web-based sync tools and other utilities that might help. One
advantage of a web-based tool is that you also get your Outlook data available in any browser.
See Synchronizing Microsoft Outlook on two
machines.
... back up my contacts and other data?
Outlook data is either in a Personal Folder .pst file or an
Exchange Server mailbox. The system administrator is responsible for
backing up the data in an Exchange mailbox. You could also use
File | Import and Export to make a copy of your Contacts folder
as a .pst file for a backup.
If you have data in a Personal Folders .pst file, then you'll
want to shut down Outlook and back up that file periodically. See
Outlook & Exchange/Windows Messaging
Backup and Dual-Boot for information on how to find the file on
your system and what other files you'll want to back up (e.g. those
containing various Outlook configuration settings).
... recover data from a damaged Personal Folders .pst file?
... send one message to lots of people but hide their names?
After you open the message, choose View | Bcc Field,
then put the names/addresses in the Bcc box. (Bcc stands for blind
carbon copy.) Put your own address in the To box, since many mail
programs will throw away a message without a valid To address as
junk mail.
If you want to compose one message, but have it delivered to
each person individually with their address in the To box, see
Mass Mail Tools.
... use my Hotmail account in Outlook?
If you use Outlook 2003 or 2007, you'll need to install the
Outlook Connector.
... automatically reply to messages when I'm on vacation?
If Microsoft Exchange is your mail server, you use Out of
Office Assistant, and the server sends the reply. Otherwise, you
use Rules Wizard and leave Outlook running while you're gone, so
that it can send the reply. See To
make automatic reply rules in Microsoft Outlook.
Collaboration
How do I ...
... share my contacts and calendar with
other people?
For complete sharing, you need Microsoft Exchange Server.
Without Exchange Server, you can share free/busy calendar
information over the Internet in Outlook 98 or later versions or
transfer data with the Net Folders feature in Outlook 98 and
Outlook 2000. (Net Folders is not available in Outlook 97 or
Outlook 2002). Other methods include web-based tools and
third-party servers. See Sharing Microsoft
Outlook Calendar and Contacts.
Other
Can Outlook ...
... read Internet newsgroups?
No. Outlook cannot connect to Internet newsgroup (Usenet)
servers. The View | Go To | News command in Outlook
launches Outlook Express, which is a
separate program, sharing only the name and a handful of
Internet-related components. (If you work in an Exchange Server
environment, it is possible that the administrator has set up some
public folders to hold Internet newsgroups.)
Why can't Outlook ...
... operate exactly like ACT!, Organizer, Maximizer or some
other PIM I've used?
Software programs are never one-to-one identical in features.
Even individuals with the same PIM will use it in many different ways. In most
cases, there is a way to get Outlook to do what you want it to do.
If you don't find a clue searching this site,
post a message in one of the
discussion forums for Outlook,
and be very specific about what version of Outlook you are using
and what you want to accomplish. Just asking "how do I make
Outlook work like ACT!" won't get you any good answers.
Also, there are many full-blown contact management programs
based on Outlook, usually in conjunction with Exchange Server. See
Contact Management
Tools.
... do whatever it is I think that Outlook should be able to
do?
Any software program has limitations. At some point, the
developers have to say "enough!" so they can actually ship it out
the door. With years of experience using Outlook, we've found the
workarounds for the most common scenarios and invite you to
search our site. If you don't find what
you're looking for, post a message in one of the
discussion forums for Outlook,
and be very specific about what version of Outlook you are using
and what you want to accomplish. If you still can't find a
solution, you can
send a suggestion to Microsoft for what you want to see in the
next version.
Microsoft
Outlook - How-To Articles -- for Outlook 98 and 2000, but also
largely apply to other versions. Unfortunately, the individual
how-to answers are not always 100% complete and accurate.