Outlook Archives - Page 2 of 3

Microsoft Outlook Email Clean Up Tips

Clean Up Outlook Email Deleted Items

Housecleaning isn’t always fun, but most people feel much better after it is done. An often overlooked Microsoft Outlook email clean up task for Microsoft Outlook is emptying the Deleted Items folder. Most people probably don’t need to hang onto messages or junk mail that they deleted back in 2004 for instance. To clean up the Outlook Deleted Items folder: click on “Tools” on the Menu Bar at the top of the screen, a list of options will appear, select “Empty Deleted Items Folder” from the list, a Dialog Box will pop up asking you to confirm the action, click Yes.

An even easier way to clean out Outlook deleted items is to find the Deleted Items folder in the list of mail folders, right-click on the Deleted Items folder and then select Empty “Deleted Items” Folder. The exact wording and menus may differ slightly depending on the version of Outlook you are using (Outlook 2000, XP/2002, 2003 or 2007).

Outlook Email Sent Items Clean Up

Another good housekeeping tip with Microsoft Outlook is to clean up unnecessary email from the Sent Items folder. Normally, Outlook is configured to save a copy of every email you send in the Sent Items folder. These saved messages also include copies of any attachments that were sent with the original message. Cleaning this folder up a few times a year can potentially remove a lot of unneeded data, especially if you have a lot of large attachments saved with your messages. A good method is to sort the folder by “Date” and then start at the oldest item and work your way forward. You can also sort the folder by “From” and by “Size” to help in the cleanup process.

With Microsoft Outlook (and a number of other email programs) there are some limitations with how much data can be handled effectively. Too much data can result in slower performance, longer search times to find messages, or even program instability. Plus larger email data files take longer to back up. Many of these same email clean up tips will apply to email programs other than Microsoft Outlook such as Outlook Express, Windows Mail (Vista) and even web-based email such as Yahoo mail, AOL mail, MSN mail, Hotmail and Google mail.

Backing Up MS Outlook Data

By MikeM

Question: I want to make a backup of my Outlook data. Where is it stored on my computer?

Answer: Backing up your Outlook data is complicated by the fact that Microsoft does not make it easy to find the data. By default Outlook stores its data in a single file named “outlook.pst”. However the location of that file can vary substantially based on the version of Outlook, the version of Windows you are using, and your computer Username. To help users backup their valuable Outlook data Microsoft provides a free utility program that can be easily downloaded from the Microsoft web site.

Free Microsoft Backup Utility

The free utility, named “Personal Folder Backup,” allows you to create a complete backup of your Outlook.pst file and to place it in the folder of your choice, with the file name you want. An easy way to download this utility is to go to the Microsoft web site (web site here) and in the Search Box in the upper right hand side type “outlook backup” This will take you to the main page for downloading the utility and for learning more about how it functions.

Using the Backup Utility

After installing the backup utility you can launch it from within Outlook. With Outlook running click on the “File” option on the Menu Bar at the top of the screen. You will now see an item labeled “Backup” about two-thirds of the way down the list. Click on “Backup”. This will launch the utility in a small box near the center of the screen. Click on the “Options” button and set the Reminder Interval (number of days) and the File Location.

The default location where the backup is stored is a rather deeply buried folder where Microsoft also stores the main Outlook data file. You should change this location to an easier to find folder such as your “My Documents” folder or create a new folder named something like “Outlook Backup” within the “My Documents” folder. Then when you want to back up your Outlook data to CD, DVD or external hard disk drive you know exactly where to find it.

Using Microsoft Outlook to Access Comcast Account Email

By MikeM

Questions: I have a Comcast email account that I access through my web browser (Internet Explorer) but I would like to access my Comcast email through Microsoft Outlook. Can I do this?

Answer: Yes. You can configure Outlook to communicate with Comcast’s email servers. This will allow you to download your email into Outlook and then read, respond and send email through your Comcast account. Within Outlook your account should be configured as a POP3 account and the incoming mail server should be set as: mail.comcast.net. The outgoing mail server should be set as: smtp.comcast.net. A note of caution: Comcast has been know to modify thier email setting occasionally so you should check the Comcast.net site for specific, up-to-the-minute email settings information.

Spam Filter for Microsoft Outlook

By MikeM

Question: What is a good spam filtering program to use with Microsoft Outlook?

Answer: There are a number of good third-party spam blocking programs on the market. However, if you are using Microsoft Outlook to read and send email you are in luck as both Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 include solid spam filtering functionality that is built right into the program.

Outlook 2003 & 2007 – Spam Filter Included

In both Outlook 2003 and 2007 a “Junk Email” folder is automatically created and spam or junk email is automatically moved to this folder. In Outlook 2003 you can access the Junk Mail settings from the Menu Bar at the top of the screen. From the Menu Bar click on Tools then Options then on the Preferences Tab click on the Junk Email button. You can then configure your junk mail settings to best fit your needs.

If a piece of junk mail does make it past the filter and into your Inbox you can flag it (and the sender) as Junk by going to the Menu Bar and clicking Actions then Junk Email and then selecting Add Sender to Blocked Sender List. In the future any email from the particular sender will go directly to the Junk Email folder.

In Outlook 2007 you can access the Junk Mail settings from the Menu Bar by clicking on Actions then placing your cursor over the Junk Email item and selection from the menu that appears.

MS Outlook HouseKeeping – Getting Rid of Deleted Items

By MikeM

Question: How Do I Get Rid of Deleted Items

I’ve used Outlook on my home computer for years and have lots of messages because I don’t delete much. A friend recently told that this can cause problems with how Outlook functions. Should I delete my old messages?

Answer: Your friend is correct. There are some limitations with how much data Outlook can handle effectively. Too much data can result in slower performance, longer search times to find messages, or even program instability. For individual accounts (not connected to an Outlook Exchange email server) Outlook stores all of its data in a single data file by default (normally named Outlook.pst). This file stores all messages, message attachments, contacts, calendar items, and other Outlook data.

Maximum Amount of Data

Versions of Outlook prior to 2003 have a maximum PST file size of 2GB. Outlook 2003 & 2007 are configured to increase this maximum size to a mcuh larger size. When the Outlook data file gets close to its maximum size Outlook can become unstable and data may become corrupted.

An often overlooked housecleaning task within Outlook is emptying the Deleted Items folder. Most people probably don’t need to hang onto messages that they deleted back in 2003 for instance. To empty the Deleted Items folder: Click on “Tools” on the Menu Bar at the top of the screen, a list of options will appear, select “Empty Deleted Items Folder” from the list, a Dialog Box will pop up asking you to confirm the action, Click Yes.

Cleaning Up the Sent Items Folder

Another good housekeeping task is to clean out unnecessary data from the Sent Items folder. Generally Outlook is configured to save a copy of every email you send in the Sent Items folders. These saved messages also include copies of any attachments that were sent with the original message. Cleaning this folder up a couple times a year can potentially remove a lot of unneeded data, especially if you have a lot of large attachments saved with your messages.