Microsoft Outlook - Achieving Maximum Efficiency - Part I of III

If you are a Microsoft Outlook user you definitely want to learn about increasing your speed and efficiency.  After all, the whole purpose of this software program is to help you organize yourself, your tasks, your resources, meetings etc., as efficiently as possible.  But what can you do to make this wonderful program work even more efficiently for you?  The answer to that question is as simple as choosing to work offline from time to time.

Why Would I Want To Work Offline?

If you are connecting to a Microsoft Exchange Server through a dial-up connection using Microsoft Outlook the response time can be very slow, thus decreasing speed.  Additionally, if your Exchange Server should ever go down, you would be unable to access your data if you didn't have the ability to work offline.

In the event that you need to send many several e-mail messages on a regular basis, you can draft the messages while working offline, and then connect and send them all at once.  This will reduce your dial-up periods greatly.

Working Offline enables you to work with files and folders while not connected to the server and then automatically or manually synchronizes any changes you have made on reconnection.  The Exchange Store contained in the Offline Folders File, also contains a copy of your data so that when you connect you can synchronize the data between the Offline Folders File and the Exchange Store.

How Do I Start Working Offline?

While its true that not all of the steps and procedures I am going to show you here are completely necessary to work offline - combining all of these will definitely optimize your offline usage.  The very first thing you should do is to create an Offline Profile.

Creating An Offline Profile

In order to create an offline profile for Microsoft Outlook you need to follow these steps:

1.    Go to your Control Panel and double click the Mail icon

2.    In the Properties dialogue box click the Show Profiles button

3.    The Mail dialogue box should now appear on your screen

4.    Click the Add button to add your offline profile

5.    The Inbox Setup Wizard should now appear on your screen

6.    Check the Microsoft Exchange Server checkbox and then click Next

7.    In the next screen you will be asked for a Profile Name.  Enter one and click the Next button

8.    In the next window enter the name of your Exchange Server and your User Name

9.    The next page of the Wizard asks you if you travel with your computer.  Choose Yes no matter what.  This is a very important step in setting up an Offline Profile - always select YES.

10.    Click Next and then Finish.

Creating An Offline Folders File

Now that you have created a new Offline Profile and clicked Finish the Mail dialogue box should be back on your screen along with your new profile.  In order to create an Offline Folders File you need to follow these steps:

1.    Highlight your profile that you just created

2.    Click Properties to open the Offline Properties dialogue box

3.  Highlight Microsoft Exchange Server and click Properties to open the Microsoft Exchange Server dialogue box

4.    Click the Advanced Tab

5.     Click the Offline Folder File Settings button

6.    Enter a name for your Offline Folder File **Note:  It is very important that you do not change the .ost file extension**

7.    Click OK 

8.    Make sure the Enable Offline Use checkbox is checked.

9.  Click OK twice and you should be back in Microsoft Outlook

Checking To Make Sure Your Offline Settings Are Optimized

In order to be sure your offline settings are optimized, you need to follow these steps:

1.    Open Microsoft Outlook

2.    Select the Tools menu and choose Options

3.    The Options dialogue box should now appear on your screen

4.    Make Sure the Enable Offline Access box is checked.  

5.    Click OK twice to return to Microsoft Outlook

6.    Select the Tools Menu and choose Services

7.    The Services dialogue box should now appear on your screen

8.    Select the Services tab

9.    Highlight Microsoft Exchange Server and click the Properties button

10.  Select the General tab

11.    You are now given choices for connection.  The following table explains the choices in more detail.

Connect Choices Table

12.    Re-start Microsoft Outlook.

** Stay tuned next week for the next article in this series.  Next week we will have more tips and tricks to optimize your offline experience with Microsoft Outlook**

By:  Tracey J. Rosenblath