Tips to Speeding up Outlook

Is your Outlook configured as a Startup Application on your System? How long does it take to load it contents thereby slowing your work down.

Here are settings you can configure on your outlook, to speed up the boot time.

1: Repair with Scanpst

Scanpst is a effective tool that scans through your data file and look for data inconsistencies and errors. Scanpst comes mostly with the outlook during installation, locating it may be difficult, but searching through your C drive with the filename Scanpst.exe will make it easy. Before you run it ensure you backup your PST files because the tool can cause PST files to become unusable.

2: Download complete items

When you connect Outlook with either IMAP or POP3 (Messaging protocols), you should set your Outlook to download the complete message (instead of just the header). Doing this will prevent Outlook having to sync with the server every time you click on a new item (as it will already be in the data file.) On outlook 2007, you can do this from Tools - Send/Receive Settings - Define Send/Receive Group - Then click edit from the dialogue box that appears.

3: Reduce your published and shared calendars

The more you share, the more you drag the Outlook. The more data Outlook has to share and pull down from the Internet, the slower it will performs. Just know that the more data you have to push and pull, the slower your connection will be.

4: Archive your Inbox

Lots of people wait for their entire outlook to boot for mails 2 years ago to the current date, which can be time consuming and causing serious issues, especially when using PST files. Instead of just letting your Inbox grow out of proportions, set up an auto archiving so that your Inbox retains only a part of those mails. Better still leave only at most two month mail and archive the rest. Once you archive, you create a new data file, reducing the strain given to Outlook against the weight of an oversize PST or OST file.

5: Reduce add-ins or plugins

We install alot of programs, but what we do not know is that they end up installing other stuffs for other applications usage i.e Adobe or Foxit reader Plugins for Outlook. This can cause Outlook to slowdown. To find out what add-ins you have installed in Outlook 2007, go to tools - then Trust Center, on resulting window click on addins at the right side to list all add-ins available to Outlook. To disable , double click on the active plugins then click go below. From what comes up you can then decide which to disable by unchecking it.

6: Use Cached Exchange Mode

If you use Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook, you effectively take the data file from the server (PST) and cache it on your local machine (OST). This can go a long way toward speeding up your Outlook experience because Outlook doesn’t have to read its data file across a network. Instead, all it has to do is read the locally stored data file. This option only available when connecting Outlook with an Exchange server.

7. Regular Update of Windows

Make sure you allow Windows update even though updates for Microsoft Office are also hidden. Allowing the updates to happen can resolve issue with a patch to Outlook in resolving speed issue or security holes.

8: Compressing your PST file

Doing this will keep the size of that file under control.. One of the issues is that even when you delete email from your Inbox, the size of the PST file may remain the same. If you’re using Outlook 2007, goto Tools - Account Settings - Click on Data Folders - Then Settings, a dialogue box opens then click on compact now. The size of your data file, depends on how long the process can take .

9: Disable RSS

By default, Outlook will sync RSS feeds from Internet Explorer to the RSS reader in Outlook. If you have a lot of RSS feeds bookmarked in IE, that syncing could easily bring Outlook to slowdown. Disable this feature.On outlook 2007, goto Tools - Option - Other - Advance Option, look for Sync RSS feed on the list, then uncheck it.


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