13 Tips to Speed Up Microsoft Outlook 2007

While Outlook 2007 offers many new features that do indeed offer real benefits it can come at a price - performance.

On my Core 2 Duo with 2GB of RAM Outlook 2007 originally took a good 20 seconds to fire up from a fully booted PC and appeared to be constantly sluggish. So what can be done about it?

Tip 1: Delete attachments

A little-known feature in Outlook is the ability to keep an email but delete one or several attachment. Firstly, sort your inbox by file size (descending) and open a message (by double clicking so it opens in a new window) where you no longer wish to keep the attachment. Right click over the attachment and select Remove. Now save the email, repeat with all relevant emails in this mailbox and then repeat in any other mailboxes (including your sent items).

Tip 2: Split emails into Archives

Maybe you disabled the auto archive facility when you first saw it because you didn't understand it? Archiving old emails into a separate file still allows you to access less frequently used material when required but keeps your system running faster as it does not have to trawl through all of this rendundant content regularly. Click File | New | Outlook Data File. Enter a name for the file - a new folder will now appear in the folder list on the left. You can add sub-folders to this by right clicking, which is useful if you want to create a similar hierarchy to your current inbox. Once done simply select multiple files in your main inbox and drag/drop them to the same inbox in your new archive folder. Repeat for all other folders (e.g. Sent Items and any others that you may have created). Close the new data file by right clicking over the title and selecting Close [Folder Name]. Now when Outlook loads it only loads you nice lightweight folder! Outlook 2007 is known to be far less tolerant of large PST data files than Outlook 2003. Aim to keep your main PST file under 500MB - the smaller the better.

Tip 3: Disable unessential Add-ins in Outlook 2007

Click on Tools, Trust Center and Add-Ins. Now select one of the various options from the dropdown menu at the bottom and uncheck any add-ins that you don't use (which for me was an Adobe Acrobat one and Gotomeeting.com). Restart Outlook and see if this makes a difference.

Tip 4: No need for fax? Ditch it!

If you do not send or receive faxes on your PC then uninstall the facility as this has been known to cause issues with Outlook 2007.From Control Panel select Add/Remove Programs, select Add/remove windows components and uncheck Fax Service.

Tip 5: Enable Outlook 2007 logging to see if anything is going wrong

Outlook has an error logging capability, which could be useful if something is going wrong. Click Tools, Options, Other, Advanced Options and then tick Enable Logging. Logs will be stored in C:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Local Settings\Temp\Outlook Logging\. Look for any errors, especially in OPMLog.log - perhaps relating to the checking of email on one or more of your POP3 accounts.

Tip 6: Compact your PST data files often

Use Outlook's compact facility to compress your folders, especially your main PST file. Click on top folder name (e.g. Personal Folders), right-click and select Properties. Now select Advanced and then click on Compact Now.

Tip 7: Optimise your Exchange settings

If you are connecting to an Exchange server then the synchronisation (cacheing) process will add a further overhead to your system. You can switch off cacheing so that your PC always looks to the server for its mail, however be warned - this can cause a number of issues, such as massively increased network traffic, problems with junk mail filtering and the inability to read mail when you are not connected to the server. Check the Microsoft knowledge base for Exchange optimisation techniques here, as this is a constantly evolving issue and there may be more solutions by the time you read this.

Tip 8: Stop Outlook 2007 storing RSS information from IE7

If you are using IE7 and RSS feeds Outlook will also store all feed threads by default. Click Tools, Options, other, Advanced Options and then uncheck Sync RSS feeds to common feed list, followed by Any RSS feed that is updated appears as a new item. Close these screens and then click Tools, Accounts, RSS Feeds and delete the feeds. Now you have to delete the RSS threads from the RSS threads folder in your mail folders.

Tip 9: Run the Outlook 2007 Diagnostics check

Outlook has its own self-repair mechanism. Click on Help and Office Diagnostics, and then let Outlook run its diagnostic tests, which can take 15 minutes or so.

Tip 10: Update your Rules and Alerts

Under Tools, Rules & Alerts, Options select Upgrade Rules (only if you don't use these PST files with an older version of Outlook). This updates the rules to Outlook 2007.

Tip 11: Scan and repair your PST file

Outlook ships with a scanning utility called SCANPST.EXE, located in drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12. Run this, locate your PST file and let it scan and repair any errors for you. Full details can be found here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA100758311033.aspx?pid=CH100788841033

Tip 12: Run Outlook 2007 in safe mode

You can start Outlook in safe mode, which stops Add-ins and certain other files from loading. This often loads Outlook with a startling speed boost! If you experience a big difference then try the following:

Quit out of Outlook 2007 and locate each of these files in turn and rename as indicated.

1. extend.dat - you will find this file in the location :\Documents and Settings\user-directory\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\extend.dat

//change it to extend.old

2. views.dat - may not find it most of the time

3. frmcache.dat - :\Documents and Settings\user-directory\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\FORMS\FRMCACHE.DAT

//change it to FRMCACHE.old

4. outcmd.dat - :\Documents and Settings\user-directory\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat

//change it to OUTCMD.old

Tip 13: Download the latest patches from Microsoft

At the time of writing there is one major patch which suggests that it will resolve performance issues. You can download it here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932086

Note that there are known issues with Outlook taking a long time when checking POP3 accounts. According to several blogs it relates to the AUTH command and only affects certain mailservers. It is wise to check that your settings are correct - options such as setting authentication as on may not actually be necessary and could be the cause of many of your problems, so check your ISP's website for EXACT settings.

After performing the above my Outlook now fires up in around 10-15 seconds from a fully-booted PC and appears much more responsive during operation. Hopefully by now your system will too

Speed Up Your PC And Boost Performance By Cleaning It

Ever notice your computer fan seems to run constantly? Maybe you also notice your laptop or desktop feels warmer than normal. And you probably also noticed that your PC performance has been running a lot slower lately trying to execute even the simplest tasks.

That's what I noticed about my laptop, which is only sixteen months old. It just was not running as snappy as it did a few months ago. So I did all the usual clean up tips that you can find anywhere on the Internet in hopes of speeding up my Windows PC.

Ran CCLeaner, removed unused programs, defrag the hard drive, cleaned up my user profiles and desktop, and so on.

Only to have the same problem. A slow computer.

I was about ready to give up by formatting the hard drive and reinstall Windows, when I decided that maybe I should look inside and check things out before I got started with the reinstall.

Well much to my surprise, I found the cause of the performance problem….a dirty computer.

I couldn't believe how much dust had accumulated over time. Now it made sense as to what was causing the poor performance problems.

Over time, your fans will pick up dust which naturally collects on the components inside your computer. Eventually this will cause cooling problems and make your computer run hot, while reducing efficiency. With the fan running constantly and unable to cool, more heat is being produced which requires more power to run your computer, thus reducing overall performance.

Worse, it can cause components to overheat which will shutdown your computer or cause some components to fail, leaving you with a big repair bill.

So it was time to give the inside a good cleaning. And after I was finished, my laptop was back to it's speedy self again. Without reinstalling Windows, or spending any money.

Now, before you go ahead and attempt tp clean your computer, here are some tips I came across on how to clean a computer without causing any damage to the components inside:

First the precautions…

- Shut Down Your Computer And Unplug It - failure to do so could cause harm to your computer and your self. Be safe by eliminating any electrical shock that can occur if the computer is still plugged in.

- Go Outside - once you get started with cleaning (keep reading for details), you will be surprised by how much of a dust mess is created. If you cannot go outside, try to find another area that you don't mind getting dusty.

- Put Away The Vacuum Cleaner - using a vacuum cleaner can cause static electricity and damage your mother board. Additional damage to fans can occur if you allow the suction of the vacuum to excessively spin the fan blades.

- Do Not Use Liquids - avoid getting any component inside the computer or any other circuit board damp or wet.

..and now it's time to get cleaning.

- Use A Can Of Compressed Air - this is the proper way to clean your computer. A can of compressed air can be found in any electronic or computer store.

- Make Sure You Are Grounded - static electricity is like kryptonite to electronic components. Do everything you can to prevent static electricity from occurring

NOTE: make sure you hold the fan blades to prevent them from spinning.

Start by removing the case lid. Hold your can of compressed air upright and start on the upper region of the computer, then work your way down. In this manner you can sweep out all the dust that settles on lower components at one time. Again try to not cause the fan blades (CPU fan, power supply fan, etc) to spin excessively.

Be through, but do not press on cords or components. Also keep your air source a moderate distance from the components you're working on.

To remove the gunk on the fan blades (that the compressed air cannot clean), use a dry Q-Tip and work each blade as best as you can.

Make sure you clean the power supply, and blow through the internal slits from inside the chassis, aiming so dust will exit the back.

Next, blow into the intake fan (if there is one) to push the dust out the back.

When finished, put the panel back on your computer and reconnect your mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. Llug the power cord back into your computer and boot it up.

By following these simple guide lines and using common sense, you can significantly increase performance of your computer….with out spending a fortune.

Running Scandisk

As you save, erase, and move files sometimes things do not go just right. This is not caused by anything you are doing wrong. A PC is a very complex, fast machine and despite the best efforts of all the designers, engineers and programmers who've toiled to make it flawless, sometimes programs collide and mess up each others files.

This unwanted interaction can result in invalid files, files with lost file fragments, and cross linked files. You don't always know right away when this happens. This is why you should run the Scandisk utility from time to time.

For Windows 9x and ME

1) Click the Start button.

2) Select Programs, Accessories, then System Tools. Click Scandisk.

3) Select and click the drive you want to scan, and then choose either the Standard or the Thorough test.

4) Click Start.

Scandisk runs in two modes

1. The Standard test checks the files and folders on the selected drive for errors.
   
   
2. The Thorough test performs the Standard test and then checks the entire surface of your hard drive for physical damage. You can even specify to scan areas of your disk containing only data files, or just the areas with system files, or both. This process takes a long time. Unless the Standard test fails you shouldn't need to run this test.

For Windows XP and 2000

In XP and 2000, the utility is called 'Error Checking' and doesn't offer the full physical surface check.

1) From 'Start' double click 'My Computer'.

2) Right-click the drive you want.

3) Click on 'Properties', then 'Tools'.

4) Under 'Error Checking' click 'Check Now' and then Start.

5) A small scandisk window appears and the process begins.

Emptying your Recycle Bin

Everytime you delete a file on a PC running a Windows Operating system it isn't really deleted. It is instead stored in a temporary holding area called the Recycle Bin. It stays there until you restore it or permanently delete it.

From time to time it is a good idea to go and delete the files you have no intention of restoring.

To delete all the files in the Recycle Bin do the following:

1) Locate the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and double-click it.

2) When the Recycle Bin opens, click 'File' on the menu bar and a list of options appears.

3) Select 'Empty Recycle Bin' from this list and every item in the Recycle Bin is deleted.

Deleting Temporary Files

Every time you access web sites on the Internet, temporary files are copied to your PC. These files contain information intended to make these web sites open faster on your next visit. They may also contain preferences you've entered on the site while visiting it.

All well and good so far. Over time, however, you can build up thousands of these files. Many of them may not be doing you much good, especially if they are from sites you've visited once never intending to go back.

Every once in a while, you should go in and clean these files out.

Here's how you do it:

1) In Internet Explorer click Tools, then click 'Internet Options'.

2) Select the 'General' tab and find the 'Temporary Files' section half way down the page.

3) Click the 'Delete Files' button and in the window that opens, check the box for 'Delete all offline content'.

4) Click OK and all the files are erased.