Office 365 - Resolving Outlook Connectivity Issues

Users of Microsoft Office 365 commonly report having trouble connecting Outlook to Exchange online. In most of the documented cases, this particular problem affects only a small number of overall users. There is no one fix for the problem, but there are a few things that can help you to troubleshoot and solve Outlook connectivity issues for some Office 365 users.

1) Make sure Outlook really is the problem!

First, you need to verify if the problem is truly with Outlook. Use an alternate method of connectivity to open your mailbox. For example, you might try accessing Outlook Web App (OWA) or through Exchange ActiveSync.
If the mailbox is accessible through OWA or Exchange ActiveSync, it means the problem is  likel to bey Outlook. If it isn't, the problem is then probably related to an Office 365 connectivity issue or even a corrupted mailbox.

2) Can you use Outlook from a different PC?

If you can determine that Outlook as a probable cause for a connection problem, try using Outlook to open the your mailbox on a different PC. If this works, then you've verified that the mailbox is not corrupted. If you can't open the mailbox on any PC but Outlook works for other mailboxes (but not yours), there may very well be a mailbox corruption issue at work. Before jumping to conclusions, there are other troubleshooting steps that can be taken first.

3. Reset your password. It's worth a shot.

Try resetting your Office 365 password. Even though we think it should not logically make a difference, there have been a number of documented cases in which people could suddenly use Outlook to connect to their mailboxes once their Office 365 password was reset.

4) Delete your profile

Try deleting your profile on the PC that you use to connect to Office 365. There are lots of documented reports of profile corruption that can interfere with Outlook connectivity. Most of these reports center on the Outlook OST (offline storage) file.

If the OST file is to blame, deleting the user profile should correct the connectivity issue because the OST file is a part of the user's profile. There isn't a definitive explanation for why the OST file becomes corrupted, but some speculate it may be a result of the way Outlook 2013 compresses OST file contents.

NOTE: As a first step though, I would actually recommend that with Outlook closed, you locate rename the OST file first. Try opening Outlook to see if that helps (the OST file should recreate itself, though this may slow Outlook down a bit while it completes this task - how long depends on how much mail you have). If that doesn't work, THEN try deleting the profile.

 

5) Try Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant

If you can't solve your Outlook connectivity problem so far, install the Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant. This tool shouldn't *technically* be needed, but some find installing it corrects connection problems for Exchange Online. You can download the tool here.

NOTE: Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant is NOT compatible with Windows 8.

Speeding Up Microsoft Outlook

If you've been using Microsoft Outlook for any length of time, you know that it has the potential to slow down... *WAY* down. Outlook can become pretty much useless if you don't perform some maintenance and upkeep.

Luckily for you, I have a few things you can do to make Outlook perform at a much improved level. None of it requires any change to your email server configuration (Exchange, IMAP or POP3).
You must understand however that some of these suggestions may seem a bit more rudimentary than others, and some may give you a light bulb moment! Since I can't comment on anyone's skill level, I'll cover the basics to help you improve your Microsoft Outlook experience.

1: Windows Updates

Most people don't understand that with Windows updates, the updates for Microsoft Office are also included. Make sure you allow the updates to install. Why? Microsoft may might update Exchange. Sometimes, those updates can either break or cause problems with the communication between Outlook and Exchange and Microsoft might issue a patch to the server or client to resolve a speed issue or patch a security hole. Don't use Automatic Updates strictly, visit the Microsoft update site to catch up on non-critical updates as well. Microsoft Windows Updates

2: Archive

I have truly lost count of how many times I see users with thousands of emails in their Inbox and Sent Items. This can cause serious issues, especially when using PST files. Instead of just letting those folders grow to ridiculous numbers, set up auto archiving so that your Inbox retains only a portion of those emails. When you archive, you create a new data file so Outlook doesn't have to struggle against the burden of an oversize PST or OST file. You truly do not need that Merry Christmas email from your boss from the 1990's!

3: Download complete items

When you use Outlook with either an IMAP or POP3 mail account, you should have Outlook set up to download the complete message (instead of just the header). If you do this, Outlook won't have to synch with the server every time you click on a new item (as it will already be in the data file.) How you do this will depend upon which version of Outlook you're using. Look for the setting "Download Complete Item Including Attachments" or similar.

4: Use Cached Exchange Mode

If you use Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook, you effectively take a copy of your data from the server and cache it on your local machine (OST). This can make a huge difference in speeding up your Outlook experience because Outlook doesn't have to read the data from a server across a network or outside the network. Instead, all it has to do is read the locally stored data file. This option (obviously) is available only when connecting Outlook with an Exchange server.

5: Compact your PST file

When the Outlook PST file gets out of hand, a built-in tool can 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, it's called whitespace. If you're using Outlook 2010, you can go to Account Settings | Data Files and select the data file to be compacted. Once you've selected the file click Settings | Advanced | Outlook Data File Settings and click Compact Now. Depending on the size of your data file, this process can take some time.

6: Repair your PST file

Scanpst is THE go-to tool when Outlook is acting off kilter. It will scan through your data file and look for data inconsistencies and errors. Here's the thing about Scanpst -- it's not always the easiest tool to find. Do yourself a favour and search through your C drive to locate the Scanpst.exe file. Make note of its location (usually within the Office installation folder). Be forewarned - Outlook must be closed while using it and it can be a time-consuming experience. Make sure you back up that data file before you start the repair tool. If Scanpst finds errors and repairs them, run it again. Repeat until no further errors are found. Then open Outlook.

7: Cut back on the published and shared calendars

It's easy to publish and share your calendars with others. The problem is that the more you do it, the more of a burden you place on Outlook. The more data Outlook has to share and pull down from the Internet, the slower it will perform. Just know that the more data you have to push and pull, the slower your connection will be.

8: 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 a crawl. Disable this feature (if you don't use Outlook as an RSS reader) from within Outlook 2010 by going to Options | Advanced and then unchecking both options under RSS Feeds.

9: Disable add-ins

How many times have you installed some program only to find it installed something else behind your back? This can happen to Outlook as well as Internet Explorer. Sometimes those add-ins can cause major Outlook slowdowns. To find out what add-ins you have installed in Outlook 2010, go to Options | Add-ins. Select COM Add-ins from the drop-down and click the Go button. The resultant window will list all add-ins available to Outlook. Search through this list and uncheck any that might seem suspect. If you want to test how Outlook runs without any Add Ins, open it in safe mode: Start > Start Search > outlook.exe /safe (note the space between outlook.exe and /safe).

10: Get rid of Antivirus integration

Configuring your antivirus to actively scan incoming and outgoing email is a great way to slow Outlook down, and it accomplishes nothing. There is no need to scan outgoing email since you're not going to detect anything malicious going out. If you can send it in an email, your antivirus is already compromised so scanning won't do you any favours. As for scanning incoming email, your real time scanner will catch everything it's updated for anyway. How you disable email scanning depends on your antivirus solution. Some are easily handled (check services for the email scanner and disable it) and some not only require an uninstall but you must download a utility off their website to complete the uninstall, then you have to reinstall but make sure you omit the email scanning portion.

If you know of other ways to speed up Outlook, I am interested in hearing from you and any comments you may have, as always.

 

Repair Your Microsoft Outlook PST (Personal Folders)

One day, you try to open Microsoft Outlook and encounter this error:



What is this and what do you do? How do you fix this?

Your personal folders (aka PST file) has corrupted or suffered errors. How does this happen?

You may have forced Outlook to close.
You may be keeping the PST file in a location other than on your local drive. Not only is it not supported by Microsoft, but it is not practical to keep your PST anywhere other than your local PC/laptop. Outlook needs constant read/write access to the PST with no interruption. The tiniest blip in the connection can cause corruption.
You may have shut down the PC, or even lost power to it, before Outlook had time to finish writing to the PST file after Outlook closed.
Multiple other reasons.

Before you attempt to repair the file however, you must make sure you can see files properly:

• Open Windows Explorer. Click on View and ensure Details is checked.
• Then click on the Tools tab. Scroll to Folder Options. Click on View.
• Click the radio button Show Hidden Files and Folders.
• Uncheck the box Hide Extensions for Known File Types. Click Apply. Click Apply to Folders. Click OK.

Now search for scanpst.exe. You can either use the search function, or locate it in the default location.For the purposes of this blog, listed below are the default scanpst.exe locations for various versions of Microsoft Outlook:

Outlook 2013
32-bit Windows; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\
64-bit Windows; C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\
64-bit Outlook; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\
Office 365 Home Premium / Outlook 2013 Click to Run
any Windows; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\Outlook 2010
32-bit Windows; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\
64-bit Windows; C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\
64-bit Outlook; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\
Outlook 2007 32-bit Windows; C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\
64-bit Windows; C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\
Outlook 2003
32-bit Windows; C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\<locale ID>\
64-bit Windows; C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\<locale ID>\
Outlook 2002/XP
C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MAPI\<locale ID>\
Outlook 2000
C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MAPI\<locale ID>\NT\
Outlook 97 / Outlook 98
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Messaging\

When you locate it, double click it. Follow the instructions (it will ask you to browse to the location of your PST).  One fast and easy way to check is to open the Control Panel, click on Classic View or Small Icons and check the mail applet. It will tell you where your data files are. Again, for the purposes of this blog the default location of the PST is as follows:

Windows XP


• Outlook 2007 and previous
  C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\
• Outlook 2010
  C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\My Documents\Outlook Files\

Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8

• Outlook 2007 and previous
  C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\
• Outlook 2010
  C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Outlook Files\
• Outlook 2013
  C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Outlook Files\

After double-clicking on scanpst.exe, allow it to run through completely. It will find errors and repair them. Run it again. If it finds no further errors, then close everything and try opening Outlook.

If scanpst.exe finds further errors, run it again. Repeat until no errors are found. This can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. Make sure you close scanpst.exe before opening Outlook.

Writing Effective Email

Do people respond to your emails in the way you really want them to? Or do they seem to ignore them, or miss important information? Are you even sure that you're making the best possible impression with your emails?

When you compose an email message, there are a few very simple rules that you can follow to ensure that your emails make a positive impression as well as get you the response you want. I'm going to give you some examples to illustrate the points I'm making with both good and bad examples at the end of each section.

Subject Lines are Like Headlines

A newspaper headline has two functions: It grabs your attention, and it tells you what the article is about, so that you can decide if you want to read further. Email subject lines need to do exactly the same thing! Use a few well-chosen words, so that the recipient knows at a glance what the email is about.
If your message is one of a regular series of emails, such as a weekly project report, include the date in the subject line. And for a message that needs a response, you might want to include a call to action, such as "Please reply by November 7".
Remember that everyone tries to reduce the amount of "spam" email messages they receive. If you make appropriate use of the subject line, you increase the chances that your email will be read, rather than mistaken for spam and deleted without so much as a glance.
Of course, just as it would be ridiculous to publish a newspaper without headlines, never leave the subject line blank. Emails with blank subject lines are usually spam and if they aren't, they're highly annoying!

Bad Example

Subject: Meeting
Hi Cameron,
I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled next week. Do let me know if you have any questions!
Best wishes,
Katie

This email is an example of poor communication for several reasons. Let's focus on the headline. As you can see, it's titled "Meeting".
Why is this a bad headline?
There's no information about the meeting. If your calendar is full of meetings, you might even wonder which one Katie is talking about. And there's certainly no clarity about the subject including when and where the meeting's being held.
What's more, the lack of specific information makes it look like a spam email. This email risks being deleted without being read!
Also, the tone of the message is that of a friendly reminder. There's nothing wrong with that, but essential details are missing. If Cameron hasn't heard anything about the meeting, or has completely forgotten about it, he'll have to write back for more information.

Good Example

Subject: Reminder of 10am Meeting Sched. 10/05 on VMWare Process.
Hi Cameron,
I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 10:00am. It's being held in conference room A, and we'll be discussing the new VMWare Process.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch (x3021).
Best Wishes,
Katie

See how specific this new headline is?
The great thing about this headline is that the reader doesn't even have to open the email to get most of the relevant information.
And the precise nature of the headline serves as a useful prompt. Every time the reader glances at his saved emails, he'll be reminded about that specific meeting.

Make One Point per Email

If you need to communicate with someone about a number of different things, consider writing a separate email on each subject. I don't necessarily agree with this but this particular method has its merits:

This way, your recipient can reply to each one individually and in the appropriate time frame. One topic might only require a short reply that he or she can send straight away. Another topic might require more research. By writing separate messages you should get clearer answers while helping other people manage their inboxes better.
If you do want to put several points in an email - perhaps because they relate to the same project - consider presenting each point in a separate, numbered paragraph. This makes each point stand out, significantly increasing the likelihood that each point will be addressed.
As with traditional business letters, each individual email should be clear and concise, with the purpose of the message detailed in the very first paragraph. Sentences should be kept short and to the point. The body of the email should contain all pertinent information, and should be direct and informative.

Bad Example

Subject: Revisions For Sales Report
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to reflect our professionalism.
Also, I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, regarding the new ad campaign. It's at 11:00, and will be in the small conference room.
Please let me know if you can make that time.
Thanks!
Celeste

Celeste got a good headline in there, and she was pretty clear on the changes she wanted Jackie to make to that report.
But what did she do wrong?
Well, that second paragraph about the meeting is pretty important, and yet she lumped it into the email that detailed the revisions. If Jacqui doesn't put it straight in her calendar, she'll have to remember that the meeting details were in the email titled "Revisions For Sales Report", which is not very logical.
Combining those two important communications increases the chance that either the meeting or the revisions will be forgotten. Let's look at how she could have done it better:

Good Example

Subject: Revisions For Sales Report
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to reflect our professionalism.
Thanks for your hard work on this!
Celeste

AND

          Subject: Friday 10/9, 11am Meeting w/PR Dept

Hi Jacqui,
I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, 10/9, regarding the new ad campaign.
It's at 11:00am, and will be in the small conference room. Please let me know if you can make that time.
Thanks!
Celeste

By separating those two important communications, Jacqui will be able to find what she needs quickly in her inbox.
As well as this, separating the two topics helps her keep her saved emails relevant. Once she's done with the revisions email she can delete it, but keep the meeting reminder email until the end of the week.

Specify the Response You Want

Make sure to include any call to action you want, such as a phone call or follow-up appointment. Then, make sure you include your contact information, including your name, title, and phone numbers. Do this even with internal messages. Remember, the easier you make it for someone else to respond, the more likely they are to do so!

Bad Example

From: homestaging@prettyhomes.com
Subject: Proposal
Lynn,
Did you get my proposal last week? I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure.
Can you please call me so we can discuss?
Thanks!
Joanne

There are several pieces of important information missing from this email.
The first thing that's missing is information about the proposal. What if Lynn got several proposals? Which one is the writer talking about? Also, did she send it by post, or through email?
Also, the writer gave Lynn no information on how to get in touch. Where is her office number, her cell number, or her business name? Lynn will have to go and find that information.
And, most critically, she didn't give his full name and title at the bottom of the mail - despite the fact that her name doesn't form part of her email address.

Good Example

Subject: Checking On Home Staging Proposal
Dear Lynn,
I just wanted to check that you have received the home proposal I emailed to you last week. I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure it went through.
Can you please call me by Thursday so we can discuss? This is when our discount offer expires, and I want to make sure you don't miss it!
The quickest way to contact me is by cell phone.
Thanks!
Joanne Doe, Owner
Homestaging, Inc.
555.135.4598 (office)
555.135.2929 (cell)

Joanne has now given Lynn all the information she needs. She knows she emailed the proposal last week, that she'd like her to call by Thursday, and that she should use her cell phone to make contact quickly.
Most importantly, Joanne included her name and title, so Lynn now knows who he is, and put her contact information at the bottom.

 

Be a Good Correspondent

Make sure that you go through your inbox regularly and respond as appropriate. This is a simple act of courtesy and will also serve to encourage others to reply to your emails in a timely manner. If a detailed response is required to an email, and you don't have the time to pull together the information straight away, send a holding reply saying that you have received the message, and indicating when you will respond fully.
How frequently you should check your mail will depend on the nature of your work, but avoid interrupting a task you're working on to check your mail simply because you wonder if something interesting has come in.
Always set your Out of Office agent when you're going to be away from your email for a day or more, whether on leave or because you're at meetings.

Internal Email

Internal emails, just like other emails, should not be too informal. Remember, these are written forms of communication that can be printed out and viewed by people other than those for whom they were originally intended! Always use your spell checker and most definitely avoid slang.

Above all, remember that email is surprisingly quite public. Never put anything in writing that you couldn't say to your mother.

Email and Your Job

Embarrassing or inappropriate communications sent via company email can damage professional credibility, reputations (both yours and your company's), and careers. Employees who violate their company’s email policies can face penalties ranging from disciplinary action to termination.

According to the 2003 Electronic Policies & Practices Survey, 52 percent of employers monitor email. Three-fourths have written email rules in place and 22 percent have fired an employee for violating those rules.

More than 1,000 U.S. employers participated in the 2003 survey, conducted by the American Management Association, The ePolicy Institute, and Clearswift, maker of software to manage and secure electronic communications. In a 2001 survey, 17 percent of companies reported firing employees over improper e-mail use.

In 2007, the figures were as follows;

The 28% of employers who have fired workers for e-mail misuse did so for the following reasons: violation of any company policy (64%); inappropriate or offensive language (62%); excessive personal use (26%); breach of confidentiality rules (22%); other (12%).

The 30% of bosses who have fired workers for Internet misuse cite the following reasons: viewing, downloading, or uploading inappropriate/offensive content (84%); violation of any company policy (48%); excessive personal use (34%); other (9%).

Computer monitoring takes many forms, with 45% of employers tracking content, keystrokes, and time spent at the keyboard. Another 43% store and review computer files. In addition, 12% monitor the blogosphere to see what is being written about the company, and another 10% monitor social networking sites.

Messages that create a sexist, racist or hostile work environment were among the most common problems in email. While workers may be disciplined or fired because of inappropriate email messages, companies can and will face the risk of lawsuits.

Find out what your company’s email policies are and make sure that you comply. The policy may be in your employee handbook, you may have signed a contract regarding email and internet use, or you may need to ask your IT department or HR department what the policy is. Note that if your employee handbook contains the policy, by having the handbook in your possession you imply that you have read and agreed to the policy whether you have actually read it or not. Ignorance is not bliss in this case.

Here are some tips for handling email at work:

Keep it Professional

*Never* convey anger, use profanity or make racist or sexist remarks. Remember, inappropriate words or images sent via email can and will come back to haunt you. Don't send or forward emails containing libellous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks - even if they are meant to be a joke.

 

Keep in mind that your company does not pay you to engage in the mailing of jokes or quetionable material. Your email is company property. It is given to you so that you may do business on behalf of the company. Misuse of company property is a terminable offense. It may also be viewed as theft of company resources when email is misused.  

Don’t Discuss Confidential Information

Most email is insecure unless it has been encoded or encrypted. So, sending an email is like sending a postcard for many eyes to see. Don’t send confidential information. If you can't say it publicly, you can't say it in email.

Think Before You Send

Don’t treat email casually. Play it safe! In general, don't write anything in email that you wouldn't feel comfortable saying in a crowded elevator. My rule of thumb is that if you can't say it to your mother, don't say it at all.

 

Keep in mind that email is not the best way to communicate and is simply a way of sending information. People may interpret communications in email in the wrong way. Email cannot possibly convey facial expressions, body language, or tone of voice.

How to Create and Use Your Email Signature

You can create fun or professional personalized signatures for your email messages that include text, images, your electronic business card, a logo, or even a copy of your handwritten signature (I don't recommend making your signature public).

 Note: This article is written for Microsoft Outlook 2010. This information is also available for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.  Just click on the links to find the information.

Your signature can automatically be added to outgoing messages, or you can manually add the signature to only the messages that you choose. I do not however, recommend that you add it to every email including replies. It becomes redundant and self-indulgent.

Create a signature

1. Open a new message. On the Message tab, in the Include group, click Signature, and then click Signatures.
2. On the E-mail Signature tab, click New.
3. Type a name for the signature, and then click OK.
4. In the Edit signature box, type the text that you want to include in the signature.
5. To format the text, select the text, and then use the style and formatting buttons to select the options that you want.
6. To add items other than text, click where you want the element to appear, and then do any of the following:

Options	How to
To add an electronic business card	Click Business Card, and then click a contact in the Filed As list. Then click OK
To add a hyperlink	Click Insert Hyperlink, type in the information or browse to a hyperlink, click to select it, and then click OK
To add a picture	Click Picture, browse to a picture, click to select it, and then click OK. Common image file formats for pictures include .bmp, .gif, .jpg, and .png.

7. To finish creating the signature, click OK.

 Note    The signature that you just created or modified won't appear in the open message; it must be inserted into the message.

Add a signature to messages

Signatures can be added automatically to all outgoing messages, or you can choose which messages include a signature.
 Note    Each message can contain only one signature.

Insert a signature automatically

1. On the Message tab, in the Include group, click Signature, and then click Signatures.

2. Under Choose default signature, in the E-mail account list, click an email account with which you want to associate the signature.
3. In the New messages list, select the signature that you want to include.
4. If you want a signature to be included when you reply to or forward messages, in the Replies/forwards list, select the signature. Again, use this feature judiciously. Otherwise, click (none).

Insert a signature manually

• In a new message, on the Message tab, in the Include group, click Signature, and then click the signature that you want.

 Tip    To remove a signature from an open message, highlight the signature in the message body, and then press DELETE.

Outlook Keeps Asking for a Password

Many Outlook users over the years have complained that Outlook keeps asking for a (network) password repeatedly. The problem is exacerbated when “Enter Network Password” pop-up message appears every 20-30 seconds - how frustrating! Even after you enter your correct user name and password the pop up keeps flashing and unfortunately, enabling the "Save Password" or "Remember Password" options do not solve the problem.

 

Two possible reasons for this problem:

• You have a corrupted Outlook profile (this is the most common)
• Your registry has incorrect Protected Storage System information (Please do *NOT* attempt this if you are inexperienced or unsure of working in the registry)

Fix your corrupted Outlook profile:

Create a new outlook profile and connect this profile to the .pst file (Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders data file that contains your contacts, emails, calendar, tasks, etc.) of your previous (corrupted) profile:

1. Create new outlook profile: http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm#create 
2. Locate the .pst file used by damaged profile: http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/aboutpst.htm#location 
3. Configure new profile to use .pst file of old, corrupted profile. This can be done by following the given below steps (these steps are for Microsoft Outlook 2010):

1. Open Outlook.
2. File tab -> Info -> click Account Settings (Outlook 2007 Account Settings option is available in Tool menu, in Outlook 2003 and 2002 Tool -> Options).
3. E-mail tab-> click your email account. (in Outlook 2003 and 2002 Mail Setup -> Email Accounts -> View or change existing e-mail accounts - > Next)
4. In the "Account Settings" dialogue box Click "Change Folder".
5. Click New Outlook Data File-> click Office Outlook Personal Folders File-> click OK.
6. Browse and locate the .pst file of old profile-> click OK.

Resolve Your  Incorrect Registry information Problem:

Close all  programs, create a backup copy of the registry

1. Click on Start > Start Search
2. Type in Regedit and hit Enter
3. Locate the folder : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
4. Edit Menu > New > Expandable String Value
5. Name it AppData
6. Double-click the new entry and type in: "%userprofile%\Application Data" (without the quotes) in the "Value data field" box.
7. Click "OK" and close the registry editor.

Note: Before following this solution make sure that you have created a backup copy of registry.

The Duke of Monmouth - A Historical Hottie

Written by 17th Century Historian Andrea Zuvich, this novella is set in the 1600's and written about James Scott the 1st Duke of Monmouth. He was known for leading an unsuccessful rebellion against King James II in 1685 and for his striking good looks.

In 1662, James was installed at court as a favourite of King Charles II and on February 14, 1663, Charles created him duke of Monmouth, earl of Doncaster, and Baron Scott of Tindale and made him a Knight of the Garter. He married Anne Scott, a wealthy Scottish heiress and it was then considered that he might be a possible successor to Charles II.

The novella is concentrated on the loves of James Scott, particularly his mistress and the purported love of his life, Lady Henrietta Wentworth which caused great scandal.

You may of course read more about him by reading Andrea Zuvich's blog:

http://www.andreazuvich.com/history/dashing-doomed-duke-of-monmouth/

You may read His Latest Mistress by Andrea Zuvich as an e-book, to be released this week by Endeavor Press. Here is her light overview of the book:

"This e-book will be published by Endeavour Press, London. "His Last Mistress" spans 1675-1686 and is about the final years of the dashing Duke of Monmouth, and the love of his life. James Crofts, Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch, was the handsome, heroic, illegitimate son of Charles II. Lost in the excesses of debauchery, he begins to pursue the virtuous Lady Henrietta Wentworth, who, knowing of his flighty reputation with other women, loathes him and tries to resist him. Will she be able to? As this relationship develops, the political climate in England is increasingly dangerous for the Duke. The Exclusion Bill could remove his uncle the Duke of York - a Catholic - from his position as heir to Charles II's throne. It seems rebellion may be the only answer..."

Available for download later this week from Endeavour Press: http://www.endeavourpress.com/

Here is a review of the novella: http://sarahshistoryblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/his-last-mistress/ 

Microsoft Outlook Calendar: Recurring Meetings

Set end dates and limit the number of occurrences

With Outlook, it is SO easy to schedule a meeting that has multiple occurrences on a regular basis. That being said, I would *always* recommend that you:

1) always set an end date
2) limit the recurring series to a specific number of occurrences.

This is because recurring meetings are going to require modifications at one point or another. Over time attendees change, locations or times change for various reasons (vacations, unforeseen circumstances, hirings/firings/quittings, etc.). Outlook saves each of these unique changes as a meeting exception. Meetings with a very large number of exceptions result in a meeting series that is difficult to manage. Not surprisingly, it can introduce unexpected behaviour. You can always create a new meeting series when the current one ends. When thinking about the number of occurrences, consider the frequency. In the period of a year, a twice a week meeting will have about 90 more occurrences than a monthly meeting during that same period.

End a recurring meeting before the original end date

Rather than cancelling a recurring meeting, your best bet is to change the end date for the series. This allows you and your attendees to keep a record of the meetings that occurred in the past. If you cancel the recurring meeting for good, you're going to lose the history. Instead, set a new end date and send the update to all attendees. This ends the meeting series early, but still keeps your history intact.

Note If you end the meeting series early, exceptions associated with the recurring meeting are lost, To learn more about exceptions, see the “Set end dates and limit the number of occurrences” section.
For more information about cancelling all future meetings in a series, see: Cancel all future meetings in a series

Microsoft Outlook Calendar: Meeting Forward Notifications

Today I'm blogging about the Microsoft Outlook Calendar. I covered it briefly here:

http://kathleenorlandoutlookmvp.blogspot.ca/2012/05/welcome-to-microsoft-outlook.html

But it was a very simplified overview. I think it's time now to cover a bit more of an in depth look at one of the calendar functions in Microsoft Outlook.

I recommend that you use at least Microsoft Office 2007, patched to SP3. SP3 provided many enhancements to the Outlook Calendar. This blog is going to cover the Calendar specifically for Outlook 2007 SP3 or later.

If you use an older version of Outlook, please refer to:

Outlook Meeting Requests Do's and Don'ts

First, this blog is for Exchange users. If you have an Exchange mailbox you are likely at a school, university, or in the workplace. If you connect to Microsoft Exchange 2007 or later with Microsoft Outlook 2007 SP3 or later, you've been introduced to Meeting Forward Notifications.

If you are not aware of them, what happens is that when some meetings are very important, important enough for the meeting notice to be forwarded to additional participants, if you are the person who originated the meeting you are then notified each time the meeting is forwarded to someone new who wasn't originally invited as an attendee. So basically, you send an important meeting request to Users A, B, and C. If one of them decides that Users D and E need to attend and they forward the meeting request to them, you are notified.

This is of course subject to Exchange settings. Meeting Forward Notifications to remote users not on your Exchange server may be disabled, as it might be to people outside your organisation.

NOTE: Delegates do not receive Meeting Forward Notifications.

Microsoft Outlook Rules

In Outlook, it is often in your best interests to create rules that will send specific emails or types of emails into folders so that you can view them later. It helps to keep your Inbox clean and free of clutter, and groups emails of a like nature together for easy access and reading.

You can easily create a rule, either from a template or from scratch. For example, if you are a member of the popular mailing list Freecycle you may want to make sure all of your Freecycle emails end up in one folder together. It's as easy as adding the Freecycle email to your contacts, and then creating a rule in a few clicks:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/create-a-rule-HP005242897.aspx

Managing your email by using rules has been around as long as Outlook has been. Outlook can easily help you to stay organized and up to date.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/manage-email-messages-by-using-rules-HA010355682.aspx

If you can't find the assistance you need in Outlook by pressing F1 (help), Microsoft themselves are extremely helpful:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291608

Additionally, there is tons of help just a quick Google entry away:

http://voices.yahoo.com/understanding-outlook-rules-create-edit-and-492780.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Manage-Email-Using-Microsoft-Outlook-Rules
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000781.htm
http://www.cba.org/bc/practice_resources/main/outlook.aspx (you may find this one especially helpful as it's written for lawyers, so even a child of five could understand this [law humour] - someone fetch me a child of five!)
http://smarterware.org/4057/three-microsoft-outlook-rules-that-prioritize-your-email

And if you overdo your rules, create rules that conflict, create so many that they can't run, they're very easy to disable.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/outlook-help/turn-on-or-off-a-rule-HP005242975.aspx

If you ever want to get rid of all rules at once and start over, it's this simple:

Windows XP and older: Start > Run > outlook.exe /cleanrules
(note the space between outlook.exe and /cleanrules)

Windows Vista and newer: Start > Start Search > outlook.exe /cleanrules
(note the space between outlook.exe and /cleanrules)

And as always, you can always ask me here or on Facebook, Twitter, or even LinkedIn.

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Social Engineering and Outlook

Note: all links are in red to offer you more information and make them more noticeable for you.

First, let's define social engineering:

Social engineering is the act of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.

Online criminals can use sophisticated technology to try to gain access to your computer, or they can use something simpler and more insidious: social engineering.

Social engineering is a way for criminals to gain access to your computer. The purpose of social engineering is usually to secretly install spyware or other malicious software or to trick you into handing over your passwords or other sensitive financial or personal information.

Some online criminals find it easier to exploit human nature than to exploit holes in your software. That is to say, they would rather trick you into giving up information than trick your computer because it's easier.

New scams appear daily. To keep up with the latest scams, check Microsoft's fraud section HERE. You can also learn to familiarise yourself with some of the more obvious telltale signs of a scam.

Scams can contain the following:

• Alarmist messages and threats of account closures.
• Promises of money for little or no effort.
• Deals that sound too good to be true.
• Requests to donate to a charitable organisation after a disaster that has been in the news.
• Bad grammar and misspellings.

What does a scam email commonly look like? Read HERE. What are some popular scams that never seem to die down? Read on!

Scams that use the Microsoft name or names of other well-known companies. These scams include fake emails or websites that use the Microsoft name. The email might claim that you have won a Microsoft contest, that Microsoft needs your logon information or password, or that a Microsoft representative is contacting you to help you with your computer. (These fake tech-support scams are often delivered by phone.) For more information, see Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently. This also applies to AOL, Norton, IBM, Facebook, and your bank among others.

Lottery scams. You might receive emails that claim that you have won the Microsoft lottery or sweepstakes. These emails might even look like they come from a Microsoft executive. There is no Microsoft Lottery. Delete the email. For more information, see What is the Microsoft Lottery Scam? This also applies to the Nigerian 419 scam and so many others.

Rogue security software scams. Rogue security software, also known as "scareware," is software that appears to be beneficial from a security perspective but provides limited or no security, generates erroneous or misleading alerts, or attempts to lure you into participating in fraudulent transactions. These scams can appear in email, online advertisements, your social networking site, search engine results, or even in pop-up windows on your computer that might appear to be part of your operating system, but are not. For more information, see Watch out for fake virus alerts.

The bottom line to social engineering is to at least recognize certain principles: poor spelling and grammar, scare tactics, you may not know the sender or it would be unusual to receive an email from them, the email contains a link that you are not familiar with and that you didn't solicit, and more. A great trick is to hover your mouse over a link to see if the actual link matches the information given.

Here is a great visual to demonstrate the items in an email that should set off warning bells and BIG RED FLAGS.

 

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Outlook and Anti-Virus

Do you ever experience the following problems:

Mail is lost or not delivered

Errors when sending and/or receiving mail

Mail being duplicated, either in your inbox or you send the same email repeatedly to your recipients 

HTML code being visible in a message

Fonts showing 10 times larger
(font size 110 instead of 11)

Mail stuck in the Outbox

Poor send/receive performance

Inability to send large attachments

Other issues

Disable the integration between Outlook and your anti-virus software. It will NOT compromise your security since your real-time virus scanner uses the same definitions as your Outlook anti-virus component. The extra integration of your anti-virus with Outlook is not needed and will often cause interference. In other words, you gain no extra protection from integrating your anti-virus software with Outlook.

Additionally, Outlook does not allow you to double-click certain attachments that could contain a virus and this is by design. In case you have another attachment that does have a virus within it, the real-time scanner would prevent you from opening it.

Disabling your anti-virus integration with Outlook is not always easy and depends on what anti-virus solution you're using. You may be able to disable it within Outlook by unchecking it in your Add Ins. You may be able to disable it from the anti-virus console. You may be able to turn off the anti-virus email scanning service. Or you may have to uninstall and reinstall, omitting the portion that integrates with Outlook. In some cases, in addition to uninstalling you may have to download a utility from the anti-virus vendor to complete the uninstall before you can reinstall the software.

In this case, it is best to have a look to see what might be your best solution but when in doubt you can ask. Many anti-virus vendors have forums online where you can ask questions and post problems, they also have a comprehensive knowledge base, you can read the documentation provided by your vendor, you can use Google to search for information, or you can ask someone you know, or even ask here!

As a last resort, if your anti-virus will not allow you to disable its integration with Outlook, you can always use Microsoft Security Essentials as a FREE alternative.

Did You Delete Your PST File?

Say you decide to clean out files on your hard drive to make space, and you accidentally not only delete the PST (personal folders) file, but you empty your Recycle Bin! What do you do?

Optimally you have a recent backup. Backups of your important data (anything you can't afford to lose is important) is critical. So are restore points so if the computer prompts you to create a restore point, you should do it.

Failing that:

To create a new Outlook Data file, click on File > New > Outlook Data file and follow the steps. The data file will be empty however.

If you deleted your PST file and emptied the recycle bin, chances may be slim to none for recovery.

Did you create a recent restore point on your PC?

Try these steps, but there's no guarantee:

To restore a deleted file or folder

1. Open Computer by clicking the Start button , and then clickingComputer.
2. Navigate to the folder that used to contain the file or folder, right-click it, and then clickRestore previous versions. If the folder was at the top level of a drive, for example C:\, right-click the drive, and then clickRestore previous versions.
   You'll see a list of available previous versions of the file or folder. The list will include files saved on a backup (if you are usingWindows Backup to back up your files) as well as restore points, if both types are available.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows7/Recover-lost-or-deleted-files

Too Many Devices Syncing With This Account

After configuring your Hotmail account with Outlook 2013 or other devices you receive the following error:

“There are too many devices syncing with this account. To sync using Outlook, try removing another device that is connected with this account such as a phone or another computer.”

How do you correct this?

First off, you should understand that Outlook 2013 is a pre-release version and should not be used with important data, such as important email accounts or documents. At this time it is a Home Premium Preview.

There will be a fix released for this issue in March so until then, try this workaround:

Microsoft has confirmed that some users are getting “too many devices syncing with this account” errors when using Outlook 2013 connecting to a Hotmail or Microsoft account. If you receive this error message, you may receive similar errors when trying to access your email account from other devices, such as other PCs and mobile phones.

**We have identified a fix for this issue which is anticipated to release in March. The fix will only be available for the Release version and will not work on the Office 2013 Preview. As an interim solution you can configure Outlook 2013 to use the POP protocol to access your Microsoft email accounts. The following instructions will guide you through the configuration process:

Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2013 for POP3 Hotmail

1. In Outlook 2013, click on the File menu, and then click Add Account.
2. Click to select Manual setup or additional server types, and then clickNext.
3. Click to select POP or IMAP, and then clickNext.
4. On the Internet POP and IMAP Account Settings screen, type the following setting information:
a. In the Your Name box, type your name as you want it to be displayed to recipients.
b. In the Email Address box, type your email address. For example, typeyourusername@hotmail.com.
c. In Account Type, select POP3.
d. In the Incoming mail server box, typepop3.live.com.
e. In the Outgoing mail server (SMTP) box, typesmtp.live.com.
f. In the User Name box, type your Hotmail account name. For example, typeyourusername@hotmail.com.
g. In the Password box, type your Hotmail password.
h. Click to select the Remember Password check box, if you want to save it.
i. Leave the Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) check box unchecked.
j. Click More Settings.
k. Click the Outgoing Server tab, and then click to select theMy outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication check box.
l. Click the Advanced tab, and then click to select theThis server requires an encrypted connection (SSL) check box under Incoming Server (POP3).
Note The Incoming Server (POP3) box should be set to port 995.
m. Select TLS for Use the following type of encrypted connection under Outgoing server (SMTP), and then clickOK.
Note The Outgoing Server (SMTP) box should be set to port 25. If port 25 is blocked in the network or by your ISP, you can set SMTP port to 587.
5. On the right side of the POP and IMAP Account Settings screen, clickTest Account Settings.

If you do not receive errors, your email account is set up correctly. Go to step 6.

If you receive an error, make sure that you have entered all the information correctly, and then clickTest Account Settings again. If all the information is correct and you continue to receive errors, go to the "Next Steps" section for more help.

6. Click Next, and then click Finish.

For more information on setting up a POP3 or IMAP connection, please refer to this article:Set up email in Outlook 2010 or Outlook 2013