Microsoft Outlook is the trusted email program of many computer users. You might also use this popular part of the Microsoft Office office suite. In this article, we’ll give you some of the best practical Outlook tips.
As with Microsoft’s other applications, Outlook extensive possibilities. In fact, this tool is a real ‘personal information manager’, a software package that manages personal information such as e-mails, addresses, calendars, to-do lists and notes.
In this article, we do some injustice to this powerhouse, because we limit our tips to the email part. But you will notice that there are already a lot of skills that can be mentioned. Use it to your advantage! We assume Microsoft 365, but most of the tips also apply to other Outlook variants.
Do you want even more tips, you can check the ways to backup Outlook data.
Email backup
It can never be ruled out that your Outlook data file gets corrupted. Every now and then a backup making is therefore wise. You can copy the file through the explorer for this. Unfortunately, this only works after you have completely closed Outlook. To find the location of the file, open Outlook and go to File / Account Settings / Account Settings. Open Data files, select the mailbox and click Open folder location. Close Outlook and copy the file.
If you want to use the backup, open again Data files and click Add. Then you can designate the backup: the mails are available in the left pane and you can optionally copy to another e-mail account. This only works with pst files, such as with POP3 accounts.
You can check and try using Remo Outlook backup and Migrate software.
If you want, you can also back up ost files, like with Exchange accounts, to pst. Go to File / Open / Import/Export and choose Export to a file. Click on Next and select Outlook Data File (.pst). Press Next again, point to the source folder, possibly Include subfolders, and follow the further instructions.
Even more convenient: with the free version of Safe PST Backup you can make automated and selective backups of pst files from one Outlook profile.
It is also possible to archive your e-mail messages. Outlook itself includes such an archiving feature, but it’s free MailStore Home is more convenient and versatile. We’ll stick to Outlook here, but you can also activate emails from Thunderbird and Gmail, for example.
It goes like this in a nutshell. click on Archive emails / Microsoft Outlook. Select your Outlook profile or a pst file and indicate which messages you want to archive. Click on End and double click on the set profile to start archiving.
At the end you are Personal archive no longer empty and you can use Search emails set various search criteria to quickly find the messages you want. Through Export emails you can even migrate the archived messages back to your original or another email client.
Search folders
Suppose you want to find certain messages quickly, for example from a specific sender or with a specific keyword. Then you have several options. One of them is a dynamic search folder. In the Outlook folder pane, right click Search folders and choose New search folder.
Choose a suitable criterion or scroll to Create a custom search folder and press To elect to create your own filter. Give your search folder a name, press To leaf through to indicate which mailbox Outlook should search for and click Conditions to define all desired criteria on the various tabs. Confirm with OK (3x).
Email Rules
You can also do things differently and ensure that messages that meet certain criteria are automatically sent to a separate mailbox when they arrive. Go to File and choose Manage rules and alerts.
Click on New rule and select the desired rule(s). They appear in the bottom window with one or more blue links, possibly after you click Next.
Click on such a link to further specify the content. Confirm with Next one and set any conditions. Press again Next one, record exceptions, such as unless the subject contains specific text. Press Next one, enter a rule name and, if necessary, place a checkmark Now apply this rule to messages already present in Inbox. Finish with Complete.
It is also possible to export and import rules again, for example to another PC with Outlook. Open again for this Manage rules and alerts, click on Options, choose Export rules or Import rules and follow the further instructions.
Conditional formatting
It can be helpful to format messages in a distinctive way, such as emails from a specific person or with some keyword in the subject line. Go to Image and choose Display settings. Click on VConditional Formatting / Add. Enter a name and click Condition.
Set all the desired criteria on the different tabs. Confirm with OK, click on Font style and set the font, font style and color, among other things. Press . again OK (3x) and try your adjustment.
Edited image
You can of course send images as attachments, but it is also possible to include a picture in the message itself. Start a new email and make sure you’re with Formatting text choose for HTML or Text with formatting. Place the text cursor in a suitable place in your message and choose Insert / Pictures.
You can choose between This device, (free) stock images and Online images. Select a picture and click at the top Picture Tools / Picture Formatting. You can now edit the image in all sorts of creative ways.
Through Image Styles / Quick Styles for example, make it oval or convert it to a 3D button. Of Artistic Effects / Options for artistic effects, for example, give the image a shadow, reflection, or glow.
Outlook Themes
An e-mail is standardly given a white background color for optimal readability, but you can also send such a message on a nice letterhead, which, for example, fits nicely with your (company) correspondence. Start a new email and go to Options. Click on Colors, Fonts and Page color, set everything to your liking and add text and a logo to your theme if you want.
Go to File and choose Save as. In the path at the top, tap %appdata%microsoftstationery in. Confirm with Enter, give your theme a file name and choose Save as the option HTML. Confirm with Save.
To apply this theme to one message, start a new email, open Options and click Themes, where you at Amended select your own theme.
To apply the theme to all outgoing messages by default, go to File / Options and open the section E-mail. Choose Letterhead and Fonts, open the P . tab personal e-mail paper and click Theme, where you will also find your theme. Select this and confirm with OK. Choose Theme / (No theme) if you want to disable this theme again.
Customize notification sound
We’ve already spoiled the eye, but maybe the ear wants something too. How about a custom sound as soon as messages arrive in your inbox? Then open first File / Options / Email and put in the section Receipt of message a checkmark Play a sound.
To link your own sound to this, which you have downloaded or manufactured yourself, close Outlook. Click Windows Key+R and enter your mmsys.cpl sounds from. Go to the tab Sounds and scroll to Program events see you at Notification of new email message. There you go To leaf through to the desired wav file.
Check the sound effect with the button To test and confirm with To apply. Repeat for the event Desktop Mail Notification and confirm with OK.
Quick Parts
We can imagine that you often type certain pieces of text in an e-mail message. You really don’t have to type it in every time. Compose your message and select the text fragment. Go to Insert and click in the section Text on Quick Parts. Choose Save selection to Quick Parts gallery and confirm with OK. From now on you will find the text neatly at Quick Parts.
You can also work more efficiently using ‘quick steps’, somewhat similar to macros. Go to Start and click on the arrow next to Quick Steps. click on New quick step and choose (optional) Amended, after which you select one or more useful steps from a drop-down menu.
There are a total of about twenty-five, including Move to folder and New meeting. You can link another one here if you want Hotkey at. Finish with Complete and with OK, and try it out via the hotkey or from the menu at Quick Steps.
Clean Inbox
Over time, a busy mailbox threatens to grow out of its seams. It is therefore smart to use the broom every now and then. Finally, go to File, if necessary, select your Outlook profile from the drop-down menu and choose Utilities / Mailbox Cleanup. click on Show mailbox size to see the size of each mailbox within your profile.
You can now search for items of a certain age (older than days) or size (greater than kB). Confirm with To search and optionally complete with the filter criteria on the various tabs, after which you click Search again clicks. In the bottom window you will see the filtered messages.
Select the messages you want to delete and press the trash can icon next to such an email. They will end up in the folder a little later Deleted items. Click on this icon again and confirm with Yes to delete the emails permanently.
