The document provides tips for improving Outlook performance by maintaining a small inbox size, enabling cached Exchange mode, reducing attachment sizes, and defragmenting hard drives. Enabling cached Exchange mode allows offline access to emails and reduces server load. Compressing large attachments and using smaller picture sizes when sending emails helps reduce sizes. Defragmenting hard drives and creating new Outlook profiles can improve performance if other tips have not helped. Managing inbox size and regularly archiving emails are also recommended.

1. Wantbetterperformancewhile
workinginOutlook?Activelymaintain
thesizeofyourInboxandkeepyour
e-mailatpeakperformance.Why?It
impactstheperformanceofthe
company’sentiree-mailsystemand
directlyeffectsthecompanycostsof
providing,maintainingandsupporting
oursystems.
Thisisaquickreferencedocument
createdtoassistwithtroubleshooting
performanceissuesforusersofthe
Outlook2003or2007mailclientwith
Exchangeasthemailtransport.

2. Thebenefitsof
enablingtheCached
ExchangeModeare:
•Fasterresponse
timeswhenopening
emails(especially
thosewithlarge
attachments).
•Abilitytoworkoff-
linewithnolossof
conventional
functionality.
•Reducedserverand
networktraffic.
Foradditionaldetails
checkitoutat–
http://support.microsoft
.com/kb/870926
CachedExchangeMode
Whenyoure-launchOutlook,itwillbegintocopyyourMailboxcontents
ontoyourlocalcomputer.Thismaytakesometimeandnotallitemswillbe
immediatelyavailable.Inthecaseoflargemailboxesandorslowinternet
connections,thiscantakeanhourormore.
1.InOutlook:GototheTools
menuandchooseAccount
Settings.
2.OntheE-mailtab,highlight
"MicrosoftExchangeServer",
andclickChange.
3.IntheE-mailAccountswindow,
highlight"MicrosoftExchange
Server",andclickChange.
4.IntheExchangeServer
Settingswindow,checkthe
"UseCachedExchangeMode"
checkbox,andclickNext.
5.WhenyoureturntotheE-mail
Accountswindow,clickFinish.
6.Youshouldgetapopup
windowthatadvisesyouto
restartOutlookinorderforthe
changetotakeeffect.
Outlook2003Outlook2003Outlook2007Outlook2007
1.InOutlook:GototheTools
menuandchooseAccount
Settings.
2.OntheE-mailtab,highlight
"MicrosoftExchangeServer",
andclickChange.
3.IntheExchangeServer
Settingswindow,checkthe
"UseCachedExchangeMode"
checkboxandclickNext.
4.WhenyoureturntotheE-mail
Accountswindow,clickFinish.
5.Youshouldgetapopup
windowthatadvisesyouto
restartOutlookinorderforthe
changetotakeeffect.
TimelyTip!
2

3. Personal Storage Files (.PST)
Question:
WhyshouldImanage
myMailFileSize?
Answer:
Asyourmailfile
sizegrows,your
performanceslows.
Werecommendthat
youkeepyour
workingmailfile
smallerthan250MB.
Managethesizeof
yourmailboxto
improvetheoverall
performanceof
MicrosoftOutlook.
OutlookhasAutoArchivingfunctionality,butI
periodicallyrunFile>Archiveandarchivemymail
toaseparate.PST(PersonalStoragefile)filebydate.
Whenthedatedarchivefilegetstoabout750MB
(largeenoughtofillaCD)Ibackitupandstarta
newarchivefile.Allofthesearchivefilesareloaded
inmyOutlookprofile(File>Open>OutlookData
Files)andareindexedbymydesktopsearch
programfromeasyreference.Periodically,compact
yourPSTtoclearoutanyexcessspacecreatedfrom
movingordeletingmessages.
1.OntheFilemenu,click
New.
2.SelectOutlookDataFile.
3.SelectMicrosoftOutlook
PersonFoldersFile
(.PST).
4.PersonalFoldersdisplays
intheFolderList.
Tocreatea.PST:
1.OntheFilemenu,select
DataFileManagement.
2.Selectthefolderfromthe
listintheOutlookData
Filesbox.
3.SelectSettings.
4.ClickonCompactNow.
Tocompressa.PST:
3

4. Outlook2003Outlook2003oror20072007
MailboxCleanup
Doanyofthefollowing:
•Viewthetotalsizeofyour
mailboxandofindividual
folderswithinit.
•Finditemsolderthana
certaindate.
•Finditemsthatarelarger
thanacertainKBsize.
•Archiveitemsusing
AutoArchive.
•ViewthesizeofyourDeleted
Itemsfolder.
•EmptyyourDeletedItems
folder.
•Viewthesizeofyour
Conflictsfolder.
•DeleteyourConflictsfolder.
CheckHelpformoredetails(F1)
OntheToolsmenu,clickMailboxCleanup.
Addastepandeliminatemanydecisions…decreaseyour
housecleaningtimebycc:yourselfonemailsthatyousend(onlythe
onesyouwanttokeep).Thisgivesyouacopytofileandallowsyouto
simplydeleteeverythingfromyourSentFolderwithoutpainstakingly
weedingthroughtheSentFolderforemailsyouneedtokeep.Ifyou
forgettocc:yourselfthen,justemailitdirectlytoonlyyou!
TimelyTip!
Question:
Thesuggestions
soundgood,but
howamIgoingto
remembertodoall
ofthis?
Answer:
Schedulea
reminder–a
reoccurring
appointment
withinOutlook
tocleanout
yourmailbox.
4

5. Emails with Attachments
EmailswithAttachmentsEmailswithAttachments
Question:
HowdoIminimize
administrativefailure
messagesandemailsthat
arestuckinmyOutbox?
Answer:
Whenyousendemailsthat
exceedsizelimitsforeither
yourortherecipient'smail
server,themessagewill
displayinyourOutboxorbe
returnedtoyouandnot
delivered.Aper-messagesize
limitoramailboxstoragelimit
maybethecause.Large
attachmentsnotonlyfilla
recipient'smailbox,but
increaseyourownOutlook
datafilesizeandmailbox.By
default,acopyofeach
messagethatyousendis
savedtotheSentItemsfolder
inOutlook.
Ifyouembedthepictureinthebodyofthe
messagebyusingthePicturecommandin
theIllustrationsgroup,theautomaticpicture
resizefeatureisnotavailable.
1.Createanewe-mailmessage
inOutlook.
2.ClickInsertFileicon,
andselectthedesiredpicture
file.
3.Onceattached,the
AttachmentOptionsbutton
displays.ClickAttachment
Options.
4.IntheAttachmentOptions
pane,underPictureoptions,
intheSelectpicturesize
drop-downlist,clickthesize
ofthepictureyouwantto
include.
5.Whenyouarefinished
composingyoure-mail
message,clickSend.
InOutlook2003,reducethe
sizeofpicturesbycompletingthe
followingsteps:
1.Createanewe-mailmessage
inOutlook.
2.OntheInsertorMessagetab,
intheIncludegroup,click
AttachFile.
3.OntheInserttab,clickthe
Includedialogbox
launcher.
4.IntheAttachmentOptions
pane,underPictureoptions,
intheSelectpicturesize
drop-downlist,clickthesizeof
thepictureyouwanttoinclude.
5.Whenyouarefinished
composingyoure-mail
message,clickSend.
InOutlook2007,reducethe
sizeofpicturesbycompletingthe
followingsteps:
TimelyTip!
5

6. Accesstoemailswhenconnectedvia“VPN”is
notthesameasadirectnetworkconnection–
expectslowerprocessingtime.
TimelyTip!
EmailswithAttachments
Theamountofpossible
reductiondependsonthetype
offileformatandcontent.For
example,aNotepad.txtfilewill
compresssignificantly.A
MicrosoftWorddocumentinthe
.docfileformatisalready
compressed;therefore,further
compressionwillhavelittle
impactonthefilesize.
TidbitsofKnowledge
1.Navigatetothefolderthatcontainsthefile
youwanttosend.
2.Selectthefile(s).
3.Right-clicktheselection,pointtoSendTo,
andthenclickCompressed(zipped)
Folder.
4.Selectthenewlycreatedcompressed.zip
file.
5.Thefilenamewillmatchtheoriginalfile's
name,butwillhaveadifferenticon.
6.PointtoSendTo,andthenclickMail
Recipient.
7.AnewOutlookmessagewindowdisplays.
Completetheemailmessage,asnormal,
andclickSend.
InOutlook,reducethesizeofattachments
bycompletingthefollowingsteps:
EmailswithAttachmentsEmailswithAttachments
BestPracticesforsendingpictures
andattachments:
•Postorpublishlargeattachments
•Limityourattachmentstounder2
megabytes(MB)
•Sendmultipleattachmentsbyusing
severale-mailmessages
•Usecompressedgraphicfileformats
•Usesmalleroriginalfiles
•Useafilecompressionutility
•ReviewyourSentItemsfolder
6

7. Question:
I’vetriedeverythingand
myOutlookisstillslow.Is
thereanythingelseIcan
try?
Answer:
Stepoutsideof
MicrosoftOutlookand
defragmentyourhard
driveorcreateanew
mailprofile.
Beyond Outlook: Defragment
SincetheDiskDefragmenterprogramisgoingtoarrange
filesonyourharddrive,itisimportantthatnofilesarebeing
accessedduringtheprocess,ortheprogramwon’tbeable
tomovethem.Itisrecommendedthatyoudonotuseyour
computer.
Keepinmindthatthedefragmentprocesstimeframeis
dependentonthesizeofyourharddriveandamountof
defragmentation.
TimelyTip!
Solution1:DefragmentYour
WindowsXPHardDriveWindowsXPHardDrive
1.Todefragmentyourharddrivein
WindowsXP,openMyComputerand
right-clickontheC:drive.
2.SelectProperties,thenclickontheTools
tabandselectDefragmentNow.
3.Closeallopenprograms.
4.SelecttheC:driveand,thenclick
Defragment.
5.ClosetheDiskDefragmenterwindowand
resumeusingyourcomputer.
BeyondOutlookBeyondOutlook
7

8. BeyondOutlook:NewMailProfile
Solution2:CreateaNewMailNewMail
ProfileProfile
•FromtheStartmenu,opentheControlPanel.
•Double-clickMailiconandselectShowProfile,
thenclickAdd.
•TypethenameofyournewprofileandclickOK.
•TheE-mailAccountswindowopensandselect
Next.(Addanewemailaccountshouldbe
default).
•SelectMicrosoftExchangeServerandclick
Next.
•TypeExchangeintheMicrosoftExchange
Serverbox.
•Typeyour“lastname,firstname”intheUser
NameboxandselectCheckName(theserver
andusernameboxeswillrepopulate).
•SelectNextandthenFinish.TheMailwindow
displaystheNewOutlookProfile.
•SelectAlwaysusethisprofile.
Nowyoucanaccessyourolddatathroughyournew
profileoryoucanimportallorsomeofyourold
messagesintothenewprofile.
1.InOutlook:SelectFile,thenOpen.
2.SelectOutlookDataFileandchooseone
ofthe.PSTfolderstoaccessyourdata.
1.OntheFilemenu,selectDataFileManagement.
2.SelectthefolderfromthelistintheOutlookData
Filesbox.
3.SelectSettings.
4.ClickonCompactNow.
Accessyourdata:
Importyourdata:
BeyondOutlookBeyondOutlook
ContinuedContinued
8

9. Notes
Notes
9

10. Notes
Notes
10