Takeaway: Does Outlook’s pokey
performance have you gnashing your teeth with frustration? Try these
simple fixes to give it a kick in the pants.
If you’ve used Microsoft Outlook for a while, you know that it can slow
down… way down. In fact, when not looked after, Outlook can become
nearly useless. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to make
Outlook not only usable, but significantly improved. And none of these
techniques requires a single configuration change to your Exchange
server (IMAP or POP3).
Of course, some of these suggestions might seem to have a bit more
“‘duh” factor than others. But you never know what level of skills
you’re dealing with, so we’ll cover all the bases. In the end, you
should have a much faster Outlook experience.
1: Update Windows
Many people don’t realize that with Windows updates, the updates for
Microsoft Office are also “hidden.” But it’s not just the Office updates
that can help speed up Outlook. Make sure you allow the updates to
happen. Why? There are times when Microsoft might update Exchange. In
some cases, those updates can either break or cause problems with the
communication between Outlook and Exchange. Or Microsoft might issue a
patch to the application to resolve a speed issue or security hole.
2: Download complete items
When you connect Outlook with either IMAP or POP3, 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 sync 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. But basically, you’re looking for the setting Download Complete
Item Including Attachments.
3: Archive your Inbox
I can’t tell you how many times I see clients with thousands upon
thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of emails in their
Inbox. This can cause serious issues, especially when using PST files.
Instead of just letting those Inbox folders grow to outrageous
proportions, set up auto archiving so that your Inbox retains only a
portion of those emails. I like to tell clients to keep the current and
previous months’ email in the Inbox and archive everything else. When
you archive, you effectively create a new data file, so Outlook doesn’t
have to strain against the weight of an oversize PST or OST file
4: 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 (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. 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 often my 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 favor and search through your C drive to
locate the Scanpst.exe file. Make note of its location (usually within
the Office installation folder). But be forewarned: This tool can cause
PST files to become unusable. Make sure you back up that data file
before you start the repair tool. Fortunately, should Scanpst find
errors, it will prompt you to make a backup before it attempts to fix
the errors.
7: Cut down on the published and shared calendars
Yes, it’s easy to publish and share your calendars with others. The
problem is, the more you do it, the more drag you’re putting on Outlook.
The more data Outlook has to share and pull down from the Internet, the
slower it will perform. Sure, it’s fine to have one or two shared
calendars (and even more if you have a lightning-fast data pipe). 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.
10: Fix ShoreTel Windows 7 integration
If you use the ShoreTel Communicator, you might notice some issues when
trying to open and use Outlook. The problem lies in an incompatibility
issue between ShoreTel and Windows 7. The fix is simple. Open up the
Task Manager and look for a process called Agent.exe. Right-click that
entry and click Properties |Compatibility. Choose the Run This Program
In Compatibility Mode For option and then select Windows XP (Service
Pack 3).
Other tricks?
There’s no reason why anyone should have to struggle with a bogged down
Outlook that will have you pulling your hair out strand by strand. These
tips should help you enjoy a much speedier and reliable Outlook
experience.
~ Jack Wallen 
