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We will show you how to use many of the features in Outlook and attempt to explain the reasoning behind some of the features (even though sometimes the reasoning doesn't make sense out here in the real world!).
We'll show you how to Create a new profile in Outlook or in older Outlook versions, use your existing personal folders with the new profile, and connect old or archived personal folders to new profile. (Importing a pst is BAD!)
You'll learn how to edit Outlook's views or create new views, create rules and filters, and how to start Outlook using common command line switches. You'll learn some of the more commonly used keyboard shortcuts so you can be more productive.
If you don't like the views in Outlook, we'll show you how to create new custom views in Create a Custom View. You can disable the disable the default "group by" view in Outlook 2003 or use the steps to customize the default view in any version of Outlook.
If spam is a problem and you think the solution is to return it to the sender, see Returning an email to the sender.
We'll show you how to use start up switches to start Outlook in specific folders, how to delete messages stuck in your Outbox, or use MFCMapi to peek inside your *.pst file and delete read receipts that won't send using your current configuration.
If you rebuild your computer often or use multiple computers, you use the Office Customization Tool to create an Outlook Profile file (*.PRF) to help you recreate your profile easily. You can even edit the *.prf files using Notepad to add new accounts: Adding Internet Mail accounts to a PRF.
Are you trying to reply to a message using a template? See Rules in Error when replying with a template for solutions.
See Error 4202 when accessing Hotmail account in Outlook for a common problem when using the Outlook Connector to access Hotmail or MSN email accounts.
Learn how to use Free/Busy even though you don't have an Exchange server.
Are your contacts being updated from your global address book? See Outlook Contacts updating from the GAL
If you use MSN or Hotmail and suddenly can't receive email, see Denied Access to MSN accounts
If spam is a problem and you think the solution is to return it to the sender, see Returning an email to the sender.
Published May 7, 2011. Last updated on December 27, 2013.