Lesson 3: Maintaining Outlook


Maintaining Outlook is similar to maintaining Outlook Express; a user can empty the Deleted Items folder when he or she exits the program, use AutoArchive to manage the mailbox size by deleting old items or moving them to an archive file, and use Mailbox Cleanup to manage the size of the mailbox or delete files that are a certain age or size. Users might also want to configure junk e-mail settings. You will be called on to perform these tasks, but to reduce service calls to clients, make sure you teach your end users to use these tools regularly.

After this lesson, you will be able to

  • Configure Outlook to empty deleted items on exit.

  • Configure AutoArchive in Outlook.

  • Perform mailbox cleanup tasks in Outlook.

  • Configure Outlook’s Junk E-mail feature.

Estimated lesson time: 25 minutes

Emptying the Deleted Items Folder on Exit

One way to keep Outlook maintained is to empty the items in the Deleted Items folder each time Outlook is closed. Emptying the Deleted Items folder when exiting keeps that folder clean, and this step might be necessary to keep a user’s mailbox within specific file size limits, especially if the user’s mailbox is stored on a network server.

Note

The rest of this chapter focuses on Outlook, but tasks done in Outlook Express are performed similarly, as demonstrated in earlier sections.

Deleting files on exit is an option in the Options dialog box, set as follows:

  1. In Outlook, click Tools, and click Options.

  2. In the Options dialog box, click the Other tab.

  3. Select the Empty The Deleted Items Folder Upon Exiting check box.

  4. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

    Note

    Do not select the Empty The Deleted Items Folder Upon Exiting check box unless you absolutely have to. Users will find that they access this folder often to review deleted messages.

AutoArchive

AutoArchive can be used to keep a mailbox manageable by archiving old items to a separate personal storage file and by deleting content that meets specific criteria for age. AutoArchive is on by default and runs in the background, clearing items that meet set expiration conditions. These expiration options apply to both e-mail and meeting items with content that is no longer valid after a certain date.

AutoArchive can be configured in a number of ways and can be set to perform (or not perform) the following tasks:

  • Run automatically after a specific number of days.

  • Prompt the user before it runs.

  • Archive or delete old items after a specific number of months, weeks, or days.

  • Delete expired items in e-mail folders.

  • Show archive folders in the folder list.

  • Move items to a specific place.

  • Permanently delete old items.

  • Set a retention policy if it is applied by a network administrator.

Because users often forget to manage and maintain their e-mails, AutoArchive should be configured to run using its defaults unless the user or corporate policy prevents it. AutoArchive can be accessed from the Options dialog box as follows:

  1. Click Tools, click Options, and click the Other tab.

  2. Click AutoArchive.

  3. Make changes by selecting or clearing check boxes and using the arrows to set numeric configurations.

Mailbox Cleanup

When possible, inform users of Outlook’s Mailbox Cleanup feature, which lets users easily manage the size of their mailboxes and improve the overall performance of Outlook. From the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box, users can do the following:

  • View the total size of the mailbox and the individual folders in it, including the Deleted Items folder.

  • Sort, delete, and archive items by date or size.

  • Find and delete unread e-mail (junk e-mail or spam), e-mail from a particular sender, e-mail that has an attachment, items in the Deleted Items folder, items sent to a particular person, and more.

  • View and delete items in the Conflicts folder.

To open and use the Mailbox Cleanup utility (shown in Figure 4-11), follow these steps:

  1. Click Tools, and click Mailbox Cleanup.

    • To view the mailbox size, click View Mailbox Size. Click Close to return to the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box.

    • To use AutoArchive, configure the settings for date and size using the arrows next to the Find Items Older Than and Find Items Larger Than areas, and click AutoArchive.

    • To view the size of the Deleted Items folder, click View Deleted Items Size. Click Close to return to the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box.

    • To empty the Deleted Items folder, click Empty. Click Yes to verify your choice.

  2. To perform an advanced search for files, in the Mailbox Cleanup dialog box, set the criteria using the arrows next to the Find Items Older Than and Find Items Larger Than areas, and then click Find. The Advanced Find dialog box opens with three tabs: Messages, More Choices, and Advanced. You use these tabs to configure advanced search options, and you use the Edit menu to select and delete the items if desired.

    click to expand
    Figure 4-11: The Mailbox Cleanup dialog box.

Each tab in the Advanced Find window offers multiple options for sorting the files that matched the original criteria in step 3 in the preceding example. For instance, to locate all unread e-mail and delete it (this is almost always junk e-mail), click the More Choices tab, select the Only Items That Are check box, and choose Unread from the drop-down list. Every item stored that has not been read that matches the criteria for age and size set earlier will appear. To delete these files, click Edit, then click Select All, and then press Del on the keyboard.

E-mail can also be sorted by who sent it, who it was sent to, whether or not it contains an attachment or is flagged, and whether it meets specific size requirements. E-mail can also be sorted based on the words that appear in the subject line or body. This is an excellent tool for getting rid of unwanted e-mail stored on the computer, e-mail regarding a specific project that has been completed, or e-mail from a group or specific person.

Exam Tip

Learn the options that are available to you in the Outlook Mailbox Cleanup feature. This is valuable information on the exam and in the real world.

Junk E-Mail Options

Outlook has a built-in Junk E-Mail feature that is available on the Actions menu. The Junk E-Mail Options dialog box is shown in Figure 4-12. Junk e-mail options can be set to move messages that appear to be unwanted to a special junk e-mail folder. As you can see in Figure 4-12, the Junk E-Mail Options dialog box has the following four tabs:

  • Options Use the options on this tab to configure the level of junk e-mail protection. The level can be configured for no protection or for low or high protection, or so that the recipient receives e-mail only from specified contacts. These settings can also be configured so that suspected junk e-mail is automatically deleted and bypasses the Junk E-Mail folder.

  • Safe Senders Use the options on this tab to configure a safe senders list. E-mail from addresses or domain names on this list will never be treated as junk e-mail. Also available is the Always Trust E-Mail From My Contacts check box.

  • Safe Recipients Use the options on this tab to configure a safe recipients list. E-mail sent to addresses or domain names on this list will never be treated as junk e-mail.

  • Blocked Senders Use the options on this tab to configure a blocked senders list. E-mail from addresses or domain names on this list will always be treated as junk e-mail.

    click to expand
    Figure 4-12: The Junk E-Mail Options dialog box.

As a DST, you will be asked to address issues involving junk e-mail. For clients who use Outlook, your first suggestion should be to configure junk e-mail options. (For Outlook Express users, configure rules and block senders.) Be sure you tell users to check their Junk E-Mail folder occasionally, though, because sometimes valid e-mail gets sent there.

To use and configure Outlook’s default Junk E-Mail Options, follow these steps:

  1. Click Actions, point to Junk E-Mail, and click Junk E-Mail Options.

  2. On the Options tab, shown in Figure 4-12, choose the desired level of junk e-mail protection.

  3. On the Safe Senders, Safe Recipients, and Blocked Senders tabs, click Add to add a particular sender or domain. Click OK.

    Caution

    If junk e-mail levels are set to High, most junk e-mail will be caught, but some valid mail might be caught as well. Be careful when choosing this setting, and make sure that important contacts are configured as safe senders.

Users can also easily add senders to the safe senders or blocked lists as e-mail arrives. With the e-mail selected in Outlook, click Actions, point to Junk E-Mail, and click any of the following:

  • Add Sender To Blocked Senders List

  • Add Sender To Safe Senders List

  • Add Sender’s Domain (@example.com) To Safe Senders List

  • Add Recipient To Safe Recipients List

  • Mark As Not Junk (available only when the user is accessing e-mail from the Junk E-Mail folder)

These settings allow users to add blocked senders, safe senders, and safe recipients easily. Teach end users how to do this when possible.

Practice: Configure Outlook Maintenance Settings

In this practice, you will configure Outlook 2003 so that the Deleted Items folder is emptied automatically on exit, set AutoArchive options, and compact Outlook data.

Exercise 1: Empty the Deleted Items Folder upon Exiting Outlook 2003

  1. Log on to Windows XP.

  2. On the Start menu, choose E-Mail. If Outlook 2003 is not configured as your default e-mail software, on the Start menu, point to All Programs and then to Microsoft Office, and select Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

  3. On the Tools menu, choose Options.

  4. In the Options dialog box, on the Other tab, select the Empty The Deleted Items Folder Upon Exiting check box.

Exercise 2: Set AutoArchive Options

  1. Log on to Windows XP.

  2. On the Start menu, choose E-Mail. If Outlook 2003 is not configured as your default e-mail software, on the Start menu, point to All Programs and then to Microsoft Office, and select Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

  3. On the Tools menu, choose Options.

  4. In the Options dialog box, on the Other tab, click AutoArchive.

  5. In the AutoArchive dialog box, select the Run AutoArchive Every check box.

  6. Clear the Prompt Before AutoArchive Runs check box. In the Default Folder Settings For Archiving section, in the Clean Out Items Older Than selection box, select the number of months you want to be the maximum age for items to stay in Outlook before being archived.

  7. Click Apply These Settings To All Folders Now, and then click OK.

Exercise 3: Compact Outlook Data

  1. Log on to Windows XP.

  2. On the Start menu, choose E-Mail. If Outlook 2003 is not configured as your default e-mail software, on the Start menu, point to All Programs and then to Microsoft Office, and select Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

  3. On the Tools menu, choose Options.

  4. In the Options dialog box, on the Mail Setup tab, click Data Files.

  5. In the Outlook Data Files dialog box, click Settings.

  6. In the Personal Folders dialog box, click Compact Now. Compacting time will vary with the size of the .pst file.

    Note

    Sometimes compacting .pst files can repair faults in the files.

  7. In the Personal Folders dialog box, click OK.

  8. In the Outlook Data Files dialog box, click Close.

  9. In the Options dialog box, click OK.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and try the question again. You can find answers to the questions in the “Questions and Answers” section at the end of this chapter.

  1. A user reports that he received an error message from the company’s e-mail server. The message stated that he has met his quota for space on the server and needs to delete some of the e-mail he has stored there. He informs you that he has deleted some unnecessary folders from Outlook, reduced the items in his Sent Items folder, and emptied the Deleted Items folder. He wants help configuring the computer so that he does not receive these messages in the future. Which of the following applications or utilities is the best choice for configuring his computer?

    1. AutoArchive

    2. Mailbox Cleanup

    3. Junk E-Mail

    4. Macros

  2. A user reports that he set up AutoArchive in Outlook 2003 to permanently delete items that are two weeks old, no matter which folder they are in. However, the items are not being deleted after 14 days but instead are being deleted every 21 days. What is the likely cause of this?

    1. A retention policy has been set by network administrators.

    2. The deleted items have been moved to the Junk E-Mail folder.

    3. The settings configured in Mailbox Cleanup conflict with the settings configured in AutoArchive. Mailbox Cleanup has priority when conflicts arise.

    4. AutoArchive has been disabled because there is less than 200 MB of free space on the computer hard disk.

Lesson Summary

  • Configuring Outlook to empty deleted items when exiting is one way to keep the size of your Outlook file down. Be careful with this setting, though, as many users need to refer to deleted items occasionally.

  • AutoArchive automatically moves items of a certain age to a separate personal storage file, helping keep the size of the Outlook data file down and keeping old messages out of a user’s way.

  • The Mailbox Cleanup feature in Outlook lets users find, sort, delete, and archive messages according to a number of criteria, such as item age, sender, folder, and so on.

  • Outlook 2003 features robust Junk E-Mail features that move unwanted messages to a separate folder and keep them out of the way.




McDst Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-272(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a[... ]ystem)
McDst Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-272(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a[... ]ystem)
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 237

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net