Locating and Configuring Outlook Settings

The administration tools provided with Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 help you install Microsoft Outlook with the best supported configuration for your organization, and help you update and maintain your Outlook installation to meet changing needs.

Most Outlook 2003 settings can be configured by using the Custom Installation Wizard and changed by using the Custom Maintenance Wizard. You can also install Outlook on a test computer, customize the Outlook environment, and capture the settings by using the Office Profile Wizard. Those settings can then be distributed to users’ computers. You can also set system policies to enforce specific settings to maintain a more uniform environment.

There are some exceptions to how settings are normally specified and maintained. For example, some options cannot be captured by the Office Profile Wizard.

Most common settings to configure

The following table shows common Outlook 2003 settings that you might specify, and when and how you can set them. In general, the tools or templates to use for these settings include the following:

• At initial deployment—Custom Installation Wizard and Office Profile Wizard

• After initial deployment—Custom Maintenance Wizard and Office Profile Wizard

• Lock down settings—Policy template files (.adm), Group Policy software distribution and the Group Policy editor.

Settings	At deployment	After deployment	Lock down setting
Location of Outlook binary files	Custom Installation Wizard feature tree	Custom Maintenance Wizard feature tree	N/A
Tools | Options For example: Specify WordMail as Outlook editor	OPS file in Custom Installation Wizard Change Office User Settings page in Custom Installation Wizard Outlook: Customize Default Settings page in Custom Installation Wizard	OPS file (for standalone) in Custom Maintenance Wizard Change Office User Settings page in Custom Maintenance Wizard Outlook: Customize Default Settings page in Custom Maintenance Wizard	Outlk11.adm—includes most of these options. Office11.adm—includes settings common to all of Office 2003
MAPI profile For example: Microsoft Exchange connection, define PST files, and so on	Custom Installation Wizard Outlook profile configuration pages	Custom Maintenance Wizard Outlook profile configuration pages	Outlk11.adm

Settings not captured by the Office Profile Wizard

Most Outlook settings are captured in an Office profile settings file (OPS file) when you use the Office Profile Wizard to customize an Outlook installation. By design, the Profile Wizard excludes some settings, including user-specific information such as the user name and Most Recently Used file list (File menu).

For example, the Profile Wizard does not capture the following groups of Outlook 2003 settings:

• Profile settings, including mail server configuration

• Storage settings, such as default delivery location and personal folder files (PST files)

• E-mail accounts and directories (Tools|Options|Mail Setup|E-mail Accounts)

• Send/Receive groups (Tools|Options|Mail Setup|Send/Receive)

• Customized views; for example, the fields displayed in the Inbox or another folder

• Navigation Pane shortcuts, including Search Folders

• Auto-archive options set for a particular folder, which you set by right-clicking the folder, clicking Properties, and choosing options in the AutoArchive tab

• Delegate options (Tools|Options|Delegates)

In addition, the Profile Wizard does not capture the following specific Outlook 2003 settings:

• Send Immediately when connected check box (Tools|Options|Mail Setup)

• When forwarding a message option (Tools|Options|Preferences|E-mail Options)

• Mark my comments with option (Tools|Options|Preferences|E-mail Options)

• Request S/MIME receipt for all S/MIME signed messages check box (Tools|Options|Security)

• Show an additional time zone check box (Tools|Options|Preferences|Calendar Options|Time Zone)

• Automatically decline recurring meeting requests check box (Tools|Options|Preferences|Calendar Options|Resource Scheduling)

• Automatically decline conflicting meeting requests check box (Tools|Options|Preferences|Calendar Options|Resource Scheduling)

• Automatically accept meeting requests and process cancellations check box (Tools|Options|Preferences|Calendar Options|Resource Scheduling)

Settings that cannot be centrally administered

Most Outlook 2003 options are customizable by using Office tools or the Microsoft Windows registry. The Outlook settings that cannot be configured using these methods include:

• Other Outlook settings that are stored in user-specific locations such as:

  • Navigation Pane shortcuts, including Search Folders

  • Most Recently Used (MRU) lists

  • View information, such as specific columns that are displayed for a user’s Inbox or PST file

  • Delegate information specified in the Tools | Options, Delegates tab

• The options specified in E-mail Accounts in the Tools | Options, Mail Setup tab

• Settings for Send/Receive Groups for non-Exchange server accounts