Topics in this chapter   Updating Outlook Profiles     Locating and Configuring Outlook Settings     Using Automatic Message Encoding     Unicode Support

Locating and Configuring Outlook Settings

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

Most Outlook 2002 settings can be configured by using the Custom Installation Wizard and maintained by using the Custom Maintenance Wizard. You can also install Outlook on a test computer, then customize and capture the settings by using the Office Profile Wizard. Those settings can then be distributed to users' computers. Or, you can 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 2002 settings that you might specify, and when and how you can set them.

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 Microsoft Outlook 2002 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.
  
  
• Outlook Bar shortcuts
  
  
• 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 following Outlook 2002 settings are not captured in an OPS file:
• 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 secure 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 2002 options are customizable using Office tools or the 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:
  • Outlook Bar shortcuts
    
    
  • 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 and Send/Receive Groups in the Tools | Options, Mail Setup tab.