Outlook search boxA common problem with email searches is that they can return too many results. For example, entering someone’s name may return matches where the name appears in parts of the message’s body even though you meant to look for messages from that person. It can be also hard to enter other criteria to help narrow your search, such as w.. more »

We wanted to let you know about some good news from the Exchange team.They've released a new administrative tool called PST Capture that helps IT administrators manage .pst files">.pst files. It lets them search across networks to discover .pst files and then import them into Exchange Server or Exchange Online.So what's a .pst file? ...(read more).. more »

Recently, we released a small update to the software that connects the Outlook Social Connector to Facebook. If you already use the Outlook Social Connector to connect to Facebook, you can get the software update in our download center. If you don't use Outlook Social Connector, you should try it out. It integrates your contacts and email messages .. more »

The 2 GB file size problem associated with MS Outlook has discomfort Outlook users by corrupting their data or making them inaccessible. Outlook splitter has proved to be a key resolver in this issue as it splits large Outlook file into small parts... more »

Bouncers at a concertThere's nothing worse finding your home mailbox filled with trash: useless coupons, real estate ads for houses you'll never be able to afford (cruel marketers!), sweepstakes entries, direct mail nonsense, and catalogs for you, your clothes, your hobbies, your wife (her clothes, her hobbies), your kids (ditto), and even your .. more »

I'm starting a new feature here on the Outlook blog: A seasonal roundup of the best and brightest blog posts, articles, and general news about Outlook. Take a look; you may have missed something that could very well change your life (at least the way you email about it, calendar around it, and make tasks for it)....(read more).. more »

Every morning, right before I let her out, Bamboo plants her paws in front of my feet and casually leans into a perfect and seemingly effortless Downward-facing Dog asana, this simplest of yoga poses. And every morning I admire—or is it envy?—her unencumbered life, her absence of guile, her lack of…multiple email accounts, calendars, and device.. more »

Let's take a look at your morning. Chances are it takes you a while to wake up. You may need a shower, a shave, some coffee, breakfast, and maybe a chat with your loved one. Then—and only then—will you feel steady enough to wrestle with that onerous inbox of yours. I am very much this way: The last thing I want to do first thing is jump right into.. more »

Before I hop into today's features that you MUST use, I need to first explain what Conversations are (in Outlook, not in life; I assume we are all up to speed on the back and forth that happens between people...and their pets). Conversations in Outlook are simply email threads — the complete chain of messages from the first message through all th.. more »

There are three different ways in which you can share your Outlook 2010 calendar: By email, where your calendars can arrive in your recipient's inbox as an attachment, and with a "Calendar Snapshot" in the body of the message, With Exchange Server, where you and others using Exchange and can share calendars and manage permissions, too. By s.. more »

Shortcuts are generally good: When training to do heart surgery? Not good. When developing software that helps people be more productive? Not good. When using software more efficiently? Good. These last two are obviously related: When the developers of Outlook created the program, they did not take shortcuts so that you , as the user of .. more »

Today's post isn't a long list of tips from which you can pick and choose and wander your way through—no. Today I'm presenting you with three power tips. Tips so sturdy, so reliable, and so easy to remember that I sort of feel bad that I haven't offered them up until now. But I must confess: These tips came from a variety of places—I didn't just .. more »

In this final video installment, Harry has really learned some effective time and schedule management, and he knows that all that depends on consistently applying the principles he's learned-—fundamentals that can happen naturally after they become part of a normal routine. But Renée has one more fun little tip for Harry before she's off on her new.. more »

Although you don't have much say about when and how many meetings are scheduled, you do have more control over your calendar than you might think. In this video, Renée talks to Harry about some of the things he can do to take more control over his calendar such as 1) Setting aside time each morning to review his calendar and task list; 2) Blocking o.. more »

Learning to manage your email and time effectively is not only a function of Outlook features. Control of your schedule comes from understanding and following best practices in how you work. Renée explains the principles behind the practice of the "four Ds" in handling email: Delete it. Do it. Delegate it. Defer it. But which one to employ? R.. more »

A lot of email messages you get don’t need a response, and don't even need to be read right away, especially those from large distribution lists. Renée shows Harry how to set up rules in Outlook that route email from those lists to special folders, to be read at a time that Harry schedules in his regular routine. ...(read more).. more »

Sorting through email—sometimes in that panicked or semi-panicked state—may seem the most logical way to figure out what you need to do RIGHT NOW. But I can tell you by experience that it isn't. If you have something that need to get done pronto and that you didn't schedule for a specific time in your calendar (and therefore isn't just waiting arou.. more »

In Harry's next visit with Renée, she explains that by creating Search Folders—which look just like regular folders—Harry doesn't have to know where to hunt for a particular message. She explains to him that there's no more need for panicking when he wants to find a particular message by keyword or whatever. So now, Harry is starting to get the i.. more »

Adding categories is like tagging photos or adding tags to blog posts: you're adding little handles or hooks that help you gather related messages. Watch how Harry's eyes are opened even further in this next video when Renée explains to him how categories can really lighten his load when used as they were meant to be used. (You can benefit from u.. more »

When you're searching for a particular email message, you don't have to know what folder it's in (unlike your filing system at home); search will find it for you. Organizing and staying on top of your mail can involve creating a folder structure that makes sense to you, and there are some tried and true ways that work for most people. In today's .. more »