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Outlook 2007 Basics: What You Need to Know to Start Using

Outlook

This document provides basic skills in using Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Overview of Outlook

1. Outlook provides an integrated solution for managing your time and information.

2. It can make it easier to prioritize and control your time, so that you can focus on the

things that matter most.

3. Outlook is much more than an electronic mailbox!

Using the Inbox

1. Sending and Receiving Messages

a. Outlook automatically delivers and sends messages. There is no need for you to

click the Send/Receive button.

b. New messages will appear in your Inbox.

c. To send a message, click the New button in the upper-left corner. A new blank

message form will appear.

Keep track of your daily

meetings at a glance.

Outlook includes an electronic rolodex for

maintaining your contacts.

Manage and maintain

your to-do list.

Use the Navigation Pane to

move around Outlook.



d. If sending a message to someone in the University of Illinois system, you can

click the To button to use the Address Book and search by last name.

Type the body of

your message

here.

Type a brief

subject for

your message.

here.



e. To include an attachment with a message, before you click the Send button, go to

the Insert tab and click the Attach File button. Browse for your file.

f. Click the Send button to send your message.

2. Forwarding and Replying

a. To forward a message, open the message, and click the Forward button on the

Message tab. This will put a copy of the message in a new message form, so that

you can then fill in the To line and add a comment if you want.

b. To reply to a message, open the message and click the Reply button.

i. The Reply button replies to only the person who sent the message.



ii. The Reply to All button replies to everyone the message was sent to.

3. Adding a Signature

a. People often include their contact information at the bottom of their e-mail

message. This is called a signature.

b. To create a signature, go to the Tools menu, and choose Options.

c. Then click on the Mail Format tab at the top and choose Signatures.



d. Click the New button, and enter a name for your signature.

e. Type the information you want to include at the bottom of a message. This often

includes your name, title, organization/department, contact info (phone, fax, e-

mail), and occasionally a quote or slogan.

f. Then select if you want the signature to automatically be included at the end of

new messages and/or replies/forwards.

g. Click OK to save.

h. Then click OK to return.

4. Using the Out of Office Assistant

a. If you will be out of the office for an extended period of time, you can activate

the Out of Office Assistant.

b. This feature will send an automatic message to each person the first time they e-

mail you while the feature is on. You can determine what the message will say.

c. To turn on this feature, go to the Tools menu and choose Out of Office

Assistant.



d. Select ‘I am currently Out of the Office’ and then type what you want the

message to say.

e. Then click OK.

f. Remember that when you return, you need to turn off the Out of Office

Assistant.

i. Go to the Tools menu and choose Out of Office Assistant.

ii. Select ‘I am currently In the Office’.

iii. Click OK.

5. Printing

a. Messages can be printed by simply clicking on the Office button and choosing

Print.

Organizing the Inbox

1. Using Folders

a. Folders can be created to store and organize e-mail messages.



b. To create a folder, right-click on the Inbox in the Navigation Pane.

c. Choose New Folder, and then enter a name for the folder and click OK.

d. You can now drag messages to your folders for storage.

e. Folders are arranged alphabetically.

2. Sorting and Searching

a. By default, messages are sorted by the date/time received.

b. However, you can click on the column headings to sort by another field.

i. For example, to sort by the person who sent the message, simply click on

the From heading.

c. To search for a message, type the key words in the Search box and press Enter.

Outlook will quickly scan your Inbox for messages containing the key words.

Other Folders in Your Mailbox

Besides the Inbox, there are other folders available in Outlook to help you manage your mail.

Type

key

words

here.

Click a heading to sort by that field.



1. Sent Items

a. The Sent Items folder stores a copy of each message that you send.

b. To avoid reaching your mailbox limit, you may want to empty your Sent Items

folder occasionally.

2. Drafts

a. The Drafts folder stores the messages that you have begun but haven’t sent yet.

b. Each time you start a message but close it without sending, Outlook will ask you

if you want to save the message. Clicking Yes will save it in the Drafts folder.

3. Deleted Items

a. As you delete messages from your Inbox, they are not deleted permanently.

They are stored in your Deleted Items folder and can be restored to your Inbox if

needed.

b. To avoid reaching your mailbox limit, you may want to empty your Deleted

Items folder occasionally.

4. Outbox

a. The Outbox is a temporary storage folder for messages that you completed but

haven’t yet been sent. Our system is set up to nearly instantly send messages as

soon as you click the Send button. As such, your Outbox should always be

empty.

b. If there are messages in your Outbox, then it is likely that your Outlook is not

connected. Please contact the Helpdesk (6-6000) for assistance in re-connecting.

The Calendar

The Outlook Calendar provides you with tools to manage your time, including appointments

and meetings, as well as to schedule meetings with others.

1. Adding meetings

a. To add a meeting to your calendar,

click on Calendar in the Navigation

Pane.

b. Click on the New button in the

upper-left corner or simply double-

click on the Calendar.

c. The minimal information needed is a

Subject, Start Time, and End Time.



d. Optional information, such as location and meeting details, can be entered.

e. Click the Save and Close button when finished.

f. The meeting is now posted on your Calendar.

2. Inviting others to a meeting

a. You can use Outlook to invite others to a meeting as well as to check their

availability.

b. When creating a meeting, click the Invite Attendees button.



c. This adds a To line to your meeting and adds a Send button, which replaces the

Save and Close button.

d. Enter the address of the person/people you wish to invite. You can click the To

button to use the Address Book.

e. Click on the Scheduling button to check their schedule before sending the

invitation.



f. You can use the grid to see if they are available during that time. You can use the

AutoPick Next button at the bottom of the screen to have Outlook select the next

available timeslot for your meeting.

g. When ready, click the Send button to add the meeting to your Calendar as well

as to send the meeting invitation to the attendees.

Contacts and Distribution Lists

Outlook includes a Contacts feature that serves as an electronic rolodex. You can add

individuals to your Contacts and you can create groups of people (called Distribution Lists),

such as your team members or lunch buddies.

1. To add a Contact, click on Contacts in the

Navigation Pane.

2. Click on the New button in the upper-left

corner.



3. Complete the form. At the minimum, you should enter a name and e-mail address.

4. Click Save and Close when finished.

5. To create a Distribution List, click the small arrow next to the New button in the upper-

left corner and then select Distribution List.



6. Type a name for the group. Then use the Select Members button to choose members

from the Address Book or your Contacts or use the Add New button to enter e-mail

addresses manually.

7. Click Save and Close when finished.

Tips on Reducing Spam

1. Limit places where you post your work e-mail address. When possible, use a personal

e-mail address (like Yahoo).

2. Review the privacy policies of websites before you sign up for anything, even if it is a

free service. If the Web site does not explain how your personal information will be

used, consider not using the services at that site.

3. Watch out for check boxes that are already selected. Companies sometimes add a check

box that is already selected, which indicates that it is fine with you if the company sells

or gives your e-mail address to other businesses (or "third parties"). Clear this check box

so that your e-mail address is not shared.

4. Don’t reply to spam, unless you know and trust the sender. Answering spam just

confirms to the spammer that your e-mail address is an active one.

5. Don’t forward chain e-mail messages. Besides increasing overall e-mail volume, you

lose control over who sees your e-mail address.

Outlook 2007 Basics: What You Need to Know to Start ... - UIS€¦ · To forward a message, open...

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