outlook startup

[Guest]

I would like to have Outlook 2k3 open at startup MINIMIZED or in the TRAY.
The help file has made me well aware that I can just drag it into the startup
folder, however this does not achieve the desired result.

I do not want to actually see the Outlook window at startup every time
though. I just wanted it to auto load in the background so I can get the
nifty little new message envelope in the tray when I get a new message
without having to have the Outlook window showing on the taskbar.

Is there a generic command line modifier that tells a program to open to the
tray, or at least to open minimized? If so, will it also function with
Outlook 2k3?

 

[Guest]

Outlook can cause problems if it loads before everything else is finished
loading. You should put a shortcut on the Quick Launch bar instead & launch
after everything loads. You can have it start minimized by right clicking on
the shortcut and choosing Run Minimized instead of Normal Window. Minimizing
puts it in the tray.

 

[Guest]

This is exactly what I am trying to do as well. How do I get to this 'Quick
Launch bar'? I'm using WinXP and Outlook 2000

 

[Joe Spenceley]

Right Click on Taskbar
Select Properties
Tick Show Quick Launch.

Job Done.

Now you can drag and drop any shortcut onto the quick launch bar.

 

[Guest]

I did that and it worked, but I think I misunderstood what the Quick Launch
menu does. To me, it's just as good as a desktop shortcut.

What I need to do, is have Outlook launch on startup AFTER everything else
has loaded, as Mary said. The reason for this is that my computer has to
connect to the Exchange server BEFORE Outlook opens, so that my mailboxes,
PAB, etc can load in Outlook.

Is there any way that you can get Outlook to load on startup after
everything else loads - that is, without having to click on any shortcut
(either on desktop or quick launch icon).

I think it may involve fiddling around with the registry. (?)

 

[Brian Tillman]

What I need to do, is have Outlook launch on startup AFTER everything
else has loaded, as Mary said. The reason for this is that my
computer has to connect to the Exchange server BEFORE Outlook opens,
so that my mailboxes, PAB, etc can load in Outlook.

An aside: the PAB in Outlook hasn't been used since Outlook 98. You
shouldn't have one. All addresses are kept in the Contacts folder.

As for the rest, your computer doesn't have to "connect to the Exchange
server BEFORE Outlook opens". In fact, it _can't_ do that, since the only
app on your machine that even knows or cares about Exchange is Outlook.
Outlook is what needs to connect to your Exchange server. Nothing else
does. And Outlook can't connect to the Exchange server until it starts.

Additionally, you have exactly ONE mailbox in Outlook, and it's probably on
the Exchange server. You may have other Personal Folders files, but those
aren't mailboxes. When Mary said "Outlook can cause problems if it loads
before everything else is finished loading", I'm not sure what she meant,
because on my machine (and hundreds of other machines where I work), Outlook
starts fairly early on in the start sequence and there's never a problem.
If you think there's a problem (and there may be, I don't know your
installation), it's not caused by what starts before or after Outlook.

 

[Guest]

OK, for a start, everyone at work uses Outlook 2000 using BOTH contacts and
personal address books, so I know that you are wrong on that one. The other
thing, at work, when I log on I get an "ntlogon.bat" file running on startup
- this connects me to all the mapped drives on the network.

Now, my question was to find out how to DELAY the execution of Outlook by 10
to 20 seconds, because I know it can be done. The reason for this is if I put
a shortcut to Outlook.exe in my startup folder, it doesn't load my .pab or
mailbox from the exchange server. AFTER the ntlogon.bat has run, I can
connect to my pab and mailbox, but I have to reopen it. I KNOW that it isn't
connecting to these things because it brings up error messages telling me
this - "Personal Address Book Logon: Your Personal Address Book could not be
opened." and "Outlook could not connect to your mailbox. Do you want to use
the default mailbox?". This is why I am asking this question of HOW to delay
the execution.

Now, if you could be kind enough to even try answering my question, without
picking at everything inside it, that would be great. If you can't answer it,
don't reply.

 

[Brian Tillman]

OK, for a start, everyone at work uses Outlook 2000 using BOTH
contacts and personal address books, so I know that you are wrong on
that one.

I'm not wrong. the PAB became obsolete with Outlook 2000 and remains
available only for compatibilty with OL 98.

The other thing, at work, when I log on I get an
"ntlogon.bat" file running on startup - this connects me to all the
mapped drives on the network.

I don't think whatever happens in ntlogon.bat has anything to do with
Exchange connection because Outlook and Exchange don't communicate via a
mapped drive; they use Microsoft networking protocols to communicate and
those start before ntlogon.bat runs.

Now, my question was to find out how to DELAY the execution of
Outlook by 10 to 20 seconds, because I know it can be done.

What evidence to you have that leads you to believe this?

The
reason for this is if I put a shortcut to Outlook.exe in my startup
folder, it doesn't load my .pab or mailbox from the exchange server.

he PAB is not kept on the Exchange server. Exchange doesn't know about any
PAB.

AFTER the ntlogon.bat has run, I can connect to my pab and mailbox,

Do you have the PAB and/or any person folders on a network-mapped drive? If
so, that's likely your problem. Outlook does not support data files hosted
on network drives. Moreover, it can lead to corruption of those files.

but I have to reopen it. I KNOW that it isn't connecting to these
things because it brings up error messages telling me this -
"Personal Address Book Logon: Your Personal Address Book could not be
opened." and "Outlook could not connect to your mailbox. Do you want
to use the default mailbox?".

This is a fairly good indication that you _do_ have a PST on a network drive
and that it is your default delivery location. The first thing you should
do is to realize that the PAB is obsolete and shouldn't be used and the
second this is that your default delivery location should be the Exchange
mailbox and not a PST and the third thing you should realize is that
network-hosted Outlook data files are a bad idea.

Now, if you could be kind enough to even try answering my question, without
picking at everything inside it, that would be great.

I did nothing like you claim here.

 

[Guest]

If PAB files are obsolete in Outlook 2000, how come when you go to
Tools>Services>Add, there is an option to create a Personal Address Book?
Surely if Microsoft wanted to make it obsolete, they wouldn't provide this
option.

As for the pab being stored on individual user's network storage drives, I
may inquire with out Systems Administrator as to whether this is a good idea.
It just seems a lot easier to keep all pab files on the network. Why would
Outlook data files be corrupted if stored on a network and not other files,
such as Word or Excel files?

Simon.

 

[Brian Tillman]

If PAB files are obsolete in Outlook 2000, how come when you go to
Tools>Services>Add, there is an option to create a Personal Address
Book?

To make it compatible with Outlook 97/98 which did use the PAB. It's so you
can move your old PAB to the Contacts folder.

I don't know why you insist on arguing with me. Take it up with Microsoft.
It wasn't my decision, it was theirs. To quote from a Microsoft article:
"Although the Personal Address Book is now replaced with Contacts in Outlook
as your default contacts container, you can still use both." Notice the
words "PAB is now replaced with Contacts"?

Surely if Microsoft wanted to make it obsolete, they wouldn't
provide this option.

If you've ever designed software for a living, you know that upward
compatibility is essential in many business environments and lack of it can
send your customers scurrying to other vendors.

As for the pab being stored on individual user's network storage
drives, I may inquire with out Systems Administrator as to whether
this is a good idea. It just seems a lot easier to keep all pab files
on the network. Why would Outlook data files be corrupted if stored
on a network and not other files, such as Word or Excel files?

While I can only guess, one of those guesses is that the window of
opportunity for network traffic interruption is much greater for Outlook
files, since they must be opened read/write all the while Outlook is opened.
Spreadsheets and documents can be opened read-only sometimes and, when
opened for write, typically they're not held open nearly as long. Moreover,
I believe I/O activity for such files is substantially lower than for
Outlook files, where I/O happens on a more continuous basis. See
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=297019