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Outlook Frequently Asked Questions

This page is intended to address questions concerning using the Outlook client. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, please call the IT Customer Service Center at 864-8080 or email your question to itcsc@ku.edu.

Topics

General questions about Outlook and Exchange

  1. How do I sign up for a KU Exchange account?
  2. How do I register my official email address?
  3. How do I redirect my current alias (user@ku.edu)?
  4. What is my Exchange email address?
  5. How can I access my Exchange account?
  6. How can I get the full client to install on my home computer?
  7. How do I change my display name in the Global Address List?
  8. What are public folders?
  9. How can I create a public folder?
  10. I received an email from the System Administrator with the subject "Your mailbox is over its size limit." What do I do?
  11. How can I change my From: address in Outlook to username@ku.edu?
  12. I'm going to be away from campus for an extended time. Can I forward my mail from Exchange to another email address?
  13. Where do I go to view or change information related to my Exchange account?
  14. What can I do to about SPAM messages?
  15. How can I tell how big my mailbox is?
  1. How do I sign up for a KU Exchange account?
    You can sign up for a personal Exchange account online by following these instructions. If you need a departmental account (associated with a task or function) go to the Departmental Accounts page.
    1. Go to the KU Online Services page at http://www.ku.edu/computing/services.
    2. Login with your ID number (Social Security Number, Employee ID or Student ID) and your birth date.
    3. Enter the username and password you want for this account. If you want to keep a current alias then enter that username (username@ku.edu).
    4. Click on the "Continue Registration" button below.
    5. Choose a question and enter the response on the Password Reminder page.
    6. Click on the "Continue" button.
    7. You have created a KU Online ID which can be used to login to several KU services.
    8. To create an email account, click on the button beside "Exchange Email Service" and click on the "Continue - Add or renew services" button at the bottom of the screen.
    9. Review the Terms of Service and click on the "I agree" button.
    10. Your People Search listing information will be displayed on the next page.
    11. Click on the "Finish Registration" button.
    12. Your Confirmation and Settings page will be displayed. Print this information for future reference. A copy will also be sent to your new Exchange address.

  2. How do I register my official email address?
    To create a KU Online ID and register your non-KU address:
    1. Go to the KU Online Services page at http://www.ku.edu/computing/services.
    2. Login with your ID number (Social Security Number, Employee ID or Student ID) and your birth date.
    3. Enter the username and password you want for this account. If you want to keep your current alias then enter that username (the username is the part in front of the @ku.edu).
    4. Click on the "Continue Registration" button below.
    5. Choose a question and enter the response on the Password Reminder page.
    6. Click on the "Continue" button.
    7. You have created a KU Online ID which can be used to login to several KU services.
    8. Enter the email address you want to register and click on "Continue - Add or renew service".
    9. Review the Terms of Service and click on the "I agree" button.
    10. You will see your People Search information with the new registered email address listed.
    11. Click on the "Finish Registration" button.
    12. A Confirmation and Settings page will be displayed. Print this information for future reference. You are finished.

  3. How do I redirect my current alias (user@ku.edu)?
    These instructions will help you redirect a KU alias (username@ku.edu) to a different email account.
    1. Go to the KU Online Information management page at http://www.ku.edu/computing/manage.
    2. Click on the "Manage Aliases" link.
    3. Login with your Exchange or KU Online ID username and password.
    4. Delete the old email address associated with your alias and enter the new email address.
    5. Click on the "Save All Changes" button.
    6. Click on the "Refresh" button if you want to see your changes on the screen, or click "Logout" to end the session.

  4. What is my Exchange email address?
    Your full email address is your username@mail.ku.edu. However, all you need to tell correspondents about is your username@ku.edu address. Messages you send out will show username@ku.edu. This shortened or alias address is what you want to give to others, print on your business cards, etc.

  5. How can I access my Exchange account?
    Your Exchange account resides on servers in the Computer Center maintained by Information Technology. You may access your account using one of several methods, some of which are only available when accessing from certain locations. 
    • You may use the Outlook client program on your individual PC or Mac if you are connected directly to the KU Network (such as from a dorm room or from your on-campus office). This option will give you access to all the collaboration features available in the Exchange environment. Go to Outlook installs for details on downloading and installing the Outlook client.
    • You may also use the Outlook client program on your individual PC or Mac from your home computer (or any other computer that is not connected directly to the KU network but is connected to the Internet) provided that you sign into KU Anywhere (accessed through the Kyou portal) before you launch Outlook. Note that KU Anywhere is only available to KU faculty, staff, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), graduate research assistants (GRAs) and emeriti.
    • You may use Outlook Web Access to read your mail with a web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. This option will provide email, public folder access and some calendaring functions. This is available from any computer that is connected to the Internet and is the recommended method for students accessing their email from off-campus.
    • You may use any IMAP or POP3 email client such as Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape Mail or Communicator. This option will provide email only and is not available for students living in on-campus housing.

  6. How can I get the full client to install on my home computer?
    See Email Client Installation Instructions to download Microsoft Outlook for Windows. Please note that you can only use the full Outlook client from your home computer if you sign into KU Anywhere (accessed through the Kyou portal) before you launch Outlook.

  7. How do I change my display name in the Global Address List?
     Display name information for faculty and staff is taken from the name listed in the Human Resources database. This information is synchronized daily with the most current data. If you do not like the way your name is displayed in the Exchange Global Address List, contact your departmental Human Resources person and ask them to change your Preferred Name in the People Soft database. This change will appear in the Exchange Global Address List the following day.

  8. What are public folders?
    A public folder is a shared collaboration space where users can hold threaded discussions, share documents, create drop folders and more. A folder owner sets the permissions to designate who can access that folder and how they can use it. A folder can be set to allow everyone on the Exchange system to view items in it, or it can be restricted to department members, or small groups can view it. More information is available at Exchange Public Folders.

  9. How can I create a public folder?
    Each department has one or two users who are designated as owners of the departmental public folder. Those owners should grant permission to all faculty and staff in their department to create subfolders within the departmental folder. If your department or unit does not have a public folder, send a request to the Exchange Public Folder Administrator at pfadmin@ku.edu. State your unit name and where you are in the university structure: academic, administrative, libraries and museums, research units, or services and organizations.

  10. I just received an email from the System Administrator with the subject "Your mailbox is over its size limit." What do I do?
    You need to remove items from your account to clear up more space. You begin to receive this System Administrator message when your account reaches 80 MB (for faculty and staff) or 20 MB (for students). For more information about keeping your mailbox under the limit, go to the Exchange Disk Space Limits page. If you need further assistance, contact the IT Customer Service Center at 864-8080.

  11. How can I change my From: address in Outlook to username@ku.edu?
    1. Go to the KU Online Information Management page at www.ku.edu/computing/manage.
    2. Select the Manage Exchange Accounts link.
    3. Log in with your KU Online ID and password.
    4. Select the radio button beside the listing for your username@ku.edu under the Set From Address heading.
    5. Click the Set 'From' Address button.
    6. Click Logout.

  12. I'm going to be away from campus for an extended time. Can I forward my mail from Exchange to another email address?
    Yes, you can set forwarding up online using the following instructions:
    1. Go to the KU Online Information Management page at www.ku.edu/computing/manage.
    2. Select the Manage Exchange Accounts link.
    3. Log in with your KU Online ID and password.
    4. Scroll down to the Set Forwarding heading.
    5. Enter the email address to which you want your mail forwarded. Be very careful to type in this address accurately. If you enter an incorrect email address you may lose email.
    6. Select the appropriate radio button to Only deliver to forwarding address or Deliver to both addresses. Be aware that if you deliver to both addresses and are gone a long time your Exchange mailbox may hit the mailbox storage limits.
    7. Click Set Forwarding. 
    8. Click Logout.

  13. Where do I go to view or change information related to my Exchange account?
    1. Go to the KU Online Information Management page at www.ku.edu/computing/manage.
    2. Select the appropriate link to manage your alias or Exchange account, or to view your personal information listed in People Search and the Exchange Address Book.
    3. Log in with your KU Online ID and password.
    4. Be sure to click the Logout button when you are done, whether or not you made any changes. 

  14. What can I do to about SPAM messages?
    KU has a spam filter at the server level to help manage the flow of spam messages. This filter affects all email addressed to a KU alias, i.e. user@ku.edu (or user@ukans.edu). It will not affect email addressed directly to a particular server, e.g., user@mail.ku.edu or user@lark.cc.ku.edu. The filter does not eliminate email messages; it "tags" potential spam. When the filter identifies a message as potential spam, the subject line is altered to read [Spam:0005 SpamScore] Original subject. The value of the number indicates the likelihood that the message is spam. The greater the number, the higher the probability that it is. For more information about spam messages, including how to set up rules to automatically handle tagged messages, see Dealing with Spam.

  15. How can I tell how big my mailbox is?
    If you are using the Outlook client program on either Windows or Macintosh, you can find out how much space your mailbox is taking up.  Note that the folder sizes reported by Outlook using the instructions below are measured in kilobytes (KB), whereas the limits placed on your mailbox size are expressed in megabytes (MB).  One MB is roughly 1000 KB, so, for example, if Outlook reports that you are using 24396 KB, this is roughly 24 MB.  For more information on disk space limits, see Exchange Disk Space Limits.
    Windows users Mac users
    1. Right-click on Outlook Today (or Mailbox - Your Name if using Outlook 2003) in the Folder List or the icon on the Outlook bar.
    2. Choose Properties from the menu.
    3. Click the Folder Size button on the Properties window. Outlook will calculate how much space your entire account is using and will give you a list of individual folder sizes.
    1. Click on the Mailbox - Your Name house icon that appears in the Folder List. (If you do not see your Folder List go to the View menu and select Folder List.)
    2. Go to File menu > Folder > Show Folder Size. The folder size will be displayed on the right side of the colored bar that shows the name of your current folder.

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Outlook 2000 for Windows Users

  1. What are the hardware requirements for running Outlook 2000?
  2. How do I change my password?
  3. Is there a way to add everyone in my department to the permissions for a Public Folder or recipient list in an email?
  4. Can I synchronize Outlook with my PDA (personal digital assistant)?
  5. How do I check the size of my mailbox?
  6. How do I login without having to enter all the data (Username, Domain, Password) every time?
  7. How do I set an automatic reply for when I am out of the office?
  8. Why does it take so long for Outlook to load?
  9. Why can't I open my mail right after Outlook launches?
  10. How can I add a name to my Contacts from the "From" line of an email message?
  11. How do I set up a computer to allow multiple users to access their Exchange accounts?
  12. Removing and adding your Contacts folder in your Exchange service
  13. Can I work offline?
  14. I clicked on the Address Book icon and can't access my Contacts (or names in Contacts won't resolve). How can I fix this?
  15. How do I make Outlook check my Contacts before it looks at the global address list?
  16. I'm getting a "free/busy" error or other people say they can't invite me to a meeting. How do I fix this?
  1. What are the hardware requirements for running Outlook 2000?
    Recommended: Windows NT, 2000, or XP; Pentium 33 or higher with at least 64MB of RAM for acceptable launch time. Outlook will run on a slower machine but you will need a lot of patience. You also need about 180MB of free space.

    Here are the instructions to determine how much free space is available on your computer:
    • Click on My Computer
    • Click on Local Disk (C:) and a menu will appear
    • Left click on Properties in the menu. This will display the used space and the free space.

  2. How do I change my password?
    You cannot change your password in Outlook. The only way to change your Exchange password is through the KU Online Services Password Management page.

  3. Is there a way to add everyone in my department to the permissions for a Public Folder or recipient list in an email?
    You can easily set permissions using an Exchange Distribution list. Look in the Outlook Global Address List under your department name to see if one has already been created. It will appear with a "- DL" after the name. If a distribution list does not exist you can get information on creating one on the Distribution Lists page. You must be a folder owner to set permissions for others to view that folder. Here are the steps you can use to assign permissions for any public folders you own:
    1. Right click on the new folder (CTRL-click for Mac).
    2. Select Properties.
    3. Click on the Permissions tab.
    4. Click on the Add button and select a distribution list or individuals from the Global Address List.
    5. Double-click your selection or click on the Add button to move the listings to the field on the right of the dialog box.
    6. Click OK.
    7. To set permissions, make sure the name is highlighted.
    8. Select the appropriate roles from the list or check the boxes to give the permission level you want. There are many options available. Here are a couple you might find useful:
      • Reviewer role - allows read only access.
      • Contributor role - use for drop folder, allows student to create (or drop) an item in a folder but not see it after they drop it.
      • Author role - allows creation of messages and editing of their own items.

  4. Can I synchronize Outlook with my PDA (personal digital assistant)?
    Yes, you can synchronize Outlook with a variety of PDAs. For some PDAs you may need to purchase a third-party utility to allow synchronization. For information on synching with Palm, Psion, CE devices and more, go to http://www.slipstick.com/addins/olpda.htm.

  5. How do I check the size of my mailbox?
    While in Outlook, right click on "Outlook Today - [Your Name] found in your folder list. In the Properties dialog box, click on the "Folder Size" button. This will calculate the amount of space you are using in kilobytes (KB), whereas the limits placed on your mailbox size are expressed in megabytes (MB).  One MB is roughly 1000 KB, so, for example, if Outlook reports that you are using 24396 KB, this is roughly 24 MB. For more information about keeping your mailbox under the space limit go to the Exchange Disk Space Limits page.

  6. How do I login without having to enter all the data (Username, Domain, Password) every time?
    Outlook should remember your username and domain by default. It will not keep your password, you will have to enter it each time you log on. If the username and domain do not appear when you log in then do the following:
    1. Launch Outlook.
    2. Go to Tools > Options and click on the Mail Services tab.
    3. Check the Prompt for profile box.
    4. Click OK.
    5. Close Outlook.
    6. Launch Outlook and log on.
    7. Go back to Tools > Options, click on the Mail Services tab and uncheck the prompt for profile box.

    Once you have gone through this process it seems to make the log on information "stick."

  7. How do I set an automatic reply for when I am out of the office?
    If you correspond mainly with people on campus you can use the Out of Office assistant. If you correspond mainly with people off campus then you will need to set up a rule. Keep in mind that if you are able to send to any listservs, you will need to unsubscribe from those listservs if you use the Out of Office assistant.

  8. Why does it take so long for Outlook to load?
    Outlook shouldn't take more than a few minutes to load. There are several ways to improve the launch time for Outlook. If you are not comfortable with these instructions, please call the IT Customer Service Center at 864-8080. If you have technical support personnel in your department, please consult with them before making these changes on a University machine.

  9. How can I add a name to my Contacts from the From, To, or Cc line of an email message?
    Right click on the name in the appropriate field of an opened email message. Select the Add to Contacts option from the popup menu. This should open a New Contact window with the sender's information already filled in. Add any additional information you will need and click Save and Close. The sender is added to your Contacts.

  10. How do I set up a computer to allow multiple users to access their Exchange accounts?
    If more than one person uses your computer, or if you own a departmental account, you need to set up additional Outlook profiles to access multiple accounts. Then you should change your Outlook settings to prompt for a profile when you launch it. The instructions for both of these procedures are on the Adding an Outlook Profile page.

  11. Removing and adding your Contacts folder in your Exchange service
    1. Close Outlook. 
    2. From the Windows desktop, click Start.
    3. Click on Control Panel. The Control Panel appears.
    4. Double-click Mail. The Mail Setup window appears. 
    5. Click on E-mail Accounts.
    6. Select View or change existing directories or address books. 
    7. Click Next.
    8. Highlight Outlook Address Book, click Remove, and confirm the removal .
    9. Click Add.
    10. Select Additional Address Books.  Click Next.
    11. Select Outlook Address Book under Additional Address Book Types.  Click Next.
    12. Click Finish. 
    13. Click Close.
    14. Close the Control Panel.

  12. Can I work offline?
    Yes, you can work offline. This is useful when you have a laptop and are not connected to the Exchange server, or when you have a slow dialing connection. For information about working offline go to Using Outlook 2000 Offline .

  13. I clicked on the Address Book icon and can't access my Contacts (or names in Contacts won't resolve). How can I fix this?
    Outlook has "forgotten" where your Contacts are located, so you need to reset your Contacts Folder. The steps to do this are outlined above under Removing and adding your Contacts folder in your Exchange service

  14. How do I make Outlook check my Contacts before it looks at the global address list?
    1. Click the Tools menu and select Services.... The Services dialog box appears.
    2. On the Services tab, highlight Outlook Address Book and click Properties. You should have one Contacts folder listed.
    3. Click the Addressing tab.
    4. Under the "When sending mail, check names using these address lists in the following order:" section, highlight Global Address List and click the down arrow next to the field. This will arrange the address books so that Outlook checks through your Contacts folder first and then through the Global Address List.

      5. Note: If you had previously set your address book to view your Contacts folder and not the Global Address List when you click the address book icon (Control + Shift + B), you need to reset the order in which Outlook views names. In the Show this address list first field, select Contacts. This will allow you to see your Contacts instead of the Global Address List.

  15. I'm getting a "free/busy" error or other people say they can't invite me to a meeting. How do I fix this?
    Your free/busy information needs to be updated to allow other users to schedule meetings with you. This change is done directly in Windows and not the Outlook client.
    1. From the Window's desktop, click Start.
    2. Click Run.... The Run dialog box appears.
    3. Click Browse....
    4. Locate the outlook.exe file and click Open. This file is usually located in C:\Program Files\Outlook2k\Office\outlook.exe.

      Note: If you have trouble locating this file, you can use the Search under the Start button.

    5. The Run dialog box appears with the path: "C:\Program Files\Outlook2k\Office\outlook.exe" click next to the last parentheses (right side of quote), hit the spacebar once and type /cleanfreebusy. The entry should read: "C: \Program Files\Outlook2k\Office\outlook.exe" /cleanfreebusy
    6. Click OK. Outlook opens like it normally would.
    7. Log in as normal. This should clean the free/busy search.

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Advanced Questions

  1. Where can I go to get additional Outlook support information?
  2. Are there newsgroups or lists about Outlook?
  3. If I get a new computer what files do I need to transfer from the old machine to the new one?
  4. My Outlook windows won't stay to the front. How can I fix this?
  5. I just upgraded to XP and Outlook doesn't resolve my mailbox name. What do I need to do?
  6. I get a "page disabled" or "server administrator" error when I try to access Outlook Web Access. How can I fix this?
  1. Where can I go to get additional Outlook support information?
  2. Are there newsgroups or lists about Outlook?
  3. If I get a new computer what files do I need to transfer from my old machine to my new one?
    These should all be found in C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook directory for Windows XP. NT files will be in C:\WINNT\Profiles\username\Local Settings\appdata\MS\Outlook.
    • views.dat - stores views associated with the Integrated File Management component.
    • Outlprnt - stores print style settings.
    • <profilename>.fav - stores Outlook Bar settings.
    • <profilename>.rtf - stores AutoSignature information.
    • Any *.pst - stores mail, contacts and calendar items.

  4. My Outlook windows won't stay to the front. How can I fix this?
    You need to delete the "frmcache.dat" file and reset the size of this file. These instructions work best if you are using Outlook 2000 with SR-1 patch installed.
    • Search for the "frmcache.dat" file on the hard drive and delete the file.
    • Launch Outlook.
    • Go to the Tools menu, select Options, then click on the Other tab.
    • Click on the Advanced Options, then click on Custom Forms.
    • Remove the default size of 2048 from the field for the size for temporary storage of forms. Increase this number to 8192 or 16384. This should take care of the problem.
    • Close Outlook and reboot the computer.

  5. I just upgraded to Windows XP and Outlook doesn't resolve my mailbox name. What do I need to do?
    If you performed an "inplace upgrade" (done by booting off the Windows XP OS CD and choosing the second repair option) - you have effectively disabled Outlook. You need to add the following registry settings back in to fix this problem. Please be aware that running regedit can damage your computer. If you have departmental technical support please talk to them before you make these changes.
    1. Go to Start->Run and type regedit.
    2. Navigate to this key:
    3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Rpc\ClientProtocols
    4. Then add these STRING values:
      5. Name
      Value
      ncacn_np
      rpcrt4.dll
      ncacn_ip_tcp
      rpcrt4.dll
      ncadg_ip_udp
      rpcrt4.dll
    5. Reboot the machine.

  6. I get a "page disabled" or "server administrator" error when I try to access Outlook Web Access. How can I fix this?
    This problem can be caused by an application called "Common Name." If this program is installed on your machine you need to remove it. If you have departmental technical support please contact them for assistance.
    1. Go to the Start menu and choose Control Panels
    2. Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
    3. Select Common Name from the list and click the Remove button.
    4. Close the window.