Microsoft Outlook training

Fig 1.0 Microsoft Outlook icon.

                                                                Course Objective

          I.            Become familiar with locating commands on the ribbon including using Backstage View (the Filemenu)

        II.            Read and send e-mail

      III.            Work with contacts

       IV.            Schedule appointments and meetings in your calendar

         V.            Synchronize content from your e-mail server to your outlook

       VI.            Understand the Navigation Pane, Reading Pane and To-DoBar

Fig 2.0 Common Microsoft outlook screen.

Microsoft Outlook is one of the applications that comes with Microsoft office suite specially design for e-mail exchange between your e-mail server (gmail, yahoo, etc  )  and your computer. Microsoft outlook has enhance fascinating content that meet the exceeding need of its users. Like the normal e-mail account, Microsoft outlook also contain Inbox, Draft, Folder, Send/receive command and can be used the same way that you use them in your e-mail account with either yahoo or google. We are giving reference to yahoo mail and google mail here because they are the most popular e-mail server today and if you are using another beside the two, you could please assist us by including them in the cited examples abstractly to maintain parity.

Configuring/setting up Microsoft in your home computer

We want to get it started with the configuration/setup process with the assurance that you already have Microsoft office suite installed in your computer because that is the prerequisite here. Do you have an existing e-mail account? If your answer is no, then pause a while to sign up an e-mail account with either yahoo (www.yahoo.com) or google (www.gmail.com)and if your answer is yes, then you are good to go. Launch Microsoft outlook on your computer and click next to continue

 Fig 3.0 Microsoft Outlook startup 1.

After clicking next, the below screen appears

Fig 4.0 Microsoft Outlook startup 2.0

By default the yes radio button is selected, if you would like to configure an e-mail account then click next to continue

Fig 5.0 Microsoft Outlook startup 3.

Here you are require to provide your e-mail address and password correctly. Provide them accordingly and click on the Next button to automatically configure our outlook since the automatic check button is already checked by default. Once the setup is successful, you will have an interface that look like Fig 2.0 below.

Note:Setting up Microsoft outlook requires internet, hence ensure your computer is connected to the internet before beginning the setup process.

Microsoft outlook can be configure manually if automatic configuration is unsuccessful, but kindly bear in mind that manual configuration require some networking level of expertise, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287532 for more details.

Further account settings can be done at theinfo on the menu bar. More than one e-mail address can be added to your computer Microsoft outlook by clicking info then Add new account

Fig 6.0 Info menu for account details.

The navigation pane

The navigation pane is use to navigate among option depending on your desire at a giving time. Some the navigating activities are: 

Navigating Your E-Mail 

¨       Using the Inbox - If you go to another view (contacts or calendar, for example) click Mail to return to viewing mail Message Statuses.

¨       Reading Messages – Message could be dragged into calendar in a date wise manner to enable you sort your mail easily using the calendar at the top right side on you MS outlook.

¨       Printing Messages- Your message could be printed directing without copy and paste with all details. This could be achieve by Mail>file>print.

¨       Deleting Messages - To delete a particular, open the mail>Home>delete

¨       Sorting the Inbox – You inbox can be sorted in different ways. Click on mail to display inbox, at the top of the mail is a search box, enter the mail you are looking for or sort your mail according to your desire to sort either by date, subfolder, either by date, by columns, current mail, etc.

     Replying to an email 

While reading an email, click Reply, type your reply content and then click Send. Immediately, your message will be in the Sent Folder or Sent Items folder meaning the message has been sent.

Sending a new email 

 Fig 7.0 sending a new mail

Start the email by clicking New E-mail, then enter the name or email address in the To… field, or click To… and choose the name. You can as well start the e-mail by going to Contacts, click once on a name in the list, then click e-mail to compose your mail.

Note – Be sure to include a subject line so that the recipient can determine if they need to open the email right away.

 Attaching a file 

You can attach a file to any email, including a reply or forwarded email. From the email message, click on the Attach File button at the top then locate the file to be attached from your computer. Select it and click Insert. The file should show in the Attached section just below Subject. Multiple file can be attached to the mail. Compose your mail content and click send when you are done.

Opening an Attachment 

Any message with an attachment will display a paperclip icon ( Fig ) the left of the email. When you open an email with an attachment, the attachment displays below the date and your name. To download the attachment, Click the attachment one time to see a link to preview the attachment. 

Searching for an email 

Walking through emails can be time-consuming and frustrating. To locate a particular e-mail, try one (or more) of the following:

ü  Sort emails by From, Subject, Received or Size (default is by received – newest at top).

ü  Click in the Search box and type a word that is in the email. Click the Search icon (looks like a magnifying    glass) to start the search if it doesn’t search automatically.

Deleting emails or contacts and emptying the trash 

To delete an email, contact or calendar item, click once on the item to select it, then click the Delete button to delete the selected item into the Trash. Every deleted item goes into the trash bin and they are still on the       computer until you empty the Trash folder. Locate Trash(under Inbox), right-click on it, then choose Empty    Folder.

Making Contacts 

.        What are Contacts?      

Selecting Contacts
contact folder

  Deleting contact

  Grouping contact

Writing letter to contact

 Editing contact

 Changing the view

Creating contact

 Map it

Distribution list

Fig 8.0

Since it will be a very difficult task for you to remember all the e-mail addresses you deal with, it is advisable that you create a contact folder where every contact you send or receive mail from should be added to enable you call up that contact easily when next you want to e-mail.Fig 5.0 above is a view of a typical contact list.

Apart from the contact folder, you can as well create as many folder as needed in Microsoft Outlook to specify one item from the other, you discretion is require here.

Using the Calendar 

The calendar can be used as a reminder for an upcoming event like appointments, meetings etc. The calendar has other options like the Calendar Window, Switching the Calendar View, Navigating the Calendar, Color coding schedule, importing other calendars, responding to Meeting Requests, Printing the Calendar and function as the option implies.

Working with other Calendars 

Calendars can be imported from other programs/sites as long as the calendar is saved in ics or vcs format. Each site can have different steps. Follow the directions from the website to save the calendar. Once you’ve saved the file in .ics or .vcs, follow these steps in Outlook: 

                    I.            Go to File/Open

                  II.            Click Import to open the Import and Export Wizard

                III.            Click “Import an iCalendar or vCalendar file”, then click next

                IV.            Locate the file on your computer, then Click Open. The new calendar should display as an “Other Calendar.”

Resources/Books consulted

  Office 2010 For Dummies by Wallace Wang

Office 2013 for beginners

  Microsoft Office 2010 plain and simple by Katherine Murray

 Microsoft Office 2010 All-In-One For Dummies by Peter Weverka

 Office 2010: the missing manual by Nancy Conner and Matthew MacDonald

  Microsoft Outlook 2007 By Cosmas Ray

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