Special Edition Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5

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Installing and Configuring Outlook



Outlook is your personal information manager. Outlook enhances the features available in the Exchange Client and Schedule+. Not only can you manage your messages and appointments under Outlook, but you also can keep track of your activities, contacts, and documents. Outlook doesn't stop there, however. In your Exchange organization, you can set up Outlook to share information with others and enable others to manage your information as well. This chapter covers how to get Outlook up and running.

Preparing to Install Outlook

Before running the setup program, consider a few questions that affect your client installation strategy. The questions are as follows:

The answers to these questions determines your approach to setting up Outlook. This chapter discusses each of the preceding installation and configuration issues, so that the answers to the questions are clearer.

Installing through an Installation Share

An installation share enables you to run the setup files directly off a hard drive without using a CD-ROM. You can locate an installation point to run setup on a server or on the local machine. After loading all the files, you then, in the case of a file server, share the directory with an appropriate title.

Follow these steps to install Outlook using an installation share:

1. You first need to copy the Outlook source file from the CD-ROM onto your hard drive.

2. To run an installation from the server, find the SETUP.EXE file and execute it.

3. The setup application runs as normal from that point.

With a server-based installation, all users use a server-based copy of Outlook. There are advantages and disadvantages in this scenario:

Outlook System Requirements

Cross-Platform usability is greatly enhanced in Microsoft Outlook version 8.03, which ships with Exchange 5.5. New additions are a 16-bit version for Windows 3.x and a MacOS version (System 7.6 or higher). The following are the minimum requirements for your computer to run Outlook.

Hardware:

Operating System:

Saving Your Personalized Information

You can configure Outlook to use the personalized files you have under the following clients: Exchange Client in Windows 95, Windows Messaging in Windows NT, or the updated Exchange Client from Exchange Server 4.0.

In the following list, you find the default extensions for a user's personal files.


NOTE: If you are upgrading your client from Microsoft Mail 3.x, you need to save your *.MMF and *.SCH files. These files contain your mail folders, messages, and Schedule+ information. They are used to migrate all your information into Outlook

Installing Outlook

The entire install or setup process is very easy. All you have to do is follow the instructions in the dialog boxes. Ample help and various tips are available as you follow the setup screens.

The first step in the Microsoft Outlook procedure is to select the directory or folder into which you want the client to be installed (see Figure 29.1). You can either go with the default, which is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office, or you may change that by choosing Change Folder.

FIG. 29.1 Select the Destination Folder in which to store your messages.

At the next screen you are presented with two choices (see Figure 29.2):

FIG. 29.2 Choose the type of Outlook setup.

Choose the installation method that fits your needs. If you are the adventurous sort and want to see all the options available, go down the custom path. This option enables you to pick only the options that fit your requirements.

Table 29.1  Typical Outlook Installation

Option Installed?
Microsoft Outlook Program Files Yes
Office Assistant Yes
Microsoft Exchange Server Support Yes
Visuals for Forms Design No
Find Fast Yes
Holidays and Forms Yes
Lotus Organizer Converters No
Microsoft Outlook Help Yes
Schedule+ Support Files Yes
MS Info Yes
Spelling Checker Yes

At this point you have the following two options (see Figure 29.3):

FIG. 29.3 Outlook Options available during setup.

At this screen you can specify what components of Outlook you want to load.

After you have made all the selections you want to use during setup, you can choose Continue to install the Outlook files. At this point you see the setup progress bar and the various screens introducing the latest features. When you see the Completed Suf?essfully screen (see Figure 29.4), click OK, and you return to your desktop display.

FIG. 29.4 Click OK.

Configuring Outlook

Now that you installed Outlook, you need to configure the program to work with your messaging environment. Start by installing some of the most common services to see how you configure the services. If you have any other Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI)-compliant messaging services, the configuration is essentially the same.

Knowing Your Messaging Services

Before you start configuring Outlook, take a few minutes to inventory what messaging services you want to access. Due to Outlook's many capabilities, you can receive messages from many sources other than the Exchange Server. You can also choose:

Creating Your Outlook Profile

Your profile tells Outlook what services you will use, as well as where your personal files are located.

Before starting Outlook, you need to set up your profile. Follow these steps:

1. From Control Panel, double-click the Mail icon.

2. Choose Add to configure a new profile. The next screen you see is the Setup Wizard dialog box (see Figure 29.5).

3. Place check marks next to the information services you want to use. You also have the choice of manually configuring the information services. This option enables you to answer questions in a non-wizard style manner. The preferred method is to check the boxes and press the Next button. In this example, you select Exchange Server and Internet Mail.

4. In the next screen, you must enter a profile name. You should choose a name other than MS Exchange Settings. After you enter a profile name, click Next (see Figure 29.6).

5. Enter the name of your Exchange Server. You do not have to enter the normal backslashes.

6. Enter the Mailbox Name. This is set up on the Exchange Server and is usually either a common name or a company standard.

FIG. 29.5 Information services available to add to your profile.

FIG. 29.6 Fields to enter your Exchange server and mailbox name.

7. You are now asked whether you will travel with this computer (see Figure 29.7). Your options are:

FIG. 29.7 Will you be working offline?

8. If at the last screen you chose Yes, you travel with this computer, you are then asked how you plan to connect to the Internet Mail server (see Figure 29.8). The best way to answer this question is to consider your normal mode of usage:

FIG. 29.8 Are you going to be using Dial Up Networking?

When you select Modem for your access method to the Internet mail server, the setup program offers you the choice of connections. If you have Dial Up Connections already defined, the Wizard enables you to choose from a drop-down list box. If you don't have predefined Dial Up Connections, or if you want to use another existing Dial Up Connection, choose New. This enables you to create a new connection profile.

The next screen asks you to enter the name or IP address of your Internet Mail server (see Figure 29.9). This is the server on which you have an Internet- or SMTP-style mail account.

FIG. 29.9 Enter the name or IP address for the Internet Mail server.

The server from which you want to receive your Internet mail needs to support POP3 mail. This is a standard that enables other servers to interface and receive mail as a proxy service.

The next screen gives you the option of either choosing Off-line or Automatic.


NOTE: This option is especially nice when you are on the road with a slow modem, and someone sends you a 10MB PowerPoint presentation.

The next screen asks you to enter your account and name (see Figure 29.10). Your email address is either the account or alias defined on the POP3 server. This is in the normal Internet mail format of username@domain. Your name may already be entered from a previous setup or you may enter it now.

FIG. 29.10 This screen holds your Internet mail account information.


NOTE: The name you enter displays as the sender on all your Internet mail, so put in a nickname if that is what you prefer. 

Now you are at the point of entering your actual Internet mail account information. The Mailbox name is the account on the POP3 server. The Password is the password for this account (see Figure 29.11).

FIG. 29.11 Your Internet mail (POP) account information.


NOTE: Ensure that you enter the account name and password correctly (including case-sensitivity) because most POP3 servers are located on UNIX servers. The UNIX operating system is case-sensitive in all fields. 

Now you are given the chance of either using a preexisting Personal Address Book or creating a new one (see Figure 29.12). You can enter the path to your old Personal Address Book if you have one, or you can Browse for it. If you do not have a Personal Address Book, as is the case in a new install, you can choose Next and the setup program creates a Personal Address Book for you in the default location.

FIG. 29.12 Enter name for Personal Address Book.


NOTE: If you want to keep your Personal Address Book in another directory, you may enter it here. This is a good idea if you store all data files in a certain place for backup or security reasons. It is also a good idea to change the default name of the file; username.PAB for example. 

The next-to-the-last screen enables you to specify whether you want Outlook to start up when you first log on to your computer.

Congratulations! You made it to the wrap-up screen (see Figure 29.13). All that remains now is to select Finish. You may use Outlook with all the services you selected and configured.

FIG. 29.13 This screen lists all your Information Services for this profile.

You are now ready to run Outlook. All you have to do is double-click your Outlook icon, and you are on your way to utilizing the full power of this versatile tool.

Configuring Offline Folders

If you expect to use Outlook while you are away from your local network, you need to configure an offline folder on your local hard drive. You must create this folder, essentially a replica of your server mailbox, before you can work offline. To create an offline folder:

1. From Control Panel, double-click the Mail icon.

2. Select the profile you want to configure with the offline folder.

3. Under the Services tab, select Microsoft Exchange Server, and then click Properties.

4. Under the Advanced tab, click Offline Folder File Settings.

5. In the File box, type in the path and name of the offline folder. Make sure that the extension for the folder is .OST (see Figure 29.14). When you finish, click OK.

FIG. 29.14 Enter filename for an offline folder.

6. You may be notified that the file does not exist. Click Yes to create the new folder.

7. Save the changes made to the profile by clicking OK in the Microsoft Exchange Server window and clicking OK in your Profile Properties window.

Now you have an .OST file on your machine that can be synchronized with your server store. You are able to work offline, view, and edit your mail, as well as compose new messages. You can also synchronize all this activity the next time you are online l


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