How to Create & Open PST file in Outlook 2013?

While working with PST file, one thing user should keep in mind that if the size of PST file reaches or exceeds beyond the specified limit then, it affects the Outlook performance adversely. So, for proper working of Outlook, it is advised to create new PST file that can be used as a mean of archive for storing old data.

Steps to Create Outlook Data File:-

1. 

   Firstly install Outlook 2013 Application
2. Start your Outlook 2013 application
3. Point to 'File' Menu then, Select “New Items”
4. After clicking on 'New Items' user will migrate to 'More Items' & from 'more items' submenu choose 'Outlook Data File'
5. Now, browse for the location where you want to save your Outlook Data file
6. Enter the file name or hit “OK”
7. Your PST file is created successfully
8. Now, See left side of your Outlook folder pane it works exactly like your existing folder.

Steps to Open Outlook Data File:

Once you have created the PST file, follow the below steps to open it.

• Go to the file tab
• Hit on 'Open & Export' and click on Open Outlook Data File

NOTE:-user can also open the Outlook Data file from Documents/Outlook Files Folder.

Password Set

User can also apply password to their PST files for security purpose. By applying password to the PST file, user can prevent unauthorized access to the confidential mail data. Moreover, to increase the security of your PST file, it is advised to change your password on timely basis.

Steps to change password of PST file:

• Point to 'file' then, Move to 'account settings'.
• Choose the Outlook Data file on which you want to apply password then, click on Settings.
• Hit 'Change Password'.

NOTE: - If you are using Outlook with Exchange Server then use your network password to access your Outlook account data.

• After clicking 'change password', a Password wizard opens that prompts for your “Old Password” & “New Password”. Enter the details & save.

NOTE: - Your password must be up to 15 characters & case sensitive.

• Hit OK to set password.
  
  Additional Info:-

• Password is applied to select Outlook Data File only.
• User can also set Password for individual folders within the Outlook Data File.
• Once user changes the password and he can log in with new verified password. He can select the check-box provided within the password wizard to make the system automatically store it for future use. Whenever user log in in to his account then, he will not require entering the password again and again.

Its a wise choice to archive your previous Outlook data in PST file .Otherwise, the increasing PST file size may affect your daily Outlook tasks and later on, it may cause severe data corruption issues that might be hard to recover.

How to Backup Outlook Personal Folder Files by using Add-in?

In our daily life, we usually face inconvenience with our computer system due to virus attack, sudden power failure, hard drive failure, accidental deletion of files etc. These factors not only affect our system performance but can also cause damage to our important data. Same is the case for Outlook PST files. PST files plays a very significant role in MS Outlook for functioning of Outlook Email application; there comes need a PST file Backup.

Microsoft provides a free utility named as “The Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool” to take back up of Outlook emails. This tool is an add-in that will automatically automate the backup process for PST files. It is available in prior version of Outlook 2000, Outlook 2002, Outlook 2003, and Outlook 2007. To work with this tool in Outlook2010, user has to configure it manually. Moreover, this tool provides an option to take back up of selected PST files at regular or different intervals of time. Priorities of back up will be set by user. You can easily download this add-in from the Microsoft website:-

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=9003

Note: - This tool is not recommended as an enterprise back-up solution. If you are using outlook with Exchange Server then there is no need to backup the PST files as they are backed up automatically by server administrator. The Personal Folders Backup add-in backs up only .pst files. Additionally, this tool only provides settings that individual users can configure.

Steps to use The Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool

• Start Outlook application
• Point to file menu Tap on Backup.
• Now, Click on Options
• Select the .pst file for back up

Steps to use The Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool for 2010

Firstly configure Outlook to allow the Personal Folders Backup add-in to run automatically on exit. By default this add-in does not work with Outlook 2010 because of new Fast Shutdown functionality in Outlook 2010. To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Firstly add the following registry data to complete the backup process at shutdown

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\Microsoft.OutlookBackup.1

DWORD: Require Shutdown Notification

Value: 1

NOTE: - while modifying registry, apply every step with proper precaution. One wrong move will lead to serious problems or may be user has to reinstall the operating system. Microsoft doesn't completely assure user for solution of problem. User will do modifications in registry at their own risk.

To do this, follow these steps.

For user of Windows XP &Windows Server 2003

•   Point to start hit on Run.
•   Type regedit in the Open box
•   Hit enter

For Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

• Click Start,
• Type regedit in the Open box
• Click regedit.exe in the search results.
• Now, Locate & click on the following sub key:
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\Microsoft.OutlookBackup.1
• Click on Edit & hit New - DWORD Value.
• Rename the value to Require Shutdown Notification.
• Right click on Require Shutdown Notification
• Click Modify.
• Type 1 in the Value data box of Edit DWORD Value dialog box
• Click OK & Quit Registry Editor

     Note: Perform these steps only one time:

• Start Outlook application.
• Click on Add-ins tab in the Ribbon.
• Click the Backup button.
• Now, tap on Options & select the .pst files for back up.

Backup must be saved on a hard disk & don't try to spread that back up on multiple hard disk. While changing backup options, select the storage location which has maximum space to save .pst file.

Introduction to “Message Preview” feature in Outlook-2013

Microsoft introduced MS-Outlook 2013 with some advance new features like connectivity with social media, message preview & manymore. Here, I will discuss in brief about message preview feature of Outlook 2013.

To grow your organization as well as your business, users need to act smartly by responding every message quickly but sometime fails to do so. It's obvious, you receive & send a lot of email in your daily routine & sometime there is also a situation when you are too busy & don't have time to open every message.

In this situation, MS-Outlook 2013 is a boon for you as it provides you the feature of showing message preview, On the basis of this; you can easily scan your inbox and select the priority of message to be respond. User can also use quick commands like delete, mask, unmask flag to perform operations. This feature is also present in Outlook 2010. For this, users have to move into new window to reply for message. In MS Outlook 2013, user can reply in the same window. With the message preview option, user can easily follow the important project conversation in a very short & convenient time. User can also disable or customize this feature if it is not useful for them.

Following are the steps to adjust settings of “message preview” option:

By-default Outlook shows message preview in one line user can adjust setting by following few steps:-

STEPS:- 

        1. Start Outlook 2013 application   

1. 
   
   
   2 In the Outlook Ribbon Move to View icon & Tap on it
   
   
   
   
   
   3 After tapping Message Preview option appears with different sub options as shown in fig below, User can select any feature according to requirement & also disable this feature by selecting OFF .
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   4 In the next step, user can change Preview settings for every folder or Current folder.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   5 After applying changes, you will see the preview of messages account to mode selected in Step3.
   
   
   
   
   
   6 In case, if user don't want to avail this option then simply click on Off option as displayed in image.
   
   
   
   
   
   Start adjusting the setting of your Outlook by applying these simple steps & save your precious time by just viewing the preview of your message. Hope this information is helpful for you.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Significance of .NK2 files in Outlook?

In Outlook, when user starts to type any name in the edit box or other fields like To, Cc, Bcc etc then, outlook recommends a list of names to user named as “.nK2 file”.

About .nK2 file:

This file is normally hidden in Outlook & comes under miscellaneous file category.

File location depends on the operating system used by user:-

In Windows7: drive: \Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

In Windows Vista: drive: \Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

In Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

 Nickname cache is stored in the user “profilename.nk2” file. Here, note down one thing that the profile name used is the name of user's outlook profile name. When user runs Outlook 2013 application for first time, nickname cache is imported in the form of a hidden message in user's default message store. In case, if user is using outlook account with Microsoft Exchange account then user's nickname cache is imported in the Exchange mailbox.

Remember that after ending of “profilename.nk2” file import process; “profilename.nK2” must be renamed to “profilename.nk2.old” because when user will run outlook application second time, user's nickname cache is not imported.

Outlook 2013 does not use .nk2 file for maintenance of nickname cache, its default message store is the only location for nickname cache & all the updates done in the nickname cache. In case of multiple Outlook profiles, every outlook profile is merged in to new Outlook 2013 nick name cache on first start of outlook by using that multiple profile. After merging of profiles, there is also need for renaming them from “one .nk2” file to “.nk2.old”. When user upgrades from old version of outlook to newer version i.e. Outlook 2013, then he also needs to import .nK2 files manually as they are not imported automatically.

Steps to import old.nK2 files from your previous Outlook account to new Outlook 2013

The .nk2 file folder location i.e. %appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook

Note: The .nk2 file must have the same name as your current Outlook 2013 profile. By default, the profile name is "Outlook."

1. Check the profile name by following these simple steps:
2. Click Start & hit on control panel.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Now, double-click on Mail.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   After clicking, a “Mail Setup dialog box” appears
   
   
   
   
   
   Now, click on Show Profiles.
   
   
   
   
   
   Again tap on Start & Run.
   
   
   
   
   
   Enter following text: - outlook.exe /importnk2 & Hit OK.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   After the Import process is complete, hit on OK.
   
   
   
   
   
   Note After you import the .nk2 file, the contents of the file are merged into the existing nickname cache that is currently stored in your mailbox. Also remember that the nk2 file is renamed with an .old file name extension when you start Outlook 2013 first time.
   
   
   
   
   Now, user can easily import old list of names from old computer to new computer as well as from prior version of outlook to new version of outlook.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Steps to import messages in to Windows mail from Outlook Express

Whenever user wants to change their operating system from Windows XP to Vista then Windows automatically imports all messages & contacts from Outlook Express to Windows Mail. Sometimes, there might be a situation when users don't want to upgrade its operating system but needs to transfer all Outlook Express messages on current system running with Windows Vista.

Microsoft provides you an option to transfer these files & messages via manual method or using ”Windows Easy Transfer” but it is more approachable if user uses manual method to transfer message from Outlook Express to windows mail. Following are the steps to transfer messages in to Windows mail from Outlook Express:

For Windows XP user, Follow these steps:

Outlook Express messages folders are hidden in Windows. Firstly change the settings of hidden folders

• Point to Start
• Click on Control Panel
• Move to appearance & Themes
• Click on Folder Options.
• Click on View tab point to Hidden files and folders
• Hit on Show Hidden files & folders.
  
  
  
  
  
  2. Now, move to C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\ {your Windows user identity number}\Microsoft\Outlook Express to locate Outlook Express folder.
  
  
  3 Now, copy all content of Outlook Express folder in to the Documents folder of machine having Windows Vista.
  
  
  
  
  
  Info: - You can also choose location to store copy of Outlook Express folder according to your convenience by following these simple steps.
  On the computer running Windows Vista, do the following:
  
  
  1 Go to start button of Windows Mail
  
  
  
  
  
  2 Click All Programs & point to Windows Mail hit the “File” menu & point to Import click on Messages.
  
  
  
  3 Open Microsoft Outlook Express 6 & proceed on Next.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  4. Make sure while importing mail from a Select OE6 store directory & Hit on “OK”.
     
     
     
     
     
     5 Browse for the Outlook Express folder you copied to this computer, and then click the folder once to select it. 
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  6 Now, click on “Select Folder” & click next.
  
  
  
  
  
  7. Click to import all the folders OR Selected folders & Select the message folders you want to import
  
  
  
  
  
  8 Click on “FINISH” to complete the process.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  In this way, user can easily import all Outlook Express message in to Windows mail.