How Can Outlook Be Set Up to Run When the Computer Starts?

Microsoft Outlook is available as part of the Microsoft Office application suite.

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager and email client which was first launched in 1997. Primarily used to manage email, Outlook also has a calendar, contact manager and task manager, and third party plug-ins are available to add extra features such as spam filtering. Many users leave Outlook open all the time, so new emails can be seen as soon as they arrive, and if this is the case having Outlook open automatically when Windows starts can be a time-saver. This is as easy as adding a shortcut to Outlook to the Start menu "Startup" group.

Instructions

1. Minimize or close all open applications, leaving you with a clear desktop.

2. Right-click on the desktop and select "New," and then select "Shortcut" from the menus that appear. Click the "Browse..." button and navigate to the location of Microsoft Outlook on your computer, which will usually be "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" or similar. Click the "Next" button, and then choose a name for the shortcut. Click "Finish" to create the shortcut, which will appear on your Windows desktop.

3. Right-click on the newly created shortcut and select "Copy."

4. Click on the Windows "Start" button and then "All Programs." Scroll down until you can see the group named "Startup," and then right-click the group. If you want Outlook to start automatically for all users on the computer, click "Open all users." If you want Outlook to start automatically only when you log in, click "Open."

5. Right-click in the right hand pane where files are displayed and click "Paste." A copy of the desktop icon will be displayed in the folder. From the next time you log in to Windows, Outlook will run automatically when the computer starts.

Tips & Warnings

• To stop Outlook running automatically when the computer starts, delete the shortcut to Outlook from the Windows "Startup" group. This will not affect the program or your email in any way.

References

• Help Desk Geek: Easily Add Programs to Windows 7 Startup Folders

Resources

• Microsoft: How to Start Outlook In A Minimized State
• Microsoft: Take Control Of Your Windows Start-Up