Because Microsoft^® Office Outlook^® 2007 has so many features, configuring the program—particularly for first-time or inexperienced users—can be a real challenge. However, after you master the basic concepts and experiment with the configuration process, it quickly becomes second nature.

This chapter examines Office Outlook 2007 setup issues, including what you see the first time you start Outlook 2007 and how to use the Add New E-Mail Account Wizard to create, modify, and test e-mail accounts. You’ll also learn about user profiles, including how to create and modify them, how to use multiple profiles for different identities, how to copy profiles, and how to configure profile properties.

After you have a solid understanding of profiles, you’re ready to tackle configuring the many e-mail and data file services that Outlook 2007 offers. This chapter discusses configuring both online and offline storage and will help you add, modify, and remove personal message stores (personal folders) for a profile.

In addition, you’ll learn how to configure Outlook 2007 to maintain an offline copy of your Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox and folders so that you can work with your account while you are disconnected from the network. You’ll also learn how to change the storage location for your data and how to set options to control mail delivery.

Understanding the Outlook 2007 Startup Wizard

The first time you run Outlook 2007 after a new installation (as opposed to upgrading from an earlier version of Microsoft Outlook), Outlook 2007 runs the Outlook 2007 Startup Wizard, as shown in Figure 3-1. The wizard guides you through the process of setting up e-mail accounts and data stores (the files used to store your Outlook 2007 data). The choices you make using this wizard customize the Outlook 2007 Navigation Pane.

Figure 3-1. Here’s what you’ll see at first startup after a new installation.

This wizard is very similar to the wizard you use to configure e-mail accounts after Outlook 2007 is installed. You’ll add e-mail accounts in the following section.

If you upgraded to Outlook 2007 from an earlier version, Outlook 2007 automatically migrates your accounts, preferences, and data the first time you run it. This means that you don’t have to perform any other tasks before working with Outlook 2007, unless you want to add other accounts or take advantage of features not provided by your current profile settings. In the following section, you’ll learn how to add other services and accounts to your current Outlook 2007 profile.