How to Speed Up Your Outlook Email without Changing the Exchange Server Configuration

Many users report after using Microsoft Outlook for some time, it becomes noticeably slower and leaves you feeling frustrated with your compromised work efficiency. While changing the configuration of Outlook to your Exchange Server can help, it is somewhat complicated and is done best by someone with the requisite experience. If you are a user without advanced skills in Microsoft Outlook troubleshooting, some of the following tips may help you to speed up Outlook:

Update Windows

When your Outlook slows down, it is natural to suspect a problem with it, but often you can resolve it by updating the version of Windows because it also updates the Office, which affects the speed of Outlook. You must keep a watch on whether the updates happen because sometimes they get interrupted or create problems due to communication problems between Exchange Server and Outlook. These issues happen after Microsoft updates Exchange or issues a patch to resolve a security or speed issue.

Download the Messages Completely

When you connect Outlook with the Exchange Server using either POP3 or IMAP, you should configure Outlook to download not the header of the message, but the entire message. When you do it, Outlook does not have to sync with the Exchange Server every time you click on a new item since you would have already downloaded it earlier, and it would be in your data file. The process of setting up Outlook to download the full item will depend on the version you are using, but you will need to identify the option that permits you to download fully, along with all the attachments.

Repair PST File

If you cannot access your Outlook emails, the reason could be the corruption of the PST file. While you can try many different methods, using the Scanpst tool should invariably be your first option for outlook repair. It comes bundled with Outlook and will be usually in the folder containing the Office installation package on your C drive. You can use the tool to scan and repair the PST files, but you should back up the data before running it, as it may further damage the file and make it unusable.

Archive the Inbox

Most users of Outlook keep accumulating emails in the Inbox without understanding that it is likely to create serious problems, especially because the PST file becomes large and unwieldy. Instead of waiting to experience how slow Outlook can become or finding it impossible to access your emails because Outlook has crashed due to PST file corruption, you can set up auto-archiving. It will ensure at any given point, the Outlook Inbox will only contain a few emails instead of a ton that makes the email client clunky. For example, you can set it up such that you have only the current month and the last month’s emails in the Inbox and the rest are archived. The advantage of doing it is that a new PST file is created for the chosen emails, and since it is slimmer, Outlook performs at its fastest.

Use Cached Exchange Mode

If you have configured your Outlook to store the PST data file on the server, network issues may be why Outlook is operating slowly. By using Cached Exchange Mode, you can cache the data file and store it on your local machine as an OST file. You will witness an immediate improvement in the speed of Outlook because it does not have to read the data file on a remote server, instead, all it has to do is to access the data file stored locally. As may be obvious, it is only possible when Outlook is connected with the Exchange Server.

Clear the Outlook Cache

When you open an email attachment or view a message, a copy of it is stored in your computer’s cache so that the next time you want to open it, the process will be faster. However, over time, this cache can become bloated and actually slow down your Outlook.

Compact the PST File

Outlook slows down considerably as the PST file grows in size. When the PST file grows too large, it also becomes unstable and prone to corruption. The solution is to keep the PST file as slim as possible so that it remains under control. According to Windows Club, while deleting unnecessary emails may seem an effective way of trimming the PST file size, often, there is no noticeable impact on the size. Compacting the PST file can help to keep things under control. While different versions of Outlook have different methods of PST files, in Outlook 2010, you can select the data file by visiting Account Settings and clicking on Data Files. After selecting the data file you want to compact, you can click on the Compact option. The time taken by the process depends on the size of the PST file, so be prepared to be patient if the file size is large.

Use an Alternative Email Client

You may also consider using an alternative email client like Mozilla Thunderbird. The primary advantage of a desktop email client is the security it offers as your data remains on your local machine. While the free version of Outlook does not have many features, you can always buy the premium version that has additional features like contact and calendar management.

There are many other methods you can use to speed up Outlook, but these 4 should be your first line of action. By following these tips, you can ensure that Outlook will not slow down your work and will continue to perform at its best

Conclusion

Though Outlook is designed to do the heavy lifting, the less you demand from it, the faster it can operate. In addition to the things already discussed, some of the things you can do include cutting down on publishing and sharing calendars, disabling RSS feeds, and disabling add-ins. Also, if you have not done so already, consider upgrading your machine and Outlook to the latest versions because with every new release, Microsoft makes improvements that help the email client perform better.