Bunch of great free tools for Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is commonly known as the most popular e-mail client in the world, used by millions of Microsoft's users both in business environment as well as at home. However, in many cases MS Outlook in its original form seems to be like a super car without a power steering and to make the best of this tool it is just recommended to facilitate it with proper add-ins. Fortunately, they usually are available to download from all around the Web for free. By using them, you not only sort out all the possible issues you encounter when using Outlook, but you can also equip this e-mail client with some extra features that make your work with this application much more effective and comfortable. This is a huge advantage of using Microsoft's email management tool, so why not to use it?

To help you find an add-on that is most suitable for you, there are some typical struggles of Outlook users described below. If you can identify yourself with any of these situations, see what solution is suggested to quickly solve the problem. All the presented plugins are developed by CodeTwo - a company that has been specializing in Outlook solutions for years.

How to quickly configure Outlook account

USER: I can't configure my e-mail POP3 account in MS Outlook. Can I avoid doing it manually and changing to IMAP?!

Yes, as long as you have CodeTwo Outlook AutoConfig downloaded, you can do that automatically in a few seconds! In addition, you can easily configure it for the POP3/SMTP service providers what Outlook is not capable of doing natively. POP3 is usually preferred by Gmail users, who do not want to leave mail on Gmail's servers. All you need to know to configure your account the way you prefer is just your e-mail address!

Outlook blocks e-mail attachments

USER: I can't open some of the e-mail attachments as they are blocked by Outlook. It's so annoying!

Let me guess... You mean files like .exe, .url, .reg etc.? Your problem is common and irritating like hell, but don't worry, there is a very easy solution for it - CodeTwo Outlook Attach Unblocker. Using it you can quickly make a list of file formats that you want your Outlook to read and open with no trouble (Fig.1).

 
Fig.1. In the program's window you can define what files should be unblocked in Outlook.

Can't remove duplicated PST files

USER: I can see the same folder duplicated in my Outlook. When I try to delete it I get a message: Can't open this item. The object could not be found. How to fix this bug?

You can easily remove a duplicated PST file from Outlook profile using CodeTwo PST Ghostbuster. In the program's window you can select a corrupted file and repair it with just one click (Fig.2).

Fig.2. A duplicated Calendar in Archive is displayed in Outlook's navigation pane.

I keep forgetting about attachments

USER: I'm a busy man, send a bunch of e-mails every day and sometimes forget about adding attachments to a significant correspondence. When my clients or business partners find such an e-mail I look pretty lame...

Oh yes, tell me more... Even though it may happen to everyone, nobody likes it. The solution is free and simple and it is called CodeTwo Outlook Attachment Reminder. Program is a kind of a 'guardian' of your correspondence and warns you each time it seems that you have forgotten about adding document or graphic to your e-mail. Sounds mysterious? See more details on the producer's website.

Need to export files from Outlook

USER: I urgently have to export Outlook contacts and my calendar entries to MS Excel. I can't find such function in my Outlook. Can I do that in a quick and easy way?

Yes, you can! Just download and install CodeTwo Outlook Export (Fig.3). As its name suggests, it has been created to let you export any kind of Outlook data you need, including contacts, mails, tasks and even non-standard user-defined fields. In result you receive this information in CSV text files which can later be imported into many programs and systems, e.g. MS Excel, OpenOffice, MS Notepad or MS Works.

Fig.3. The main dialog box of CodeTwo Outlook Export.

Want to share Outlook categories

USER: Together with my co-workers we tend to mark e-mails and tasks in Outlook with different category colors. It helps us to stay more organized. Ideally, we would like to sync them, so each of us can see the same items of selected category. Is it possible at all?

CodeTwo CatMan is a perfect Add-on for you. It allows you to share MS Outlook categories with others and define them as private or public. When you make them public, they can be accessed at any time over the Internet or in your local network. It is very convenient for all business travelers.

How to sync Outlook folders?

USER: I have created an extra inbox in my Outlook and want to sync it with the main one. I also need to access it from my mobile... Is it possible to achieve?

Yes, go for CodeTwo FolderSync Addin (Fig.5). This free plugin lets you sync selected pairs of Outlook folders. Since mobile phones usually cannot be synced with non-standard folders (such as your customized inbox folder), some people use this freeware to sync such folders with the default ones in Outlook. Then, the ActiveSync application can be used to synchronize them with iPhone, Blackberry, Android etc. In case you need to sync many Exchange Public Folders automatically, check out a free trial of CodeTwo Exchange Sync.

Fig.5. After you install CodeTwo FolderSync Addin a new button is added to the ribbon.

Want to share Outlook calendars

USER: All our team members work in MS Outlook. We need to share some calendars to see what appointments are being planned or to book a conference room. Any idea how to do it without Exchange?

Get CodeTwo NetCalendars. It is a free program that lets you share and edit calendars located on different computers in the local network or the Internet. The application is compatible with Outlook, so you can share your personal Outlook calendar too. When working in a mutual calendar, you can assign tasks to individual employees or groups and calculate their working time. It also allows you to book shared resources and sync work of remote offices in the network (Fig.4).

 
Fig.4. A preview of mutual calendars in Outlook.

Need to sync Outlook data between computers

USER: Even though my personal assistant arranges all my meetings properly in our Outlook calendar and updates a list of tasks and contacts, it seems to be pointless as long as I can't see them. Is there any easy way to sync Outlook data with a second PC?

You are lucky. One of the latest apps from CodeTwo is designed to sync Outlook folders between two machines. You can use it for free to sync Outlook calendars and contacts. To synchronize all Outlook data you can get an advanced version of CodeTwo Outlook Sync, paying just $59. If your business requires Outlook's groupware that allows a smooth teamwork of unlimited number of users, check out CodeTwo Public Folders. This user-friendly program is very well reviewed by a number of users from all around the world. It is free to try and the licensed version is much cheaper than Exchange Server.

If any of these scenarios looks familiar to you, do not hesitate to get a tool that you need. It is free anyway. If you have not found what you were looking for, feel free to leave a comment below or send a message directly to the CodeTwo's team describing your request. Cod Two's developers are still eagerly expanding the freewares' collection, so your idea may initiate creation of one of the new add-ins. To contact CodeTwo you can use the 'Your opinion' widget appearing on their website.

Remember, if Outlook does not provide an important functionality natively, it does not mean you need to adjust to it. Programs are made to serve you, not on contrary. If you have a problem, it is very likely that many other people have been struggling with the same issue. Thus desired solution probably already exists and is at your fingertips, you just have to look for it.