Microsoft Outlook 2007 Tip #22 - How to Manage Outlook Add-ins

Microsoft Outlook 2007 Tip #22 - How to Manage Outlook Add-ins
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Managing Add-ins using the Trust Center

Outlook is extensible. Companies can compose add-ins to extend the feature-set of Outlook 2007. No matter what Microsoft puts into Outlook, there is always some features that are not in enough demand to include or just a different way of using the product creates a need. Whatever the inspiration, many companies have created Outlook add-ins for internal corporate use or for sale to those sharing the same need.

Not everyone makes add-ons to the same level of programming quality. Some add-ons cause problems for Outlook, especially in regards to memory use or application closing delays. Add-ins that cause issues can be manually blocked from loading with Outlook. This helps in troubleshooting performance issues, especially where multiple add-ins are involved.

Outlook 2007 has a new component called the Trust Center. Add-ins are managed within the Trust Center as shown in Figure 1. This is reached through Tools | Trust Center in Outlook and then selecting the Add-ins section. I have highlighted a COM Add-in that I installed and use regularly, which is an RSS Reader called IntraVNews. At the bottom of the window in Figure 1, there is an option Manage with COM Add-ins selected. Clicking Go will open a window like that shown in Figure 2. Again, I highlighted the IntraVNews add-in as an example. This add-in loads automatically with Outlook. If you deselect the checkbox beside an Add-in, it will not load with Outlook. This does not uninstall the add-in, only disable it. Sometimes the process of elimination can help identify what add-in is causing issues with Outlook (if Outlook itself doesn’t tell you). You can also remove an add-in from this list using, of course, the Remove button. Most of the time, add-ins are installed applications that reside in this list.

Outlook MVP Robert Sparnaaij maintains a list of popular Outlook add-ins on his website, HowTo-Outlook.com. This is not a complete list, but certainly covers most of the retail add-ins out there in the marketplace.

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This post is part of the series: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Tips

A series of Tips and Tricks for working with Microsoft Outlook 2007 both as a user and an administrator.

  1. New E-mail Account Configuration in Microsoft Outlook: Tip #1
  2. Use AutoComplete “Nickname” Cache in Outlook: Tip #2
  3. Configure Outlook Custom Message Views: Tip #3
  4. How to Configure RSS Feeds in Outlook: Tip #4
  5. Tip #5 - Making Changes to the Custom Dictionary in Microsoft Outlook 2007
  6. Tip #6 - Configure Outlook Autosave Settings
  7. Microsoft Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts: Tip #7
  8. Microsoft Outlook 2007 Tip #8 - Outlook.exe Startup Switches
  9. Microsoft Outlook Instant Messenger Addons: #9
  10. Tip #10 - Using Outlook 2007 to Access GMail
  11. Showing Full Message Headers in Microsoft Outlook 2007: Tip #11
  12. How to Re-Send an E-mail Message in Outlook: Tip #12
  13. How to View Animated GIFs Embedded in an E-mail in Microsoft Outlook 2007: Tip #13
  14. Telling Outlook How to Handle Messages: Tip #14
  15. Microsoft Outlook 2007 Tip #15 - How to Color Code the Task List in the To Do Bar
  16. Tip #16 - Importing from Incredimail to Microsoft Outlook 2007
  17. Viewing Multiple Outlook Calendars: Tip #17
  18. Removing Cancelled Future Appointments in Microsoft Outlook 2007: Tip #18
  19. Tip #19: How to Create New Outlook E-mail from the Command Line
  20. How to Configure Outlook AutoArchiving: Tip #20
  21. Using Custom Categories in Microsoft Outlook 2007: Tip #21
  22. How to Manage Outlook Add-ins: Tip #21
  23. Microsoft Outlook 2007 Tip #23 - Attachment Previewing Options