Although Outlook automatically creates Data Files as needed when you add accounts, you might want to add your own Data Files (.pst - files) to a profile. For example, perhaps you use an Exchange Server account for your primary Outlook store, but want a set of personal folders to serve as an archive; or perhaps you have an Exchange Server account and are adding a POP3 account.

Outlook enables you to specify default fonts to use for different situations when dealing with e-mail. Additionally you can individually configure default font settings for composing new e-mail and replying and forwarding.

If you have Outlook configured to automatically check for new e-mails at predefined intervals, you will probably want to be notified when a new e-mail has arrived.

Most people prefer to have Outlook display the Inbox when the application is started. The following tip enables you to specify which folder you would like to be displayed when you start Outlook.

For replies and forwarded messages, you can choose to attach the original text, to include and indent the text, or to add a prefix to each line of the original message or reply without including the original text.

If you frequently sign your messages using not only your name, but also additional information such as your job title and contact information, you'll appreciate Outlook's Signature feature. When enabled, it appends text of your choice to the end of every message that create and/or reply to.

Usually Outlook users are using folders to organize messages, but you can also use colors. For example, you might apply a special color to all messages from a particular person. You can then see at a glance which messages are from that person.

You can display or hide a Reading pane that displays the header and partial contents of the selected message.

By default Outlook shows feature called the Mini Toolbar. This feature can be useful, but somebody might want to turn it off. This tip shows how to turn on or turn off this feature.

Sometimes you just need to have a quick preview of an email before deciding whether to open it. Outlook provides a feature called AutoPreview that shows the first few lines of your emails.