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A guide of using commands and switches for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

By Amarendra Bhushan for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:April 2, 2009

The command that starts Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 is outlook.exe.

Each time you start the program, you run the outlook.exe command, although you do not usually type the command or even see it. You can change certain aspects of how the program starts by adding subcommands called switches to the outlook.exe command.

When you’re having problems with Outlook you may be told to start Outlook using a specific command line switch.

To do this:

at the Start menu, Run command type:

Outlook /switch

Then click OK to start Outlook.

Occasionally you’ll need to use the full path to Outlook, then the command line looks like this:

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe” /switch

You’ll need the full path if you want to create desktop shortcuts using a switch, such as to open Outlook to a specific folder:

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Outlook.exe” /select outlook:calendar

Some of the more useful switches include:

Switch	Description of Functionality

/a “<filename>”	Outlook creates a new email message with <filename> as an attachment.
/altvba “<vbafilename>”	Use this switch to open an alternative VBA program, rather than Outlook’s default %appdata%\microsoft\outlook\vbaproject.otm.
/c messageclass	This creates a new item of the specified message class, based on Outlook forms or any other MAPI type; for example, ipm.activity creates an Outlook Journal entry, and ipm.stickynote creates an Outlook note.
/checkclient	This prompts the user to confirm the default manager of email messages, news, and contacts.
/cleancategories	This deletes custom category names you have created. It restores categories to Outlook’s default.
/cleanclientrules	This starts Outlook, deleting all client-side rules.
/cleandmrecords	This deletes logging records that are saved when a manager or a delegate declines a meeting.
/cleanfinders	This removes search folders from Microsoft Exchange Server.
/cleanfreebusy	This clears and regenerates free/busy information and can be used only if you are using (and are connected to) your Exchange Server machine.
/cleanprofile	This removes invalid profile information and re-creates the registry where applicable.
/cleanreminders	This clears and regenerates reminders.
/cleanroamedprefs	All roamed preferences are deleted and copied from the local settings on the computer where this switch is used. This includes the roaming settings for reminders, free/busy grid, working hours, calendar publishing, and RSS rules.
/cleanrules	This starts Outlook and deletes client-based and serverbased rules.
/cleanserverrules	This starts Outlook and deletes server-based rules.
/cleansharing	This removes RSS, Internet Calendar, and SharePoint subscriptions from Account Settings, leaving previously downloaded content. You can use this if you cannot delete these subscriptions from inside Outlook.
/cleansniff	This overrides programmatic lockout, determining which computers, if running Outlook simultaneously, will process meeting items. The lockout process helps prevent duplicate reminder messages. This switch clears this lockout.
/cleansubscriptions	This deletes subscription messages and properties for subscription features.
/cleanviews	This restores default views with any custom views being lost.
/embedding	This opens a specified message file (.msg) as OLE embedding and can also be used without command-line parameters for a standard OLE cocreate.
/f msgfilename	This opens the specified message file (.msg) or Microsoft Office saved search (.oss).
/finder	This opens the Advanced Find dialog box.
/firstrun	This starts Outlook as if it were run for the first time.
/launchtraininghelp assetid	This opens a Help window with the Help topic specified in assetid displayed.
/recycle	This starts Outlook using an existing Outlook window if one exists. This is used in combination with /explorer or /folder.
/m emailname	This provides a way to add an email name to the item, working in conjunction with the /c command-line parameter.
/nopreview	This starts Outlook with the Reading pane switched off.
/ical icsfilename	This opens a specified .ics file.
/nocustomize	This starts Outlook without loading customized toolbars.
/hol holfilename	This opens a specified .hol file.
/profiles	This opens the Choose Profile dialog box regardless of the Options setting on the Tools menu.
/importprf prffilename	This starts Outlook and opens or imports a defined MAPI profile (*.prf). If Outlook is already open, this switch will queue the profile to be imported the next time Outlook starts.
/p msgfilename	This prints the specified message (.msg file).
/noextensions	This starts Outlook with extensions off but listed as available in the Add-In Manager.
/profile profilename	This loads the specified profile. If your profile name contains a space, enclose the profile name in quotation marks (” “).
/resetformregions	This empties the form cache and reloads the form region definitions from the Windows registry.
/rpcdiag	This opens Outlook and displays the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Connection Status dialog box.
/remigratecategories	This starts Outlook and upgrades colors and follow-up flags to Office Outlook 2007 color categories, upgrades calendar labels to Office Outlook 2007 color categories, and adds all categories used on non-mail items into the Master Category List.
/v vcffilename	This opens the specified .vcf file.
/resetsearchcriteria	This resets all Instant Search criteria so that the default set of criteria is shown in each module.
/safe	This starts Outlook without Microsoft Exchange Server Client Extensions (ECE), the Reading pane, or toolbar customizations. Component Object Model (COM) add-ins are turned off.
/safe:1	This starts Outlook with the Reading pane off.
/safe:3	This starts Outlook with Microsoft Exchange Server Client Extensions (ECE) turned off but listed in the Add-In Manager. Component Object Model (COM) add-ins are turned off.
/safe:4	This starts Outlook without loading customized toolbars.
/resetfolders	This restores missing folders at the default delivery location.
/x xnkfilename	This opens the specified .xnk file.
/select foldername	This opens the specified folder in a new window.
/vcal vcsfilename	This opens the specified .vcs file.
/sniff	This starts Outlook and forces a detection of new meeting requests in the Inbox, adding them to the calendar.
/t oftfilename	This opens the specified .oft file.
/resetsharedfolders	This removes all shared folders from the Navigation pane.
/resetnavpane	This clears and regenerates the Navigation pane for the current user’s profile.
/resettodobar	This clears and regenerates the To-Do Bar task list for the current profile.
/resetfoldernames	This resets folder names (such as Inbox or Sent Items) to Outlook’s default.

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