With just a swipe of your finger you can delete an email or flag one for follow-up. All it takes is a multi-touch trackpad or magic mouse. Under Swipe Gestures, set Swipe left and Swipe right for: Delete, Archive, Mark as Read, or Flag. In Swipe left on the message list to, select None. To resolve this issue in Outlook 2016 for Mac, install the February 2017 Outlook update (version 15.31.0) from the following Office website: Release notes for Office 2016 for Mac. To work around this issue, delete any cached passwords for your account, and also delete any modern authentication tokens from the keychain.

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Microsoft Outlook is a core application that many businesses use for emailing and scheduling meetings. It can be frustrating when it is slow to start. There are several possible reasons why Outlook might be slow to start, and in some cases steps can taken to improve performance.

Outlook May Be Delayed By Computer Start Up

When a computer starts it performs background tasks such as starting up various utility programs and running anti-virus scans. If Outlook is started while the computer is performing background tasks, it will take longer than normal to start. Outlook may start faster if you launch it at least five minutes after starting the computer.

Outlook May be Delayed Connecting to the Exchange Server

Home and small business users typically use Outlook to send and receive email from an Internet mail service or Internet service provider. The email messages are stored on the user's computer. Medium and larger business typically use Outlook with an Exchange server, where the email messages reside on the business' server even after they are received. Some business configurations store additional messages on shared drives. To check your account, click 'File' and select 'Info.' If you are using an Exchange server, that will be indicated under the email address. Establishing communications with local servers is dependent on the business network's traffic, and any delay may make Outlook start slowly.

The Outlook Message Folder is Near Capacity

Outlook stores all email messages, including deleted messages, in a single file with the extension of PST. Performance degrades as this file reaches capacity. Until Outlook 2002, this file was limited to 2GB. Since Outlook 2003, the PST file can hold 20GB or more, but upgrading Outlook does not increase the capacity of existing PST files. If you are using Outlook 2010 with a 10-year-old PST file, the 2GB limit still applies. To take advantage of Outlook's larger capacity PST files, you need to create a new PST file and import messages from the old PST file to the new one (see Resources).

Outlook is Managing Too Many Messages

The larger PST file holds more messages, but a large number of messages, especially with attachments, will still slow down Outlook. Keep message volumes under control by regularly emptying the deleted items folder, archiving older messages and compacting the PST folder. Under the 'File' tab, select 'Info' and choose 'MailBox Cleanup.'

To prevent mailbox bloat, save any required email attachments to a folder on the computer and delete the email. Attachments are also saved in Outlook when email messages are sent, so delete the sent messages when possible. Within a business, employees should avoid sending attached files to each other, and send links instead.

Outlook is sharing Multiple Calendars

The ability the share calendars is a great feature of Outlook, but each shared calendar is additional information that Outlook needs to load. Stop any unnecessary calendar sharing.

Outlook is Using Too Many Add-Ins.

The default installation of Outlook includes several add-ins that allow Outlook to integrate with instant messaging and social media. These can be disabled if they are not required. Under the 'File' tab, select 'Options' and choose 'Add-Ins.' Select a type to Manage and click 'Go.' You can also disable any unused RSS feeds.

Outlook Does Not Have Enough Computer Resources

Outlook requires a significant amount of computer resources. The recommended memory to run Outlook is 512MB -- double the amount required by Excel or Access. If the computer is older or several large applications are running, Outlook may be slow to start due to the amount of memory it requires.

About the Author

Timothy Smithee is a technical writer specializing in internal operating procedures for IT and manufacturing support. He has written for diverse publications including 'RV Lifestyle' and 'Everyman.' He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Arts in film studies from Carleton University.

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Symptoms

In Microsoft Outlook 2016 for Mac, you are repeatedly prompted for authentication while you're connected to your Office 365 account.

Cause

This issue occurs because of the presence of duplicate tokens in the keychain.

Resolution

To resolve this issue in Outlook 2016 for Mac, install the February 2017 Outlook update (version 15.31.0) from the following Office website:

Workaround

Samsung m283x driver for mac. To work around this issue, delete any cached passwords for your account, and also delete any modern authentication tokens from the keychain. To do this, follow these steps.

Note

These steps affect all Office applications that use modern authentication.

1. Quit Outlook and all other Office applications.

2. Start Keychain Access by using one of the following methods:

   • Select the Finder application, click Utilities on the Go menu, and then double-click Keychain Access.
   • In Spotlight Search, type Keychain Access, and then double-click Keychain Access in the search results.

3. In the search field in Keychain Access, enter Exchange.

4. In the search results, select each item to view the Account that's listed at the top, and then press Delete. Repeat this step to delete all items for your Exchange account.

5. In the search field, enter adal.

6. Select all items whose type is MicrosoftOffice15_2_Data:ADAL:<GUID>, and then press Delete.

7. In the search field, enter office.

8. Select the items that are named Microsoft Office Identities Cache 2 and Microsoft Office Identities Settings 2, and then press Delete.

9. Quit Keychain Access.

   Note

   When you start Outlook, you are prompted to authenticate.