# Can MS Outlook be made to open automatically when booting my PC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763 "2003-12-30T14:16:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/1 "2003-12-30T14:16:25Z")
My hope is that, after I boot my PC, my desktop will automatically open to MS Outlook 2000’s calendar–maximized, if possible. Is such a thing possible? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/2 "2003-12-30T14:21:55Z")
Just a guess here, but I would think you could do this by placing a copy of the Outlook icon in your startup folder (right click on the start button, click “Open all users”, then open the “Programs” folder and then the “Startup” folder). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/3 "2003-12-30T15:22:39Z")
That’s essentially correct. Right click on the Outlook icon and choose “Create shortcut.” Then drag the shortcut onto the start menu and into the Startup folder. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/4 "2003-12-30T15:31:11Z")
I think you’re stuck with the inbox on startup, but the rest is possible. Put Outlook in the Startup folder as directed, and always shut down the program before you shut down the computer (Outlook will start in a smaller window if you just let it auto-shutdown – I don’t know why) My knowledge, BTW, is limited to Outlook 2000 running on Windows 98 SE – if you’re running XP, some of the above may not apply, and if you’re not running 2000, none of it may apply. ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/5 "2003-12-30T17:24:21Z")
To get Outlook 2000 to open in the calendar click on Tools, Options, Other, Advanced Options, and then select the calendar from the drop down menu at the top where it says “Startup in this folder”. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/6 "2003-12-30T17:38:42Z")
You can also have it start in “Outlook Today” which will show your calendar items for the next week or so when it starts. To see it, click View, Outlook Bar. Once the Outlook Shortcuts bar is open, click the Outlook Today icon. Find “Customize Outlook Today…” (top right corner) and click it. Check “When starting, go directly to Outlook Today” Below that, you can select how many days’ calendar items you want to see. Make your changes, then click “save changes” in the top right corner. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/7 "2003-12-30T17:44:44Z")
Just realized that you can preview Outlook Today without making any changes. At the very top of all your mailboxes\* will be the Outlook Today. Click on it to see what it looks like. - You just have one? Lucky you! I’ve got nine. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/8 "2003-12-30T19:16:10Z")
BTW, I’m on Windows XP using Outlook 2000. Thanks for the information, folks! ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ms-outlook-be-made-to-open-automatically-when-booting-my-pc/221763/9 "2003-12-30T19:24:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gotpasswords \* > \*\*You can also have it start in “Outlook Today” which will show your calendar items for the next week or so when it starts. > > To see it, click View, Outlook Bar. Once the Outlook Shortcuts bar is open, click the Outlook Today icon. Find “Customize Outlook Today…” (top right corner) and click it. Check “When starting, go directly to Outlook Today” Below that, you can select how many days’ calendar items you want to see. Make your changes, then click “save changes” in the top right corner. \*\* I’ve done this–Find “Customize Outlook Today…” (top right corner) and click it–several times. Nothing happens when I click it. Presently, I use Outlook only as a calendar/task reminder, not as a mail handler. (I use MSN for everything else). Can you think of what is going wrong–why nothing happens when I click on the “Customize Outlook Today” tab?