Getting Help with Outlook
This week's tip is designed to help users find answers to Outlook questions quickly, by following this Five Step Approach!
HELP with Outlook
UW Colleges and UW Extension staff and faculty often run into questions about Outlook that can be answered quickly, but only if the user knows where to go for HELP. Here are five steps to follow in order to get help with Outlook and only the last one involves using IT staff as a resource. Once users get used to this process, they find it much faster than tracking down a real person to assist them. IT staff love helping users with Outlook, but also want users to learn all the best features of Outlook, which includes using the first four steps outlined below. Outlook Help will take users through any process step-by-step, and get to the solution of the problem wherever possible.
Step One: The Help Button
The Help Button is located on the Standard Toolbar near the right end of the toolbar. The icon looks like this: 
. Here is the toolbar, showing where the button is located:
Click on the help button when you have a question. It will open the Outlook Help Task Pane, on the right side of the screen. The task pane has a search box which can be used to search for a term or phrase.
For example to get help on creating a signature in Outlook, enter signature in the search box and then click on the Green Arrow,
. The search results will appear. The image below shows the first few results. Notice there are multiple icons. That is because the results include some information from Microsoft Office Online. Here is a legend for the icons:
- - Result comes from within the Outlook program help files
- Result comes from Microsoft Office Online and is a video demo 
- Result comes from Microsoft Office Online and is a training video.
So here are the results for our search about signatures:
Depending on the type of help users need, they can chose from the many search results. Each result will provide enough information in a easy to understand format, including step-by-step instructions.
Step Two: The Office Assistant
In all Microsoft Office applications there is an Office Assistant. It is often referred to as "Clipit" as the paperclip is the default Office Assistant. To access the Office Assistant, click on the Help pull-down menu and select "Show the Office Assistant". There will be a dialog box that let's users choose the Office Assistant Character they want to use. Click on OK, to close that dialog box and have the Office Assistant appear.
When help is needed, click on the screen or on Help>Show the Office Assistant to bring the Assistant up on the screen. Click on the Office Assistant and a search box will appear. We'll repeat the search for information on Signatures.
The results will be displayed in the Search Results Task Pane, just as they are when using the Help Button.
Step Three: Microsoft Office Online
When users click on the Help Button , and the Outlook Help Task Pane appears, there is a direct link to Microsoft Office Online.
Click on the link: Connect to Microsoft Office Online. This takes users to a great resource. There is a search box right there on the opening screen, and a search for "Signature" brings up similar results as the first two Steps provide, but it also taps into some other resources available on the site. Another way to access Outlook information is to click on the Products tab near the top of the first screen. Outlook is listed with other MS Office products along the left side of the screen. Click on Outlook. Much of the focus of the first screen that users will see after clicking on Outlook is on Outlook 2007. Look carefully though. There is information about Help and How to on the left navigation bar. See image below.
Click on Outlook 2003 Help. Users will find a wealth of tips and support on this site including Training Videos, Demos, Templates, and the list goes on.
Step Four: UWC-UWEX Outlook Web site
The UWC-UWEX Outlook Web site is being developed to assist UW Colleges and UW Extension users with Outlook. The page that comes up has a link to the archive of Computing Tips of the Week, Video Tips, WisLine Web archives of both Outlook Client and Outlook Web Access training done for UWEX in recent months, and several other Outlook Resources that can be printed.
If users have not seen either site, I encourage you to take a look, and definitely go there if you still need help and Steps 1-3 didn't help.
Step Five: Ask for Help
Note that we are at Step Five and we are just now referring users to UWC or UWEX IT support. That is because the first four steps provide excellent help with Outlook.
Note: the fifth step varies for UWC and UWEX users.
UW Colleges - Contact your campus Network Administrator or Instructional Technology Staff.
UW Extension - Contact the UWEX Helpdesk. Call 265-3895 (in Madison) or 1-800-760-7610, OR email - helpdesk@ces.uwex.edu OR go online to http://helpdesk.uwex.edu . Follow the instructions to submit a help ticket.
Users are encouraged to try the Five Step Approach to Getting Help with Outlook. The help resources are excellent.
Remember these tips are archived at http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/outlook/tips/ , so after you read this e-mail, delete it! Make sure though that you have the web site bookmarked in your browser.