Outlook: Synchronize with Google Calendar

Do you use Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook? If you're using Outlook 2003/2007/2010 and Windows XP (32-bit, not 64-bit)/Vista/7, there's a tool called Google Calendar Sync that you can use to keep your calendars synchronized.

First, follow this link and download the application:

http://dl.google.com/googlecalendarsync/GoogleCalendarSync_Installer.exe

When you're setting it up, you'll have the ability to choose how you would like it to synchronize. Your three options are:

• 2-way - Any events in Outlook will show up in Google Calendar, and vice versa.
• 1-way: Google Calendar to Microsoft Outlook calendar - Events in Google Calendar will be synchronized with your Microsoft Outlook calendar.
• 1-way: Google Calendar to Microsoft Outlook calendar - Events in your Microsoft Outlook calendar will be synchronized with Google Calendar.

I like this tool because it helps me keep everything up-to-date between my personal calendar and my work calendar. The different options for synchronizing mean that I can keep my own personal calendar up-to-date without bringing all of my personal events onto my work calendar.

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Outlook: Get Rid of Items Stuck in Outbox

Ever had something stuck in the Outbox folder of Microsoft Outlook and gotten this lovely message when you try to get rid of it?:

"Can't open this item. Outlook has already begun transmitting this message."

It's an annoyance, for sure. Sometimes this can happen if you, like I did today, misjudged the size of your attachments and your server is suddenly struggling to send a massive e-mail. The irritating thing is that Outlook doesn't seem to have a mechanism in place to tell it, "Wait! I don't want to send that e-mail anymore!".

Here's how to delete the e-mail from your Outbox, or at least have the ability to open it and to get rid of the gigantic attachment(s). Go to the 'Send/Receive' tab on the ribbon, and click on the 'Work Offline' button. You're temporarily preventing Outlook from trying to send the e-mail, which should allow you to go to your Outbox and then open, edit, or delete the offending message as you please. When you're ready to go again, just go back to the 'Send/Receive' tab, and click the 'Work Offline' button once more to go back online.

Phew!

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