Best Free Outlook Add-ins

Micosoft Office Outlook has been around since January 1997, with subsequent new versions released in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2006.  Although each new release came with added features and functionality, there has always been room for improvements.  As a result, there is a plethora of add-ins for this program both freeware and commercial software.

HTML emails can be a security issue because they can contain hidden code for viruses, trojans, and other "nasties".  My personal policy is to delete any emails from unknown sources.  However, if you want to safely examine an HTML email, PocketKnife Peek will give you a preview in plain text.

RealAccount allows you to designate a default email account and signature for any Outlook Folder.  Yet another free utility that provides functionality that should have been included in the original product.

Lookout is a great utility for those of you who have amassed lots of pst files, with archived emails spanning the last decade or so.  It can index and search all pst files at once as opposed to the standard Outlook 2000 search, which can only do 1 pst at a time.  Microsoft has purchased the developer of Lookout and no longer supports this utility since it has been superceded by Microsoft Windows Search.

I normally don't recommend programs that are still in BETA, but xobni (Inbox spelled backward) already seems to have attracted a sizeable crowd of enthusiastic users.  It still does conflict with numerous other Outlook add-ins as well as some PC/smartphone sync programs.  I highly recommend to visit their website http://www.xobni.com, where current issues are discussed.

Product Details

PocketKnife Peek
Website: http://www.xintercept.com/pkpeek.htm
Download link: http://www.xintercept.com/peekdownload.htm
Author: XIntercept
Version: 1.2
Date: 03/17/2004
Download file size: 520 KB
License: Free for personal use
Operating systems supported: COM add-in compatible with any version of Windows capable of running the corresponding version of Outlook
64 Bit version available: No
Portable version available: Unknown
Other languages supported: No
Additional software required: Outlook 2000 or later

RealAccount
Website: http://www.matro.it/site/show/english/realaccount.aspx
Download link: http://www.download.com/RealAccount/3000-2368_4-10319971.html?part=dl-Re...
Author: matro
Version: 1.2
Date: Unknown
Download file size: 338 KB
License: Freeware
Operating systems supported: Windows
64 Bit version available: No
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: Italian
Additional software required: Outlook XP or 2003, plus the CDO library (Outlook optional component in Office setup tool. This is not included in a standard installation, so you may have to manually install it.) If you encounter an OCX registering error, you may need to re-install Outlook, or the VB6 runtimes.

Lookout
Download link: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Lookout_d4808.html
Author: Lookout
Version: 1.3.0
Date: 2005-10-22
Download file size: 961 KB
License: Freeware
Operating Systems supported: Windows 2000, XP
64 Bit version available: No
Other languages supported: No
Additional software required: Outlook 2000, XP, 2003 and Microsoft .NET

xobni

Download link: http://www.xobni.com

Author: Xobni

Version: Beta

Date: Active development

Download file size: 2.04 MB

License: Freeware

Operating Systems supported: XP, Vista

64 Bit version available: Vista

Other languages supported: No

Additional software required: Outlook 2003 or 2007 and Microsoft .NET

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