Outlook - open in multiple windows

You can open Outlook in multiple windows – one window displaying your inbox, for example, one window displaying your calendar, one window displaying your contacts. It can be far easier to switch between windows than to switch from one section of Outlook to another.

The simplest way to do that: right-click on the name of an Outlook folder and click on Open in New Window. The picture above shows how it looks in Outlook 2013.

You can also create shortcuts for your desktop or taskbar that open directly into your calendar, contacts, or task list. Each one will open a new Outlook window automatically.

  • Right-click on your desktop and click on New / Shortcut.
  • The location of the item is the path to the Outlook program, followed by a command line switch that selects the folder to open. Type in one of these locations.

OUTLOOK 2010

  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe ” /select Outlook:Inbox
  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe” /select Outlook:Calendar
  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe” /select Outlook:Contacts
  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\Outlook.exe” /select Outlook:Tasks

OUTLOOK 2013

  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\OUTLOOK.EXE” /select Outlook:Inbox
  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\OUTLOOK.EXE” /select Outlook:Calendar
  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\OUTLOOK.EXE” /select Outlook:Contacts
  • “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\OUTLOOK.EXE” /select Outlook:Tasks

These paths are likely (but not necessarily) correct, depending on the version of Windows and whether the program is in its default location.

On the next screen, type a descriptive name – e.g., “Outlook Calendar.”

After you’ve created the desktop shortcut, right-click on the shortcut and click on Properties. Click the Change Icon button and pick an icon that matches the folder.

Outlook - select icon for shortcutOutlook - select icon for shortcut

You can right-click the desktop icon and pin it to your taskbar (Windows 7/8) and to the Windows 8 Start screen.

Try it! It’s easy to create shortcuts to go exactly where you want to go in Outlook.

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