This document explains how to connect to the Office 365 service via Outlook for Mac client.
Configure Outlook
If you currently do not have Office/Outlook installed on your computer, please follow these instructions to install Office/Outlook before proceeding.
The simple answer is that Outlook for Mac is not free. You can not download Outlook on your Mac for free unless you grab it as part of a free 30-day trial version. Office 365 - Download, Install, Activate and Launch Office for Mac. Start Using Word button to open the app and complete the Office 2016 for Mac activation. Through Outlook Web App (OWA), Office 365 offers the capability to remotely wipe.
Warning: Before proceeding, make sure you have updated Outlook to the latest version (patch) currently available. If you do not update Outlook before proceeding, the potential exists that you will be unable to configure your account to Office 365 (you will receive an error during the configuration process).
Important: In addition to configuring your NetID account, this document also contains instructions on how to configure a Service Account. The recommended configuration for Service Accounts within Outlook is to have the Service Account linked to your NetID account and then to use the delegation feature to interact with the Service Account.
Microsoft Outlook for Mac uses profiles to manage your accounts within Outlook.
- You have three options on configuring your Outlook profile:
- Option 1: First time user of Outlook (no existing profile).
- Launch Outlook to start the account creation wizard. If prompted for type of account, select Exchange or Office 365. Proceed to step 2.
- Option 2: Create a new profile.
- Make sure Outlook is not running.
- Follow these steps to create a new profile.
- Proceed to step 2.
- Option 3: Add your account to an existing profile.
- Launch Outlook.
- Go to 'Tools' menu and click the Accounts selection.
- Select New Account... from the + menu selection located at the bottom left corner of the 'Accounts' screen.
- Proceed to step 2.
- On the Setup your email window, enter the email address of the account you are attempting to configure:
- Email Address format: -
- NetID Account: Enter the primary address of your NetID account which will take one of the following forms: netid@wisc.edu or first.lastname@wisc.edu or name@domain.wisc.edu
- Service Account: Enter the primary address of your Service account which will take one of the following forms: name@domain.wisc.edu
Note: if you don't know whether you are attempting to configuring a NetID account or a Service account, please contact your domain administrator or the DoIT HelpDesk.
- Email Address format: -
- If you receive the following prompt:
Place a check mark within the 'Always use my response for this server' check box.
Click Allow. - You will be redirected to NetID login screen - enter the credentials of the account you are attempting to configure.
Please note: If you receive an error message that your account is unable to be auto-configured, please make sure that your Outlook client is fully updated to the newest version (patch) currently available.
If this is your first time setting up this client: You may receive the following notification:
Click Activate and follow the instructions using your NetID to login when asked to activate the software.
Important:
- Depending on the size and amount of emails you have in your account, Outlook may require some time to completely download all of your mail (and other data) the first time you load Outlook after configuring your account.
- If you are having issues interacting with the configured account or with other accounts, please verify you have authenticated into Outlook before contacting the help desk.
Optional - Configure Access to the Campus Directory (Whitepages)
Remember: the Global Address List (GAL) will only contain Office 365 accounts. Therefore, you may still need access to the Campus Directory (Whitepages) to find the person you are searching for.
Use these instructions to configure the Campus Directory (Whitepages) within this client.
Uninstall Outlook/Office
You may experience issues with Outlook for Mac that are often resolved by performing a full uninstall/reinstall of Microsoft Office. The following Microsoft documentation provides instructions on how to completely uninstall Microsoft Office on your Mac: Troubleshoot Office 2016 for Mac issues by completely uninstalling before you reinstall.
See Also:
Microsoft Outlook 2016 for Mac is out! As of July 9, 2015, subscribers to Microsoft Office 365 can use the brand new Office 2016 for Mac suite. Seven updates had been already released since the preview version in March, bringing more stability and performance to this release.
Having trouble with Outlook? Don’t worry, most issues can be easily resolved once you know how. Check out this guide to learn more.
If you’re not a Microsoft Office 365 customer, you’ll have to wait some time before you can take advantage of Office 2016 for Mac by downloading it from SherWeb’s Control Panel. While we’re busy working on the new release, this is an opportunity to highlight the great features of the Microsoft Outlook 2011 for Mac client. Perhaps you’ve never used it? We know you have a wide choice when it comes to accessing your emails on a Mac OS X computer. But to get the most of Exchange 2013 on your Mac, especially if you’re in a corporate environment, you have to use a tool that integrates as seamlessly as possible with your Mac OS X and gives you access to most of the email service features. Mail is the native email app for the operating system, but if you had to use it before, you know it doesn’t have the organizational functions and features that are useful in business! You need the right tool that accommodates both long-time Mac users and Windows users that are shifting to Mac.
That tool is Microsoft Outlook for Mac. The 2011 version was released as a totally new product for Mac OS X users, superseding the former Microsoft Entourage 2008 application. As part of the Office 2011 suite, it came with a new layout. While, it didn’t totally replicate what was then the new Microsoft Outlook 2010 for Windows, it was made to embed itself more tightly with Mac OS X.
For instance, you can use the built-in Mac OS X backup feature – Time Machine – to backup Outlook 2011 with a noticeable difference in performance. Backups are fast thanks to the local email structure in the background: each email item is a separate file.
With Outlook 2011, you can register different accounts (any POP3/IMAP, AOL, Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail or Yahoo mailbox) along with your Exchange 2013 account, under one single identity. Moreover, the mailbox consolidation feature helps you group similar folders, such as inboxes from the different accounts so they appear under one single view. You can easily keep track of all your mailboxes.
The Ribbon, located along the border in top of the window, is the feature that comes from the Outlook 2010/2013 concept. It displays possible actions for a selected item or functionality (mail, calendar, task, contact) and of course, the Mac-style menu is still available.
![Activate Outlook For Mac Activate Outlook For Mac](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125846100/100803564.png)
The Ribbon offers three groups of commands in tabs inside the main window: Home, Organize and Tools. Clicking on the field at the top-right of the window makes a fourth tab appear. The Search tab helps create complex searches with a variety of criteria.
Outlook 2011 will allow you to use one master category list, importing categories from Mac right inside your mailbox.
Contacts, calendar and tasks from Outlook 2011 can still be viewed at a glance when the application is closed, through the standalone My Day app. From Outlook, you can open a set My Day to automatically be launched at the computer start. From My Day, you can create new task items.
Compared to Entourage 2008, editing HTML emails is flawless. Forwarding or replying to an HTML message does not alter its global layout. By default, HTML mode is activated when editing a new email. You can switch to plain mode in a simple click.
Are you using Lync? You may take advantage of the Lync-Exchange integration with presence information right into your mailbox. See availability status and even start a conversation in Lync 2011 for Mac right from your mailbox in Outlook 2011.
Note all the tips above are excerpts of the functionalities you get with your mailbox in Outlook 2011.
SherWeb makes Office 365 easy so you can focus on your business!
Problem resolution for Mac Users under Microsoft Outlook 2011
Because you get unlimited storage for your Hosted Exchange 2013 accounts with SherWeb, the number of items to be synced with the identity on your Mac computer can be high. To avoid issues linked with synchronization, like database corruption, here are a few tips. Follow them to keep your Exchange identity healthy on Mac.
Email Structure
You may have created folders, subfolders and rules to automatically organize your emails. Outlook will behave better if you create your folders right on top of the mailbox, not under default folders like Inbox or Sent Items.
Note: in this picture, the Daily Requests folder is not nested under Inbox. This is the recommended structure.
To create or move folders at the top of the structure, use Outlook Web App (OWA). Of course any changes made in this web interface are replicated straight inside Outlook 2011.
Moving items
Do not move a huge amount of items directly in Outlook 2011. Chances are high that the application will freeze. To move five or ten emails, you can keep using Outlook 2011. But for dozens or hundreds, use OWA instead.
Synchronization issues
You many notice discrepancies between your Exchange local identity and your mailbox’s contents in OWA (in the server). These are signs that the synchronization with Outlook 2011 is no longer working properly. First, try to force a resync by reloading the cache. If this does not solve the issue, save troubleshooting time, backup Outlook 2011 and rebuild your identity on the Mac computer.
You’re all set for a better experience on your Mac computer… until you get the new Microsoft Outlook 2016 for Mac client!
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The IT Pro's Guide to Microsoft Outlook
Outlook integrates well with most applications and devices. But like most email solutions, it doesn't work perfectly all the time. This guide covers some of the most common issues and how best to deal with them.