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When clicking the X button or ALT+F4, how can I get Outlook to minimze to the tray instead of close?
Several programs have this behavior, and it's annoying that Outlook behaves different...
Tamara Wijsman
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 54 163
59
I wrote a free plugin to minimize outlook instead of closing it. I only have outlook 2007 (works on 2010/2013 version as well) so that is all it has been tested with.
Anyone who wants to contribute to the project is free to do so
https://sourceforge.net/projects/keepoutlook/
Tim Eck
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 599
Windows 7 -> start -> shift + right click on outlook 2010 -> run as administrator -> apply steps in answer -> choose 32 bit version of dll (KeepOutlookRunning.dll) -> voila! it works like a charm! – Teoman shipahi – 2014-10-15T20:25:03.033
1Worked for me Outlook2013 x64 – Didar_Uranov – 2015-01-27T10:31:37.817
Worked form me on Win8-64-2013 – PHPst – 2015-02-05T15:20:17.220
Pure money on this addin. Outlook 2013 x32. – WernerCD – 2015-02-18T17:36:48.423
Dammit... why can't I +1 this again? – WernerCD – 2015-09-04T18:22:05.183
3I know this is old, but it still works for Outlook 2016 x32 (Windows 10 Pro x64) and it also works for Outlook 2016 x64. Just make sure to use the 64-bit version of this add-in. – Jonathan Gawrych – 2016-02-14T23:57:19.793
Still works on Outlook 365. Let's hope MS builds this into Outlook before breaking the legacy add-in API. – user8397947 – 2019-10-02T03:38:49.513
4Doesn't work for me on Outlook 2010. :( – Tamara Wijsman – 2011-05-05T07:11:55.710
2It worked for me though. Win7 SP1 32 bit + Outlook 2010 32 bit. Also I have checked "Hide When Minimized" options in tray icon. – Anindya Chatterjee – 2012-01-04T20:54:59.387
2@TomWijsman, If I install the 32bit Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable package I don't get that error but it just returns to the dialog without adding it. I'm running 64bit. – Sam Hasler – 2012-06-26T16:21:36.633
1Does work for me on Outlook 2010 ran on Windows 7 64-bit SP1. Wonderful job! – MasterMastic – 2013-04-19T16:36:25.520
keep outlook plugin worked for me on 64 bit machine, 32 bit outlook 2010. I had to run outlook as administrator to get the add-on to install. – Joe – 2011-06-01T21:29:19.420
Worked for me on Outlook 2013 (32-bit) [Running on Windows 7 (64-bit)]! – BrainSlugs83 – 2013-05-26T22:49:31.100
@SamHasler make sure the add-in didn't get added to your list of disabled add-ins (instead of "COM Add-ins" select "Disabled Items") . If that doesn't work try looking up the "VSTO_SUPPRESSDISPLAYALERTS" environment variable debugging stuff, maybe some more information will help the author. – BrainSlugs83 – 2013-05-26T22:54:33.687
14
With "Hide when minimized" active (not hard to find, just right click on the "O" icon in the tray)
Open outlook
Minimize outlook
Open outlook again (not from the tray, just do it the way you did it in step 1)
You can close that window with alt+f4 or the X or whatever and outlook will still be in the tray.
user102347
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 181
This and pinning Outlook to Taskbar solved all my issues. Thanks. – Monir – 2014-09-12T14:39:21.227
1That does not mean "Hide when closed". Thus step 2 is invalid and your last sentence is false... – Tamara Wijsman – 2011-10-21T00:31:00.593
2Well, @Tom, after all these steps, it WILL be hidden on close. This solution works well for me, it is exactly what I wanted. – Dmytro Shevchenko – 2012-06-21T12:55:37.567
4@Shedal: This clearly reads hide when minimized and does not work when closing it. – Tamara Wijsman – 2012-06-21T22:00:42.030
@TomWijsman, have you tried it? As I said, it works for me. After performing the three above steps, when I close the window with the X, the window becomes minimized and hidden. I can still open it from the tray, since it's not actually closed. I believe that's what you want. – Dmytro Shevchenko – 2012-06-22T00:38:45.240
6@Shedal This doesn't really allow Outlook to close to the tray, just keeps an extra copy running in the background. Hence, not really what the OP was after. – Hannele – 2012-07-30T15:30:18.960
@Hannele I agree with Tom. That option string may not be very intuitive, but it works for me when I try to prevent Outlook from closing by accident. – aitorpazos – 2013-08-08T12:16:49.453
1I prefer this one rather than installing any extra addins – Nam G VU – 2013-08-15T05:20:51.513
6
Hit ALT+Spacebar+N. I do that every day, and it is an easy combination.
This can work with, or without, the "Hide When Minimized" option selected.
KCotreau
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 24 985
Interesting, I will probably map this under an easier to press combination. Perhaps ALT+F2 for minimize and ALT+F3 for maximize... – Tamara Wijsman – 2011-06-15T23:15:18.673
4Or Windows Key + Down Arrow under Windows 7. If it is Maximized, this will first Normalize it, second press Minimizes it. I keep my window Normalized but stretched right to the edges. – Nigel Touch – 2013-07-05T18:30:48.720
4
Another free add-in that does that (and more) is Quick Tweaks for Outlook. Just set the Minimize Outlook on close option. It is small and doesn't require any additional software/runtimes.
Please note that I recommend this add-in because I'm one of its developers.
thims
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 8 081
Finally a solution for the Outlook in 2017 – Varon – 2017-04-11T23:37:52.230
2
You'll have to use a third party tool like OLKeeper
Sathyajith Bhat
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 58 436
1Why pay for what you get with KeepOutlookRunning (Accepted answer) for free - which works with Outlook 2013? A menu to change the some minor options vs KORs lack of options... maybe worth a couple bucks, but 60? – WernerCD – 2015-02-18T17:35:45.290
Is there a free alternative to this? :-( – Tamara Wijsman – 2010-09-17T23:11:38.870
I doubt, let me check. – Sathyajith Bhat – 2010-09-17T23:28:56.057
10Wow, that is so expensive for what it does. – paradroid – 2010-10-04T15:01:02.523
2
You may use Minime at http://www.saphua.com/minime/minime.aspx. It's free & open source.
Nam G VU
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 10 255
But then opening it takes extra effort... :-( – Tamara Wijsman – 2010-10-04T14:55:10.610
Right & agree! I myself dislike the way Minime to restore the apps. Prefer to see them in system tray - not in Minime menu :) – Nam G VU – 2010-10-04T20:20:14.627
0
If the Alt + spacebar + N doesn't work for your keyboard layout (turned out not to work with mine - Polish Programmer), try:
Alt + spacebar + M
Kamil Kuczaj
Posted 2010-09-17T21:31:17.167
Reputation: 31
I'm taking this issue to the next level here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3947038/how-can-i-override-the-close-button-to-minimize-instead-for-a-specific-applicatio
– Tamara Wijsman – 2010-10-16T00:38:42.643Still haven't developed that hook yet, perhaps I could look into writing an Outlook add-in as another option. Other solutions are still welcome though, I seem to become used to minimizing but still closing it instead with hot-keys would take less effort (unless I create one for minimizing)... :) – Tamara Wijsman – 2011-05-05T07:13:09.657
Tom, please see http://meta.superuser.com/questions/6723
– Karan – 2013-05-02T15:17:02.983