News Flash! Outlook does not have a news reader. It uses Outlook Express in a news-only mode to display newsgroups. You can add a News button to your toolbar to make it easier to bring up – but this is just a shortcut to OE, with a /newsonly switch to hide the Mail module.
If you really want newsgroups in Outlook, there are add-ins below which will add an NNTP transport to Outlook. These are best used with a small number of newsgroups or news servers as they can negatively effect Outlook performance. You should use a Unicode PST with these add-ins, so that you don’t have problems with data loss due to an oversized PST.
My preference? Outlook for e-mail, Outlook Express (or Vista’s Mail/News reader) for news groups. They both offer much better View capability – such as showing only threads I’m posting in and marking my posts and replies to my posts as watched, so I can find them easier.
Missing Go News | News Only Switches | Outlook Add-ins
Missing Go, News Command
If you previously added the Go News Command to the menu bar and it disappeared or you can’t find it in Tools, Customize, Commands (under Go category) follow these steps to fix it:
- Go to the Programs tab in Control Panel, Internet Options (or if Internet Explorer is open, it’s Tools, Internet Options menu)
- Change the default newsreader to Outlook Express. If OE prompts you to make it your default newsreader the next time you launch it, click the “Don’t ask me again” box and then click the No button.
You may need to reset Outlook’s menu or toolbar using Tools, Customize.
Using the News Only Switches
You can create your own desktop or Quick Launch shortcuts using either of the following switches to load only the news module:
“C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe” /newsonly
“C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe” /outnews
Vista Mail:
“C:\Program Files\Windows Mail\WinMail.exe” /newsonly
“C:\Program Files\Windows Mail\WinMail.exe” /outnews
If the use of any switch brings up a ‘Do you want to make this your default news reader?’ dialog, choose No and check the box to never show again.
To create a shortcut:
Right click on your desktop and choose New Shortcut. Browse for msimn.exe and add the switch at the end or copy one of the command lines above and paste it into the dialog.
Either switch loads Outlook Express with news capability only, while /outnews also changes the title bar to read “Outlook Newsreader”. There is no difference in how either one acts.
You can add the shortcut to your Outlook Bar or Shortcut pane by dragging it from the desktop to Outlook.
Tools in the Spotlight
Fully-functional NNTP transport for the MAPI subsystem. Use it with Outlook 2000 (Corporate/Workgroup mode) and Outlook 2002/2003/2007 to read and post to UseNet servers. Provides support of MIME, RTF and HTML. Features include dial-up support and an articles cache to optimize the downloading from several accounts. Version 1.5. Supports Outlook 2007. |
Tools
Newsgator Inbox 3.0 has a ompletely updated UI, subscriptions are added easily. Supports Flag synchronization and improved archiving options. NNTP integration allows you to read newsgroup posts in Outlook. Version 3.0 (Beta) | |
A MAPI service provider that adds full newsgroup (NNTP) support into Outlook. Newsgroup articles can be stored in personal folders files (.pst) or in your Exchange mailbox folders and copied or linked to contact, task, journal and note items. NewsHound 3.0 adds the ability to retrieve messages and threads from Microsoft's web-based forums at social.microsoft.com, social.msdn.microsoft.com, social.technet.microsoft.com, social.answers.microsoft.com and social.expression.microsoft.com. Version 3. | |
COM Add-in for Outlook 2002/2003. Requires CDO and NET Framework. | |
The NNTP plugin for NewsGator provides the functionality to post messages to UseNet. It is tightly integrated with NewsGator and you can now easily manage, post, and reply to newsgroups all from one application. (Free, donations accepted.) |
More Information
Newsgroups in Outlook (Outlook-tips.net)
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Last reviewed on Sep 28, 2011
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