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Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

WinfredVaughan
Grafter
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Registered: ‎26-06-2020

Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

I have used Microsoft Outlook for the last 20+ years and it used to be intuitive.  But since I had to upgrade to Outlook 2013 (admittedly 5 years ago), I have become increasingly more confused as to how to customise the various ribbons - the choices are simply overwhelming.  Can anyone help me ?

My current setting has a list of actions above the ribbon - "Send and Receive, Reply, Reply All, Forward" etc.  I think this is called the "Quick Action Toolbar".  After that comes the Ribbon - "File, Home, View" and below that an unnamed toolbar containing just a single action all on its own, in much larger font  - "New Email".

All I want to do is to add "Send and Receive" to this last toolbar but I cannot for the life of me find how to do it, having Googled until I am blue in the face.  I do not even know what this last toolbar below the Ribbon is called, and so I cannot add anything to it.

All I want to do is to have only two actions in a toolbar for downloading emails and composing a new email in one larger font toolbar for ease of operation.

Is anyone more familiar with customising Outlook than me ?  I am sure I am being stupid but it is not obvious.  I am attaching a brief screendump of my Outlook main menu.

7 REPLIES 7
Alex
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Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

If you click on the down arrow (furthest right at the top), what options do you yet?
I can't check (I don't think so as I am on my Mac), but I would have thought it would have a customise option there. 

WinfredVaughan
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Registered: ‎26-06-2020

Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

Thanks.  I have tried that before.  That lets me customise only the Quick Access Toolbar which is the on in the same line, namely the above the Ribbon.  Unfortunately, that does not help as there is nothing within that link that lets me customise anything else.

daveplus
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Registered: ‎25-08-2010

Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

@WinfredVaughan 

Right click on the HOME or any other tab and choose Customize the Ribbon to display everything that can be customized. See attachment.

WinfredVaughan
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Registered: ‎26-06-2020

Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

Many thanks for the suggestion but sadly it does not help.  There is nothing in the Ribbon which refers to that third toolbar UNDERNEATH the Ribbon regrettably.  I have been through all the customisations and there is nothing which refers to a single action called "New Email" shown in my attachment.  That toolbar has no name and is not listed anywhere that I can find.  That is the toolbar I either want to add "Send and Receive" to, or alternatively delete altogether.  But I can not find that toolbar anywhere - not even right clicking it.

Anyway, I am grateful nevertheless.

jab1
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Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

@WinfredVaughan Looking at that screenshot, the 'New Email' is a 'Function' which on any sensible client - like the previous versions of Outlook, would be included in the top toolbar, but M$ like to make thing 'easier' for their users, so appear to have given this option its own dedicated location.

It is impossible to move it, and I agree it looks untidy, but if you want to continue using Outlook, you'll have put up with it - sorry.

John
daveplus
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Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

@WinfredVaughan 

Attached is the top left corner of my uncustomized Outlook 2013

Comparing with your screen shot something seems to be missing in yours

Dave

WinfredVaughan
Grafter
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Registered: ‎26-06-2020

Re: Customising Outlook ribbons beats me !

Solved it ! 

The toolbar which I could not find a name for is actually hidden by the Ribbon itself.  As my Ribbon was always "Collapsed", this unnamed default toolbar replaced it with only one action in it :"New Email"  I do not seem to be able to add any other action to it.  So the solution is simply to "uncollapse" the Ribbon and delete as many of the actions in the Ribbon as the system allows.  I have successfully got it down to a reasonable number and got rid of all the rubbish.  My new Ribbon is quite concise and will have to do.

It is just a pity that one cannot add another action to the default toolbar hidden by the Ribbon, which can only be seen when the Ribbon is collapsed.  I would prefer to leave the Ribbon collapsed and just have "Send and Receive" and "New Email" in what I call the default toolbar.  Life is too short for all the other nonsense !