How to enable Cached Exchange mode in Outlook

Cached Exchange mode may improve the performance of Outlook on some internet connections. Cached Exchange mode creates a local copy of the data stored on the Exchange Server. Outlook accesses this cached copy for most operations, speeding response times. Outlook and the Exchange Server synchronize the local and server data periodically.

In Outlook 2010:

To enable Cached Exchange mode, follow these steps.

1. In your Outlook: Go to the File menu and choose Account Settings, then click Account Settings again in the dropdown.
2. On the E-mail tab, highlight your exchange account click on Change button
3. In the Exchange Server Settings window, check the Use Cached Exchange Mode checkbox and click Next.
4. You should be back at the E-mail Accounts window. Click on Finish.

You should get a popup window that advises you to restart Outlook in order for the change to take effect. 

When you re-launch Outlook 2007 it will begin to make a copy of your Mailbox contents onto your local computer. This will take some time. Not all items will be immediately available. In the case of large mailboxes and or on slow internet connections this can take an hour or more.

In Outlook 2007:

To enable Cached Exchange mode, follow these steps.

1. In your Outlook: Go to the Tools menu and choose Account Settings...
2. On the E-mail tab, highlight Microsoft Exchange Server and click on Change button
3. In the Exchange Server Settings window, check the Use Cached Exchange Mode checkbox and click Next.
4. You should be back at the E-mail Accounts window. Click on Finish.

You should get a popup window that advises you to restart Outlook in order for the change to take effect. 

When you re-launch Outlook 2007 it will begin to make a copy of your Mailbox contents onto your local computer. This will take some time. Not all items will be immediately available. In the case of large mailboxes and or on slow internet connections this can take an hour or more.

In Outlook 2003:

To enable Cached Exchange mode, follow these steps.

1. In your Outlook: Go to the Tools menu and choose Email Accounts.
2. Select View or change existing e-mail accounts and click on Next
3. In the E-mail Accounts window, highlight Microsoft Exchange Server and click on Change
4. In the Exchange Server Settings window, check the Use Cached Exchange Mode checkbox and click Next.
5. You should be back at the E-mail Accounts window. Click on Finish.

You should get a popup window that advises you to restart Outlook in order for the change to take effect.

When you re-launch Outlook 2003 it will begin to make a copy of your Mailbox contents onto your local computer. This will take some time. Not all items will be immediately available. In the case of large mailboxes and or on slow internet connections this can take an hour or more. 
You can find more information about Cached Exchange Mode in Microsoft KB.

Outlook 2007 Cached Mode Recommendations (Client PC):

Mailbox Size                             Memory Size                           Hard Disk Speed

1 GB                                            1 GB                                   5400RPM 
2 GB                                            1-2 GB                                7200RPM 
> 2GB Reduce mailbox size, or use online mode.

Your mileage may vary based on your specific hardware and performance threshold.

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