Disable Outlook 2007 Splash screen...

[Lyle]

This is not a performance or hang issue. It is possible to disable the
Outlook 2007 splash screen at program launch as this is a fully programmable
PC. Regardless of the personal feelings of the forum moderators, I want the
option of not advertising for Microsoft or any other vendor every time I
launch an application I've purchased the rights to use on my PC. Almost every
other Office application has the ability to turn off useless splash screens.
Now, how do we make this adjustment to Microsoft Office 2007?

 

[DL]

Any PC is fully programable
This is a user group & as such is not moderated in that way
I assume you refer to the Outllook 2007 small notice that appears for about
5 secs prior to fully loading?

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

This is not a performance or hang issue. It is possible to disable the
Outlook 2007 splash screen at program launch as this is a fully programmable
PC. Regardless of the personal feelings of the forum moderators, I want the
option of not advertising for Microsoft or any other vendor every time I
launch an application I've purchased the rights to use on my PC. Almost
every
other Office application has the ability to turn off useless splash screens.
Now, how do we make this adjustment to Microsoft Office 2007?

You've answered yourself with your statement "purchased the rights to use."
You have no right to dictate how the application works or to expect any
particular behavior in the incidentals. Your license gives you the right to
USE the software *as is*. If that includes "advertising", then too bad. If
you don't like it, don't use the software or open a support incident with
Microsoft.

That said, an option to suppress the splash would be nice.

 

[Lyle]

That is correct. Of course any PC is fully programable. My statement of the
obvious was simply a way of heading off MS MVP responses to similar queries
(regarding Office Live Communicator specifically) where the answer given was,
"impossible". Impossible is not an answer, but a denial of the facts of the
nature and purpose of the software in a PC.

 

[K. Orland]

I don't know of a switch or registry entry for Microsoft Outlook (only
Outlook Express) however, what if you started Outlook minimized so you don't
have to see the splash screen?

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

The splash screen can't be disabled.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
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You can access this newsgroup by visiting
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newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[Lyle]

I beg to disagree in the specific regard that the software may not be
programmed to allow a user to disable the splash screen. Consider this then a
user request for feature standardization among Office platforms to include a
startup method for disabling the Outlook splash screen as Word, Excel,
Powerpoint and even Visio currently have.

The splash screen can't be disabled.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

Outlook Tips by email:
(e-mail address removed)

Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
(e-mail address removed)




You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

That is correct. Of course any PC is fully programable. My statement of
the
obvious was simply a way of heading off MS MVP responses to similar
queries
(regarding Office Live Communicator specifically) where the answer given
was,
"impossible". Impossible is not an answer, but a denial of the facts of
the
nature and purpose of the software in a PC.

 

[Lyle]

Brian,

Thanks for pointing to what for me is the crux of the matter. My license for
use of the software did not include fine print for advertising for Microsoft
as an inherent feature or requirement of the product. Having said that, it
nears arrogance to apply the license agreement which is identical to the
other Office software, to deny access to a feature available in more than
half the software of Microsoft's Office suite for Outlook users. A change in
the software's customizability is what is desired.

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote)]

I suppose you could just close your eyes while the program starts.

Or start Outlook with your monitor turned off?

On a more serious note...you're welcome to go to Connect
(http://connect.microsoft.com) and submit it as a feature request and
I'm sure the development team will give it the priority it deserves.
Personally I can think of a number of features I'd rather see them spend
their time on, but perhaps you will tap into a massive groundswell of
support for a switch to suppress the splash screen.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q

 

[Lyle]

Ben,

While your response has a useful component to it, did it need to
comptemptuously rank the value of my feature request? This is what I am
talking about. There is real arrogance indemic to a lot of Microsoft solution
development work and support. This kind of arrogance is what kills large
corporations. Microsoft just quietly laid off 5,000 workers. Perhaps judging
the value of a desired feature more inline with the frequency of requests and
desire for programatic standards versus whatever cool new tech we can throw
in there for the next release would help sales.

 

[William]

This is not a performance or hang issue. It is possible to disable the
Outlook 2007 splash screen at program launch as this is a fully programmable
PC. Regardless of the personal feelings of the forum moderators, I want the
option of not advertising for Microsoft or any other vendor every time I
launch an application I've purchased the rights to use on my PC. Almost every
other Office application has the ability to turn off useless splash screens.
Now, how do we make this adjustment to Microsoft Office 2007?

Take a look at
http://www.digitallis.co.uk/pc/SplashKiller/index.html

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

It doesn't get a lot of requests, certainly not as many as other feature
requests. Crossing off calendar squares at the end of each day gets a lot
more.

Note that when you file a report with connect, you should make a business
case for why it needs to be disabled.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

You can access this newsgroup by visiting
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx or point your
newsreader to msnews.microsoft.com.

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote)]

They laid off closer to 3,000 actually but it doesn't really matter if
they laid off 20,000....

....you're asking for them to devote development resources to make a
cosmetic change that hardly anybody asks for.

There are probably 50 features I'd rather see them spend time on than
giving users the ability to turn off the splash screen.

But if you're convinced that disabling the splash screen is the killer
feature that will save Microsoft then just post that suggestion on
Connect where you can solicit votes from like-minded users. If it gets
enough votes it will get a higher priority in the queue. The people
will have spoken.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q

 

[Lyle]

Willam,

Thank you. I would personally neither recommend nor implement the solution
you've pointed me to simply due to the risky nature of such software. I do
however thank you for actually providing a solution instead of a series of
derisive snickers like some of the other folk that have replied.

On that note, I will call it quits. A third-party resolves a Microsoft
software customization need again and another chink in the armor and it is
5,000 projected Microsoft lay-offs according to the NY Times without counting
the 3,000 already gone since January.

As a side note, I held frequent meetings in a hotel we all knew was going to
be demolished. Hell, it was in all the papers for weeks. The hotel management
told everyone on the staff that the hotel was profitable and going to
continue operations. Then on the last day they let everyone go and there's a
nice new office park there. Don't be surprised by misinformation from
managers. Part of that job requires misinformation to meet objectives before
shutting down. NMCI was only going to cost 8 billion in 8 years and solve
all the Navy's IT issues. 22 Billion, 2 prime contractors, and 10 years later
it still barely covers 40% of requirements. Management doesn't share bad news
with partners or employees, but the results come regardless. Everyone at the
hotel I mentioned was let go with little notice, tax-payers continue to pay
for NMCI without even knowing it is a flop and Microsoft is letting people go
by the thousand in monthly increments since January 2009.

 

[F.H. Muffman]

Microsoft just quietly laid off 5,000 workers.

Quietly? Uh. No, it wasn't very quiet. It was on pretty much every wire
I listen to, and that's not speaking as an MVP. In fact, strictly speaking,
any MVP conversation I had with MS that involved the layoffs was as timely
as if I drove from Boston to Concord today and shouted 'The British are Coming!'

Heck, you even pointed out you read about it in the NYT. How 'quiet' is
something when it lands in the NYT?

 

[NAS]

ha ha NMCI sucks...

 

[VanguardLH]

ha ha NMCI sucks...

Oooh, aren't you so clever in responding to a 9-month old thread as if the
OP were actually monitoring it anymore.

 

[Nitwon]

Over a year later, an innocent Googler comes across a thread that is not, in fact, about disabling the Outlook 2007 splash screen, but is a futile debate about the rights of the end user.