15 programs for optimization of Microsoft Office

**Mastermind** · 23-10-2008

What software package is the most popular in the world? Probably Microsoft Office. You use it, and also your colleagues, your family and your friends probably.

But you probably do not fully benefit from the package, and then downloads can make a big difference.

here are 15 such programs, which I believe can help you use Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint more effectively.

Through these downloads you can fight a crowded inbox, create PDF files for free, use Excel to run your business, reduce the huge PowerPoint files and many other things.

A large number of programs available for free, while others cost money. The prices are quoted in U.S. dollars, since they can vary from country to country.

**Mastermind** · 23-10-2008

General Office optimization programs

The following three downloads is a good place to start if you are interested in general help to use Office. With these programs you can recover lost product keys, delete privacy-sensitive information and even replace or complement Microsoft Office with a free alternative.

(1) ProduKey

If you need to reinstall Office or a part of Office, you need a product key. But if you can not find the CD that you used at the time to install Office with, you will no longer have the product key. What do you do?

Get in touch with ProduKey. The program displays the product key for each of your Microsoft Office applications. It shows them also for Windows, Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server. Once you've found the key, you're ready to start.

For technology geeks or network administrators, the program has a number of command-line options, for example, a feature making it possible to download a product key from a remote PC or save information about product keys in a text file.

ProduKey (32-bit version)

Version: 1.32

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

File Size: 41 KB

Author: NirSoft

Download ProduKey

(2) Metadata Analyzer

Everything that is hiding in your Microsoft Office documents can be harmful. There is much more information in your documents than you might imagine, and all who receive them can see it all.

Documents containing hidden text, names of authors, change history, hidden cells, hidden spreadsheets, total number of changes and many other details.

And if you think it does not matter, you can think again. In 2006, Google came by accident to reveal highly sensitive information about the company's budget, because there was a PowerPoint presentation out, which included notes with confidential information.

And in 2003 it issued Tony Blair's spin doctor, Alistair Campbell, a Word document with hidden information, which proved that the British government had used forged documents to justify its participation in the Iraq war.

With Metadata Analyzer, you can ensure that it does not happen to you. Use it in any file, and it analyzes the file and displays all the personal information which is hiding. The program cleans the document for information, so the recipient can not see them.

Metadata Analyzer

Version: 2.2

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003

File Size: 1419 KB

Author: Smart PC Solutions, Inc.

Download Metadata Analyzer

(3) OpenOffice

Microsoft Office is very expensive, depending on which version you buy. If you're shopping for a new office suite, but you dont want to spend so much money, you can use this free package instead.

It has word processing, spreadsheet, presentation program, database, drawing program and even a calculator if you need one.

You do not have to worry about compatibility with Microsoft Office formats - Open Office can read them all and also open source formats.

If we must mention some disadvantages of Open Office, it is that the interface is not as polished as Microsoft Office, and it lacks a few extra features. But free is free, and if you want to avoid using too much money on your office suite, OpenOffice is an excellent choice.

OpenOffice.org

Version: 3.0

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP

File Size: 145408 KB

Author: OpenOffice.org

Download Open Office

**Mastermind** · 23-10-2008

Programs for Outlook

Outlook is the program everyone loves to hate. It is difficult to use and can be slow, but it is doing its job. There are plenty of programs that promise to improve Outlook, and the following are some favorites.

(4) Xobni

If you get too many emails and want more out of Outlook, use Xobni, which makes it easier to find mail, contacts and everything else in Outlook. It is one of the best add-ins for Outlook, I have ever spent.

The program runs as Outlook sidebar. For each e-mail shows the information about the person you are communicating with, including all the 'conversations' you have had with the person - it does, then a list of all the mail that was sent between you.

You also get a list of all the files that are exchanged and the person's phone number and social networks.

Xobni also has icons for sending an e-mail to that person and schedule a meeting via Outlook. In addition, it displays the total number of mails you have exchanged with people at the top of your screen with more information that can not be used for much, but which is very interesting anyway.

Xobni has much more to offer, among other Xobni Analytics, which gives you much more information about your use of e-mail. For example, you can find out how much time you spend on average to answer people a day, month or week. And you can also view the average time for answers to specific people or to people in a particular domain.

But statistics are not the real reason why you should use the program: It is the only Outlook add-on I have ever tried that actually lives up to its promise to solve the eternal problem of e-mail overload.

Xobni Beta

Version: Beta 4229

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: 2 GHz processor, 1+ GB RAM, Outlook 2003 or 2007, Cached Exchange Mode

File Size: 3236 KB

Author: Xobni

Download Xobni

(5) Lookeen

This add-in for Outlook 2003 and 2007, making lightning-fast searches and offering more tools to manage emails.

The program integrates directly with Outlook, so you do not have to fumble with a separate program when doing searches. Thanks to the various organizational tools, for example, list all your conversations with specific contacts and reveal all e-mails from a particular day, week or month. The program also automatically create summaries of communications.

Lookeen indexes your files and looking so in the index, instead of in your entire data warehouse. Therefore you have to wait a bit before you can start using the program - the program takes up to 20 minutes to complete the indexing when you boot.

Lookeen

Version: 1.1

License Type: Trial

Price: $40

Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: 512MB RAM, 100MB free hard drive space, SVGA 800x600 with 256 colors or better, Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007

File Size: 6276 KB

Author: Lookeen

Download Lookeen

(6) SendShield

Worried that the Office documents you send may have private information buried in them? This program, like Metadata Analyzer (see the previous page), solves the problem. When you send a Microsoft Office document in Outlook, the utility examines the document for private information. It then shows you the results and lets you delete that information. The program deletes information only from the copy you send; the original file stays intact.

SendShield Beta

Version: 1.0.0

License Type: Trial

Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003

Requirements: 15MB disk space, 512MB RAM, Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1, Microsoft Office 2003 or 2007

File Size: 6450 KB

Author: Unedged Software, LLC

Download SendShield

(7) Outlook Duplicate Items Remover

Duplicate information--multiple copies of e-mail messages, contacts, and other details--tends to clutter up Outlook. It may arise because you've imported data from an earlier version of Outlook, or it may show up for no apparent reason.

The free Outlook Duplicate Items Remover solves the problem handily, adding a new Outlook menu option that will eliminate duplicates for you. Click the ODIR menu option, choose Remove Duplicate Items, and select a folder. Then click Remove Duplicate Items. The program will kill the copies, but it will also keep a backup, in case you want to restore anything.

Outlook Duplicate Items Remover (ODIR)

Version: 1.4.2

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: Microsoft Outlook

File Size: 2168 KB

Author: OsaSync

Download Outlook Duplicate Items Remover

(8) Kopf Outlook Attachment Remover

Perhaps the most common complaint about Outlook is how bloated the program becomes. It stores all of its data, including messages and attachments, in a single .pst file--and that file can quickly grow to gargantuan proportions, especially if you have plenty of attachments. As a result, Outlook loads and runs more slowly, and if your .pst file becomes too big, your machine will be prone to crashes.

What if you want to keep your attachments, but you don't want the .pst file to balloon? Try this clever program, which saves the attachments to your PC and deletes them from your .pst file. It then links your e-mail directly to the attachment, so the attachment still appears to exist in Outlook.

The program can go through entire directories, but if you prefer, you can have it operate on a message-by-message basis.

Kopf Outlook Attachment Remover

Version: 1.1.15

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: Microsoft Outlook

File Size: 528 KB

Author: Bruno Marotta

Download Kopf Outlook Attachment Remover

(9) OutlookTools

Outlook is a complex program with many different options. Often these options hide beneath many levels of menus, and some features you may simply never find.

This free utility does an excellent job of simplifying Outlook's configuration. In a flash, you'll be able to access all of your Outlook settings and file folders, as well as to run troubleshooting tools, such as one that fixes corrupt .pst files. You can also solve one of the more annoying problems with Outlook: the program's insistence on blocking certain file types because it considers them insecure. This app will unblock any file type you want.

In addition, it lets you start Outlook with any one of numerous switches, and permits you to customize when and how Desktop Alerts appear to tell you that new mail has arrived. You can change the transparency of alerts, as well as determine how long they should stay visible.

OutlookTools

Version: 2.1.0

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003

Requirements: Microsoft .NET Framework; Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002/XP, 2003, or 2007

File Size: 374 KB

Author: Robert Sparnaaij

Download OutlookTools

(10) MAPILab Toolbox for Outlook

This excellent Outlook enhancer with 18 add-ons will make your e-mail life far more productive. For example, one add-on checks to see whether you've forgotten to include an attachment in an outgoing e-mail, while another lets you determine which attachments are secure or insecure. You can also schedule certain messages to be sent out on a particular day and time, send out e-mail in batches, autofill text in messages, and more.

It integrates directly into Outlook, and you can easily turn components on and off. It's particularly well suited for anyone who runs their own business.

MAPILab Toolbox for Outlook

Version: 3.1.1

License Type: Trial

Price: $24

Operating Systems: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: Microsoft Outlook

File Size: 2783 KB

Author: MAPILab

Download MAPILab Toolbox for Outlook

**Mastermind** · 23-10-2008

Programs for PowerPoint and Microsoft Word

There are not as many useful downloads for PowerPoint and Word as the Outlook, but there are a few.

(11) Slideboxx

This is a very good tool for PowerPoint users. By Slideboxx you can quickly find specific slides from any presentation and provide them with new presentations.

Slideboxx indexes all your presentations, and you're looking in the index rather than in the actual presentation. In this way, it is much easier to find what you need.

When you do a search, the program displays all the results as thumbnails, so you immediately can see the slides, you're looking for. Once you've found them, you can drag them into a panel on the right side of the screen and then build entirely new presentations of existing slides. It saves a lot of time for everyone who recycles the PowerPoint slides.

Slideboxx

Version: 1.0

License Type: Trial

Price: $99

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: Microsoft PowerPoint

File Size: 12093 KB

Author: Zinali

Download Slideboxx

(12) PPTminimizer

It may be difficult to send large files via e-mail. Many ISPs have limitations on the size of attachments - sometimes down to 5MB. So if you need to send PowerPoint presentations or large Word files, you have a problem.

But PPTminimizer is a very good solution to the problem. It reduces the size of PowerPoint or Word files, but maintains its original appearance and format.

You can save lots of space with the program. In my test reduced the files of 25 to almost 84 percent. The program lets the originals in peace and create smaller copies. You select just the files you want to reduce and ask the program to proceed.

It integrates with Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Windows Explorer so you can even reduce the files directly from one application.

The program will cost 40 dollars and the test of time constraints. You can only make five optimizations, before you pay if you do not sign up, and 12 optimizations before you pay if you sign up.

PPTminimizer

Version: 4.0

License Type: Demo

Price: $40

Operating Systems: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: Microsoft Powerpoint 97/2000/2002/2003/XP/2007

File Size: 3731 KB

Author: Balesio

Download PPTminimizer

(13) PrimoPDF

Adobe PDF has become a popular format for many different purposes. If you would like to hold a document's layout and typeface, PDF is really good to put files on the network and to create documents to be used on the old-fashioned way - in print. There are many printers that require that brochures, business cards and other kinds of documents are created as PDF.

The problem is that Word as the default can not create files as PDF. If you have Word 2007, lucky you, as you can download Microsoft's free PDF add-in. But if you have other versions of Word, you must pay for the opportunity.

Or you can use PrimoPDF, which allows you to create PDF files from any Word document - and indeed from any Office document or documents created in other applications.

It runs as a printer driver, so the only thing you should do is to select Print and PrimoPDF as a printer. You will get a variety of ways to create PDF files - you can, for example, include document properties as a keyword and author or encrypt the document.

PrimoPDF

Version: 4.1

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP

File Size: 10682 KB

Author: activePDF, Inc.

Download PrimoPDF

**Mastermind** · 23-10-2008

Programs for Excel

You do not have to be an expert in spreadsheets to get more out of Excel. The following downloads you can create a calendar and get hundreds of functions to operate your business.

(14) Excel Calendar Template

The program's name says it all: This is a template for Excel, you can use to create a calendar. It contains 2008, 2009 and 2010 and several prior years. The calendar includes holidays and is elegant and easy to use.

You can customize the calendar appearance by changing the colors. In addition to a calendar months, you can also see a whole year at once, with room for notes.

Excel Calendar Template

Version: 1.4.0

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: Microsoft Excel

File Size: 379 KB

Author: Vertex42, LLC

Download Excel Calendar Template

(15) Business Functions

If you want to use Excel to run your business, you need this free add-in, which has 500 features that can help you with virtually all types of business analysis, budgeting or tracking.

It is not necessary to run it separately - it integrates directly with Excel and is on the menu. Whatever you need for your business, is there anything in the Business Functions, you can use.

Business Functions

Version: 1.5

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

Requirements: 150MB available hard disk space, 128 MB RAM, Excel 2003 or 2007

File Size: 12624 KB

Author: Business Functions Ltd

Download Business Functions