A distribution list is a collection of contacts, which is used to provide an easy way to send messages to a group of people. If a user wants to frequently send messages to the colleague team, he can create a distribution list called Colleague that contains the names of all colleagues of his department. An e-mail message sent to the Colleague distribution list goes to all recipients listed in the distribution list.

To protect your computer, Microsoft Outlook does not allow you to receive files of certain types (such as .exe files) as attachments, because of their potential for introducing a virus into your computer. These files are blocked by Outlook by default. If Microsoft Exchange is used in your organization, only the e-mail server administrator can unblock these file types. These file types cannot be unblocked by end users of Outlook.

The following file types are blocked by default in Outlook:

These are just few of the file types blocked by Outlook. There are many other file types. For more information, visit: Blocked attachments in Outlook.

An e-mail attachment is a computer file that is sent along with an e-mail message. You can attach different types of files, photographs, zipped folders, etc. An attachment can be an appointment, contact, task, journal entry, note, posted item, and document. Messages that have attachments are identified by a paper clip icon.

Worms and viruses are often distributed as attachments to e-mail messages. With vulnerable e-mail programs the virus may be activated by viewing or previewing the message; more robust programs only allow infection if the user opens the attachment for execution. Unexpected e-mail with attachments should always be considered suspicious and dangerous, particularly if not known to be sent by a trusted source.

The Microsoft exam 77-604 consists of simulation questions. In the simulation type questions, you will be given an environment of Microsoft Outlook 2007 and have to perform a given task. Before giving the exam, you must have hands-on practice to accomplish the following tasks:

1. Creating and sending an e-mail message.
2. Creating and managing your signature and automated messages.
3. Managing e-mail message attachments.
4. Configuring e-mail message sensitivity and importance settings.
5. Configuring e-mail security settings.
6. Configuring e-mail message delivery options.
7. Viewing e-mail messages.
8. Creating appointments, meetings, or events.
9. Sending meeting requests.
10. Updating, canceling, and responding to meeting requests.
11. Customizing calendar settings.
12. Sharing your calendar with others.
13. Viewing other calendars.
14. Creating, modifying, and marking tasks as complete.
15. Accepting, declining, assigning, updating, and responding to tasks.
16. Creating and modifying contacts.
17. Editing and using an electronic business card.
18. Creating and modifying distribution lists.
19. Creating a secondary address book.
20. Categorizing Office Outlook 2007 items by color.
21. Creating and managing Office Outlook 2007 data files.
22. Organizing mail folders.
23. Locating Office Outlook 2007 items by using the search feature.
24. Creating, modifying, and removing rules to manage e-mail messages.
25. Customizing your Office Outlook 2007 Experience.

Microsoft Outlook 2007 is a new and intuitive version of Outlook. It provides various features to compose and send e-mail messages. Outlook 2007 provides the same folder structure in a column on the left. It encapsulates those features that are used to create an e-mail more interactive and attractive both. The Inbox pane and the preview pane also remain unchanged. The new Outlook 2007 provides various features such as To-Do Bar, RSS Feeds, Instant Search, Color Categories, Attachment Previewer, Calendar integration, etc.

The following are the new features of Outlook 2007:

1.  To-Do Bar: A To-Do Bar is a feature of Outlook 2007 It helps a user to manage and handle tasks, appointments, and other events. A user can show/hide a To-Do Bar. A user can also customize the To-Do Bar, so that it displays only the information that a user wants to see. In the To-Do Bar, a user can accept/decline meetings, quickly access the full Calendar, add new tasks, categorize, rearrange, and change the dates of tasks. With the new To-Do Bar, users may never leave their Inbox. It helps users to better prioritize their time.
2. RSS Feeds: RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is used to create blogs, news, and other contents. RSS is used to create contents and make information available to subscribers. RSS contents can be downloaded automatically by the subscribers.
3. Reading Pane: Reading Pane is a window of Microsoft Outlook 2007. It is used to preview messages and attachments. It is also used to review information of a message. A user can turn off Reading Pane by using the View menu. It is necessary to view a message carefully and safely in Reading Pane. A user can turn on/off the reading pane.
4. Navigation Pane: The Navigation Pane is a column that appears on the left side of the Outlook window. It comprises folders and panes such as contacts, tasks, etc. The contents of the Navigation Pane change according to the current view (such as Mail view, etc.) of Outlook. A user can control the view of the Navigation Pane.
5. Attachment Previewer: Attachment Preview is a new feature in Microsoft Outlook 2007. It allows a user to preview attachments without opening them. The attachment previewers that come with Outlook 2007 are on by default. Attachment Preview supports e-mails that are formatted as HTML, but it does not support those e-mails that are formatted as RTF. It is only available when a user is viewing the received messages and not when a user is composing new messages.

   An attachment is a file or any basic element of information, that is associated with an e-mail. It is used to send different types of files, photographs, zipped folders, etc. An attachment can be an appointment, contact, task, journal entry, note, posted item, and document. Messages that have attachments are identified by a paper clip icon.

6. Search Feature: A user can enter search criteria based on any combination of the To, From, or Subject fields of a message, or on the message body. Just enter the phrase that you are searching for and then wait for the search to complete. When you first start Outlook 2007, you are prompted to download the search tool. You can click the “Click here to enable Instant Search” option above the mail list. The option stays visible until you install the tool.
7. Color Categories: In Outlook 2007, it is possible to categorize messages by color. In Outlook 2003, a user can assign various colored flags to messages. In Outlook 2007, the categories and the colors have been combined to distinguish e-mails from one another. The Edit menu comprises the Categories option to assign different categories. After assigning the color category, a user can see the color symbol in the Information Bar of the e-mail message.

By getting MCAS certified, you can prove your expertise in using the latest Microsoft Office programs and the Windows Vista operating system. Getting certified will help you to differentiate yourself in today’s competitive job market, broaden your employment opportunities by displaying your advanced skills, and result in higher earning potential. Research indicates that certified individuals have increased competence, productivity, and credibility with their employers, co-workers, and clients.

Candidates must pass one certification exam in order to earn the MCAS credential:

1. MCAS: Windows Vista for the Business Worker (Exam 77-600)
2. MCAS: Microsoft Office Word 2007 (Exam 77-601)
3. MCAS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007 (Exam 77-602)
4. MCAS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 (Exam 77-603)
5. MCAS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 (Exam 77-604)
6. MCAS: Microsoft Office Access 2007 (Exam 77-605)

Note: For more certifications of Microsoft Office, visit the following pages:

1. MCTS: Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007
2. MCTS: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Configuring