What’s changed or removed in Office 2013
The following table contains information about what’s changed in Outlook 2013.
| Title | Scope | Type of Change | Description |
| Outlook Meeting Workspaces | Outlook | Removing the feature | The Meeting workspaces feature is removed from Outlook. The entry point commands to create Meeting Workspaces is removed from both the Quick Access Toolbar and the Ribbon. |
| Outlook Exchange Classic offline | Outlook | Removing the feature | Offline mode is being removed from Outlook. |
| Remove /Cleanfreebusy switch and code | Outlook | Removing the feature | Users can no longer start Outlook by using the /cleanfreebusy switch. If they try this, they will receive the following message: “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. The command line argument is not valid. Verify the switch you are using.” |
| Command Bars object model (OM) | Outlook | Modification | The Command Bars OM is being changed so that built-in Command Bar objects cannot be accessed through programming. |
| Outlook Direct Booking | Outlook | Removing the feature | Direct booking of resources in the calendar no longer exists. |
| Import/Export to Applications | Outlook | Removing specific file-format support from the Import/Export wizard in Outlook | The ability to import/export Outlook data to legacy file formats. |
| Journal Module and Journaling | Outlook | Removing the feature | The Journal Module is being removed as a top-level module, and auto-journaling is also being removed. |
| Outlook Links Collection | Office | Removing the feature | Links Collection object model is removed. |
| Notes and Journal customization | Outlook | Removing the feature | Notes are now only yellow and medium size. |
| Legacy Contact Linking | Outlook | Removing the feature | The capability to link arbitrary Outlook items to Outlook contacts. This contact linking existed only for displaying information in the Activities tab of the contact, which is a feature that is also removed for Outlook 2013. |
| Outlook Activities tab | Outlook | Removing the feature | The Activities tab on contact forms is not available for Outlook 2013. The Activities tab used to aggregate all Outlook items (e-mail, meetings, tasks, and so on) associated with a contact. |
| Outlook Mobile Service (OMS) | Outlook | Removing the feature | Support for the Outlook Mobile Service protocol, which is used for sending and receiving text messages from Outlook, is being removed. |
| Suggested Contacts | Outlook | Removing the feature | Suggested Contacts was used to automatically keep track of everyone the user sends a message to, but who isn’t in Outlook contacts.In a clean Outlook 2013 installation, Suggested Contacts is no longer available, the folder never is created, and no suggested contact items are created. In an upgrade to Outlook 2013, this folder is visible, and participates in linking, aggregation and search. However, no new suggested contact items are added to the folder. The folder displays in an upgrade scenario. However, it can now be deleted. |
| Outlook Pubcal: Calendar Publishing | Outlook | Removing the feature | Removing the ability to publish one’s calendar to Office.com. |
| Outlook/Exchange Deliver to PST | Outlook | Removing the feature | Removing the ability for users to have Exchange accounts delivering into PST files. |
| Dialup/VPN Options | Outlook | Removing the feature | Removing application level dial-up options and VPN options. |
| Public Folder Free/Busy | Office | Removing the feature | Public Folder Free/Busy feature is replaced. |
| ToDo Bar | Outlook | Removing the feature | A new functionality is implemented. |
| User Datagram Protocol (UDP) | Office | Removing the feature | UDP is removed. In earlier versions of Outlook the feature was used for new mail alert results and for folder updates. |
| Preview unread messages | Office | Removing the feature | The Auto Preview feature to preview unread items is removed. It remains possible to configure Message Preview for one, two, and three lines. |
| Outlook categories quick click | Office | Removing the feature | Categories quick click from the message list is removed. Categories are displayed when they are applied in Office 2013 by right-clicking or using Ribbon buttons. |
| Outlook Search through Windows Shell | Office and Windows | Removing the feature | In Office 2013, Outlook items do not display in Windows Shell searches (for example, searches from the Start Menu or by using Win+F). Perform Office searches within Office 2013. |
| Reason for Change | Benefits | Replacement | Additional Information |
| The feature was not widely used. | Allows for a simpler Ribbon experience. | N/A | For the feature description, see Use Meeting Workspaces to organize meetings |
| Offline mode is a legacy data access method for online mode connections to Exchange Server. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Because of the removal of the Public Folder Free/Busy feature, this switch is no longer needed. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Command bars are not used in Outlook 2013. Therefore, add-ins that use the Command Bars OM are not required. | N/A | Use the IRibbonExtensibility interface in an Outlook 2013 add-in instead of command bars. You can’t customize Inspector ribbons by using VBScript code behind forms. | Updating Earlier Code for CommandBarsFor more information about how to use IRibbonExtensibility to customize the Outlook 2013 user interface programmatically, see Extending the User Interface in Outlook 2010. |
| This functionality is outdated and is superseded by the Exchange Availability service and free/busy for resources. | More reliable service. | Mailboxes that are currently configured to use Outlook direct booking should be migrated to Exchange 2007 or Exchange Server 2010 resource mailboxes.Exchange 2007 and Exchange Server 2010 resource mailboxes provide a better range of features. These mailboxes also provide server-side administration by using the Exchange Management Shell or the Exchange Management Console to simplify resource mailbox management. | N/A |
| The following legacy formats were removed from the Import/Export Wizard: Internet Mail Account Settings, Internet Mail and Addresses, Comma Separated Values (DOS), Access 97-2003, Excel 97-2003, Tab Separated Values (DOS), Tab Separated Values (Windows), ACT!, Contact Manager, Lotus Organizer, Outlook Express/Windows Mail, Personal Address Book. | N/A | Import/Export to the PST and CSV formats is still a supported option. | Export Outlook items to an Outlook Data File (.pst) |
| N/A | Replacement is unnecessary. | N/A | N/A |
| Functionality is removed in the UI. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Keeping the Notes module simple. | Simplifying how Notes are used. | N/A | N/A |
| Contact linking is replaced by the Outlook Social Connector and the New Person Card. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Simplicity | The Activities tab is replaced by the Outlook Social Connector and displays in the People pane. | N/A |
| Feature has low usage. | No user benefit. | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | Users in Exchange Server environments can use Exchange Calendar Publishing.Non-Exchange users can use a service such as Hotmail to share calendars. | Enable Internet Calendar PublishingHow to keep your family in sync with Hotmail Calendar |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Available as part of the operating system. | N/A | Follow operating system instructions for configuring VPN or dial-up networking connections, | For Windows Vista and Windows 7, see Set up an incoming VPN or dial-up connection.For Windows 8, see Configure a Dial-Up Networking Connection Item. |
| Replaced by the Exchange availability service | Free/Busy functionality is more reliable | Free busy information can be obtained through the Exchange Availability service | Understanding the Availability Service |
| A new feature known as Pinned Peeks is implemented to achieve similar functionality. | Pinned Peeks feature | N/A | N/A |
| The UDP functionality that was provided by UDP is replaced with an asynchronous notification method. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Low usage. This feature was used by around 1% of users. | Simplicity | Apply categories by choosing from the short-cut menus (right clicking) or by choosing Ribbon buttons. | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | Search Office items within the Office application. | N/A |