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Work Faster on Slow Connections
21 April 2008

7 Ways to Work Faster on Slow Internet Connections

Date Published: September 13, 2007

By Microsoft

There is nothing like trying to work when your Internet connection is slow. It's tougher to send e-mail, more difficult to send files to co-workers, and it's frustrating wasting time while you wait for Web pages to appear. And even with the proliferation of broadband Internet connections, there are still times you may be working on a slow connection. You might be traveling, working out of your office, still using dial-up, or your broadband connection may be acting up. But there are things you can do.

Detailed below are 7 ways to increase your productivity when your connection is slow. Many of these steps are also good tips for how to increase the speed of browsing and sending and receiving e-mail.

1. Send Multiple Files Faster by Compressing Them

If you're sending multiple files—for example several files related to a project—you can reduce their combined size by using a compression utility. Compressing your files can dramatically reduce the time needed to send files online, and won't take up as much space in your (or the recipient's) e-mail Inbox. WinZip is one of the more common compression tools, but you can find more compression utilities on Windows Marketplace.

2. Speed Browsing by Turning Off Graphics in Internet Explorer

Graphics are important to Web pages, but they also take time to download if you're online. You can turn them off to speed your Internet browsing.

To disable graphics in Internet Explorer:

On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.

In the Settings box, scroll down to the Multimedia section. Clear the following boxes.

•	a. Play animations in Web pages
•	b. Play sounds in Web pages
•	c. Play videos in Web pages
•	d. Show pictures

Click Apply.

Speed browsing by turning off the graphics in Internet Explorer.

3. Send E-Mail Using Distribution Lists

If you're sending an e-mail to multiple people, create a distribution list instead of listing each recipient separately. Messages are sent faster and more efficiently when you're using a distribution list. Your company may have established procedures for creating mailing lists.

Create a distribution list using names in the Address Book

On the File > New > Distribution List.
In the Name box, type a name.
Click Select Members.
In the Show names from the list, click the address book that contains the e-mail addresses you want in your distribution list.
In the Type name or select from list box, type a name you want to include. In the list below, select the name, and then clickMembers. Do this for each person you want to add to the distribution list, and then click OK.
If you want to add a longer description of the distribution list, click the Notes tab, and then type the text.The distribution list is saved in your Contacts folder by the name you give it.

Create a distribution list by copying names from an e-mail message

In the e-mail message you want to copy the names from, select the names in the To or Cc box.
On the Edit > Copy.
On the File > New > Distribution List.
In the Name box, type a name for the distribution list.
Click Select Members.
In the Add to distribution list list, right-click, and then click Paste on the shortcut menu.

4. Work Offline Using Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook

Even if you lose your network connection, you can continue to work in Outlook if you're using Cached Exchange Mode. With Cached Exchange Mode, a copy of your mailbox is stored on your computer. This copy provides quick access to your data and is frequently updated with the mail server. If you work offline, whether by choice or due to a connection problem, your data is still available to you instantly wherever you are. Cached Exchange Mode does require you to work with a Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail account.

5. Reduce E-Mail Size With Simple E-Mail Signatures

E-mail signatures leave a professional stamp on your messages, but elaborate signatures that include multiple images take up a lot of unnecessary storage space in each e-mail. Ultimately, they can slow down the time needed to send each message. Instead create distinctive text signatures combining fonts, type sizes, and colors to make your e-mail signature smaller and quicker to transmit and receive.

6. Browse Offline By Saving Web Pages on Your Computer

If you use reference a Web page often, save it locally to your computer. If you lose your connection or are working on a slow connection, you'll still be able to read and find the information you need.

To save a Web page on your computer:

1.	In Internet Explorer, go to the Web page you want to save.
2.	On the File > Save As.
3.	In the Save As type drop-down menu, select Web page, complete.
4.	Click Save.

7. Open Web Pages Faster by Increasing Your Cache

If you increase the size of the Temporary Internet files cache in Internet Explorer, your computer won't have to work so hard when you revisit Web pages. Many of the images will already be downloaded on your computer, decreasing the amount of time it takes to open a page.

To increase the Temporary Internet Files cache:

1.	On the Tools > Internet Options.
2.	On the General >Temporary Internet Files > Settings.
3.	In the Settings dialog box, under Check for newer versions of stored pages:, click the Automatically radio button.
4.	In the Temporary Internet files folder section, set the Amount of disk space to use: to at least 250 megabytes (MB).
5.	Click OK.