Add the Outlook 2003 Icon Back to the Desktop

How do I add the Outlook 2003 icon back to the desktop, just like the Outlook 2000/XP used to have?

If you have installed Outlook 2003, you may notice that the launch icon is no longer placed on the desktop.

This change was made because of the new “clean screen” strategy, which is one of the things I hate the most on the XP/2003 interface.

If you really like having that Outlook icon on the desktop, import the following registry tweak:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="3"

Save the file with a .REG extension and double-click it to import it to your registry. This .REG file can easily be pushed over to other machines on your network by use of a simple logon script.

Note: You can also create the same setting on the HKLM hive, thus creating the shortcut for all users on the computer, not just the current user (info updated thanks to reader Richard Jordan)

Also, check out our new article on PST Repair for Outlook 2003 and 2007