Groovy reader John O. writes regarding Outlook 2010: Thanks for the great question John, I thought this answer was worth a full post. So here we go! Let’s disable the Social Connector and get rid of that pesky People Pane in Outlook 2010.
Step 1
In Outlook 2010, Click the File tab and then Click Options.
Step 2
In the Outlook Options window, Click the Add-Ins tab and then Click the Go… button.
Step 3
Uncheck the box for Microsoft Outlook Social Connector and then Click OK.
Done!
Now Outlook’s people pane should be gone, as well as any social connections. Later on if you decide you want the social connector back just re-check the box from Step 3. It’s a piece of cake! But, we don’t have to stop there. If you really want to make sure that it is gone for good I’ll show you how to get rid of it for good.
Completely Remove the Outlook Social Connector
If you want to completely remove the Social Connector, you will need to be logged in as an administrator. Browse to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14 then locate SOCIALCONNECTOR.DLL and SOCIALPROVIDER.DLL. All you need to do is rename the file (or if you really hate it you can delete it). I suggest you just change the file extension* from .DLL to .backup so that it is unusable; this also allows you to change it back later if ever needed. *To easily rename file extensions you’ll need to make them visible –full guide here. The extension can also be done from the file’s property window, which can be accessed by right-clicking a file and selecting Properties.
Thanks for the help. Could you help me why i cant see it? HOWEVER, one of the very nice features that is bundled in with the social connector add-in is the aspect of the People Pane which in effect does an instant search and list of all emails connected with any addressees in the email you are viewing. That can be very helpful in reviewing earlier correspondence. A pity that this aspect can’t be preserved, without the constant reminder that I should add all these people to “my” social networks…. Comment
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