Recent Discussions
Open the first message in the list
In the past few weeks, something changed to where I no longer have the option of having the first email selected when I navigate to a folder in Outlook (desktop or web client). There used to be an option in settings "What do you want us to do when you open Outlook?" that had a setting of "open the first message in the list", but that is now missing. How do I get that option back? Is there some setting I need to enable to make that option come back? I know the new UI is being forced on us now, but I haven't seen anything indicating that this was a feature that was removed - the option of not having it auto-select the first message was always an option as well, so I don't understand why a way to toggle between the two is no longer present.
Transferring Calandar from Outlook Classic to New Outlook?
Can this be done or not? Just hangs if I try... While I'm asking.... Loaded Outlook Classic on a new laptop, now cant set a reminder in the calendar, and existing calendar entry reminders dont come up? Why Not, how strange!! So I'm stuck, cant transfer my very highly populated calendar to the new outlook and cant get reminders in the classic version.
Exchange Online: Sudden mass quarantine of legitimate emails (tenant‑wide impact)
Hello, Since last Thursday , we have been experiencing a sudden and significant increase in quarantined emails across our Exchange Online tenant. Key observations: - Hundreds of legitimate emails are being quarantined every day - The issue appears tenant‑wide and affects multiple senders and recipients - No recent configuration changes were made (Exchange mail flow rules, Defender for Office 365 policies, or security presets) - Messages are being classified as spam/phish even though they are clearly legitimate - Manual release is currently required, which is operationally unsustainable and error‑prone - Business‑critical communications are being delayed or missed as a result We have an active Microsoft support case open, but the root cause is still unclear. I would like to ask the community: - Are other Exchange Online tenants seeing a similar spike in quarantined legitimate emails since last week? - Has Microsoft acknowledged any backend or filtering model changes or service issues related to quarantine or Defender for Office 365? Any confirmation or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated, as we are trying to determine whether this is an isolated tenant issue or a broader service‑related problem. Thank you.
Can I please get some help?
Hi, I have been trying to get access to two emails (hotmails, yes that old) I was using as a kid and over the course of time, I forgot their passwords. Ihave tried sending forms but they always instantly deny me because I cant remember any emails I sent. Because I was a kid and the only reason for having an email was to sign in to stuff. I really would like access so I can recover some accounts and finally switch emails on steam. Thank you to whoever read thisA major step backwards: Classic Outlook vs. New Outlook on changing the "From" sending account
The Issue: In New Outlook, changing the "From" address after you have already started composing an email message opens a new, blank message window, forcing you to copy and paste your original message subject, contents, and attachments. This is an irritating change from Classic Outlook, where you could simply switch the sending account from a dropdown menu while keeping your drafted message fully intact. Expected behavior: When changing the "From" address while composing a mail message, it should simply be updated to the newly selected account, and the body, subject line, and any attachments of the message you are writing at that time should be preserved within the same composition window. The Classic Outlook Way (The Right Way) to Switch the "From" address: For years, my workflow in Classic Outlook has been simple. I click "New Email." The new message window opens, and the "From" field shows the currently selected account. I start writing my message. Then I realize I wanted to send it from another mail account. I click the "From" button, and a dropdown menu appears with all my accounts. I pick the one I want, and I'm good to go. The message content is untouched, it's all still there. Changing the From-address is a two-second action that is intuitive and efficient. The "New Outlook" Way (The Baffling Way) to Switch the "From" address: Now, I try to do the exact same thing in the "New Outlook." I click "New Email." The new message window opens, and the "From" field shows the currently selected account. I start writing my message. Then I realize I wanted to send it from another mail account. I click the "From" button, and a dropdown menu appears with all my accounts. I pick the one I want. But then, after choosing a different From-address, a completely blank new message is opened. And I have to copy/paste everything from the message window I was writing in before to the newly opened message window. So annoying! This feels like a classic case of simplifying the UI to the point where it loses critical functionality. What used to be a simple dropdown selection in Classic Outlook is now an irritating multi-step process in New Outlook. It seems to be an intentional design choice, but it's one that ignores the reality of how users with multiple mail accounts actually work.
What's the easiest way to collect 360 feedback without manually emailing people?
Our HR team wants to build a 360-degree feedback mechanism into our Outlook app and we definitely don't want it to involve manually e-mailing people or sending out Microsoft Forms. Are there any automations we can set up in outlook or maybe native apps we might use that you all know?Send email merge from Shared Mailbox?
Hey everyone! We use email merge (Word & Outlook) all the time, and it's a huge timesaver. We recently went to use it from a SHARED mailbox and cannot for the life of use figure out how to do it. So far, I've tried: 1) Changing the shared mailbox to the "default" account (there doesn't seem to be a way to do it) 2) Setting up a new profile with JUST the shared mailbox (also doesn't seem to be a way to do it) Is there a way to send an email merge FROM a shared mailbox?Anyone else hate the New Desktop Outlook?.
Hello people I was wondering if anyone else Hated the Desktop version of Outlook?. To me its slower and unresponsive compared to previous versions. Even Windows Mail was faster and the brings up old email accounts that you deleted and no longer use long ago. It seems while good intentions this one has not been tested properly. Just shoved out the door. And lastly trying to find Emails that your sent or received is another nightmare. You have to restart twice before it finally decides oh look there emails.Boss's E-mails are coming in garbled and marked "[Unknown Sender]"
As some background, my boss uses the Old Outlook on his PC and is unlikely to change that. BUT we've had enough problems over the years that we have him keep a Gmail tab open. Now, I am the most tech literate person in the office, but I'm by no means a computer scientist. So, I'll try to describe it the best I can. He had me look at his emails because it was getting these strange garbled e-mails with unknown senders. I saw many lines of what looks like raw HTML and Hexadecimals lines of code. He deleted the first two, assuming they were spam. The third one, garbled in Outlook but when viewing it on g-mail, was a photo from his assistant. Perfectly normal. The 2 the deleted, when looking in the trash via g-mail, were still garbled though. Something about deleting them in Outlook is making them permanently unreadable. We have restarted the computer and it seems to be persisting. Any clue what this is?
Outlook on Windows 11: when local sync re‑contaminates global settings
Introduction I want to share a finding that I believe is concerning: the Outlook client on Windows 11 can act as a vector of “re‑contamination” of local data, reactivating settings that were already disabled in the cloud. While this is not malware in the strict sense, the behavior is contradictory enough that it undermines privacy and user trust. Context of the issue To avoid any doubt, I disabled the Expanded People Suggestions option in all three possible places: Outlook client on Windows 11. Outlook Web. Global Privacy settings in my Microsoft Account. In every case, the option was disabled and the exported configuration file appeared empty, confirming that the deletion had been applied correctly. Cross‑account contamination → when another account was added to the Outlook client, the contaminated suggestions were transferred and appeared in that account as well, even though those addresses had never been used there. Evidence observed Empty file in the cloud → confirms that the deletion was effective. Desktop client re‑sync → uploads obsolete local data and reactivates the option. Result → the global configuration once again shows suggestions that had already been disabled. Injected email addresses → the suggestions included addresses that I have never used or contacted. These appear to have been introduced by third parties or internal contamination, not by my own activity. Cross‑account contamination → when another account was added to the Outlook client, the contaminated suggestions were transferred and appeared there too. Implications The Outlook client does not respect privacy preferences set in the cloud. Local data takes precedence over global settings, which contradicts modern synchronization logic. The presence of never‑used, injected email addresses raises serious concerns about data integrity and possible external contamination. This may affect many users, not just an isolated case. Reflection This behavior creates the perception that the client acts like intrusive software: even if the user deletes data in the cloud, the client “resurrects” it from its local cache. In practical terms, it is a form of re‑contamination that compromises confidence in synchronization between client and server. The fact that injected addresses appear in suggestions makes the issue even more problematic, as it suggests external influence beyond the user’s own history. Conclusion The cloud should be the source of truth. If a user disables data in Outlook Web and in the global Microsoft Account settings, no local client should have the ability to reactivate it. This finding deserves attention because it directly affects privacy, data integrity, and the coherence of the Microsoft ecosystem. Invitation Has anyone else observed this behavior in Outlook for Windows 11? Have you seen deleted cloud settings reappear after reinstalling or re‑synchronizing the client, or injected email addresses that were never used showing up in suggestions?Workaround: How to 'Delete A Category' in the People tab in New Outlook
Current State: Currently, you can create and assign a category to a contact card. However, you can not easily delete the actual Category. Background Info: The categories for contacts in New Outlook are separate from the Inbox and Calendar categories. The Delete a category icon in the People Tab appears to have been missed. Workaround Solution: I had to remove the category from each contact by pressing the X by the category. Then, I closed and reopened New Outlook, and the category was no longer in the left navigation in the People tab. More Information: I know Microsoft is working on improvements for Contacts. I have reported this issue. If you find this information helpful, please mark it as best response. /Teresa #traccreations4e 02/05/2024New Way to Insert Graphics in New Outlook
If you’re using New Outlook or Outlook on the web, you may have noticed a change in the Insert ribbon while composing an email. Microsoft has added a Graphics option to the Insert Ribbon when composing an email. The new Graphics button gives users a single place to insert Emojis, Stock images, and Stickers. I put together a quick breakdown covering: What the Graphics button actually adds Where to find Online Pictures now Which Classic Outlook illustration tools are still unsupported Full post here: https://traccreations4e.com/new-outlook-graphics-button/ If you find this post helpful, please like it to help others. traccreations4e-p26 4/30/2026Auto selecting first email not working
Within the past few days, something changed in Outlook web mail where it no longer automatically selects the first email in whatever folder I'm in, and instead forces me to select something manually. I've always just opened webmail and it defaults to the inbox and auto-selects the first email listed, and I have the reading pane set to show on bottom. Something changed in the past couple days to where that no longer works. No matter what folder I go to, nothing is selected, forcing me to manually select the first email in each folder. I looked through the entire settings area, and I don't see anything to adjust this. Searching online, I see options of "What do you want to happen when you open Outlook", but that may be part of the classic layout options because in the new UI, I don't see anywhere to adjust this. All I want is to have it go back to the previous behavior of auto-selecting the first email in the folder (inbox or any others) when I select the folder. How to I set it back to that behavior? Also to note - in Outlook desktop, it works like it always did (when I open the desktop client, it defaults to the inbox and has the first email auto-selected so I can view it in the pane below), so this appears to only be in webmail. I've tried re-sync, cleared browser cache, and even across multiple browsers, but they all do the same and won't auto-select the first message, so it appears to be some setting in O365 on the web/cloud side, I just can't figure out how to change it.
Cannot unlock my Microsoft account, SMS verification not working
Hi, I need help with a blocked Microsoft account. When I try to sign in, the system asks for my phone number to unblock the account. The first SMS took too long to arrive and when I tried again I received an error message and cannot retry. I tried another phone number but I did not receive any SMS and now I cannot use my original number again. I tried all support options through https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact . I changed my password twice, completed the account recovery form, changed the password again, cleared cache, switched networks, changed browsers and used incognito mode. Nothing worked. When I enter my main number, it shows “Something went wrong” and does not go to the next step. When I use another number, I receive the “Try another verification method” error, even though no other method is available. My account is still logged in on my phone, but I cannot unlock it on the web or on other devices. I have had this account for more than 10 years and everything is linked to it. I even created another email to contact Microsoft Support, but it always redirects me to the same link and I cannot open an actual support ticket. Could someone from Microsoft please help me unblock my account or escalate this issue? I can provide any additional verification if needed. Thank you.
Outlook for Mac missing ToDo
Since a recent update, our Mac clients don't have any way to view ToDo or Tasks in the New Outlook. The tasks don't show in the My Day/Task pane, nor do we have a ToDo Icon ion the left sidebar like users of New Outlook on Windows do. Accessing OWA is now the only way for users to see tasks/flagged emails, but very much not the preferred solution since there IS a desktop client which should do that. Microsoft® Outlook for Mac Version 16.105 (26011018) This is a serious usability issue, is this really a design decision or some sort of an issue?Inserting tables and formatting in Outlook for web
Please could anyone help with the problem of inserting tables into an e-mail message in the web version of Outlook? The previous workaround of converting the message to HTML has been removed by Microsoft. Now the insert table is permanently greyed out (along with other formatting buttons) There does not seem to be any way of converting the message from plain text to HTML. This is proving to be really frustrating, so any help from the community would be very much appreciated. Working on a laptop running Windows 11.
Attachement date of outlook classic
when i download the attachment from old email, the date of the file, should be today date, but that doesn't happen, it appears the old date of when it was created. In a big folder of downloads i cant find it. This happens in outlook 365, outlook 2016 and Outlook 2024 classic with email 365 account. But in Outlook 2019 classic works perfectly it sava with today date. Should be some configuration?
File Attachment Bug
Hi, I have been struggling with this Outlook bug for months now where every once in a while I am unable to attach any files, even small pdf files, to brand new e-mail chains. I get an error telling me to "remove inline files of large dimensions from this message thread" even though the thread is brand new! I tried all of the workarounds, including switching message format to html (which it was already set to), signing in and out again, deleting all of my cookies and cached files, deleting all and any saved drafts (which I do all the time anyways), and using incognito mode to access Outlook. I do not understand why this happens and frankly I find it unbelievable that this has been going on for so long with no fixes! If anyone has any other advice/fixes please let me know. Thanks!
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