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ilkderenoker's avatar
ilkderenoker
Copper Contributor
Oct 02, 2023

Outlook Application Character Encoding Issue: Display Problem with Turkish Characters

I am using the Outlook application on my MacBook for emails, specifically for IMAP emails. However, I am experiencing issues with the characters in the content of the emails I receive or send. There is a problem with Turkish characters. For example: "Erdo=F0an =D6zmen isimli = =E7al=FD=FEan=FDn i=FEten ayr=FDl=FD=FE=FD (ikinci =E7al=FD=FEmas=FD = sonras=FD 2021 y=FDl=FDndaki) SGK’ya hangi tarihte ve hangi kodla = bildirilmi=FE kontrol edebilir misiniz? Davac=FDs=FD oldu=F0u Ankara 18. = =DD=FE Mahkemesi 2021/585 E. say=FDl=FD dosyas=FDna gelen SGK = evraklar=FDnda =E7=FDk=FD=FE tarihi g=F6r=FCnm=FCyor."

While I did not encounter this issue with the older version of the Outlook application, I am experiencing it with the new version. When using Outlook mail instead of IMAP mail, there are no issues with characters. I can view IMAP mail without any problems on the Outlook application on my iPad and the built-in application on my MacBook. I couldn't find the settings in my Mac's or Outlook application.

 

The issue is definitely related to character encoding problems, typically arising from character coding issues. The strange appearances of Turkish characters usually indicate the use of ISO-8859-9 (Latin-5) or a similar character encoding. Modern email systems and most email clients use Unicode UTF-8 character encoding. I am sure that the issue is due to such a reason. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the application, but the problem persists. Interestingly, just two days ago, I did not have such an issue

 

  • Yraidu's avatar
    Yraidu
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 23, 2023

    ilkderenoker 

     

    I have the same problem since the introduction of new outlook and I couldn't find any solutions for this. Going back to previous version is the only solution for me right now.

    • anilsarkoglu's avatar
      anilsarkoglu
      Copper Contributor
      Dec 09, 2023

      Yraidu I have the same problem! Main problem is  Microsoft himself. Mac is very stable but Microsoft software is garbage! Waiting solution but there is no solution of course….

  • LeonPavesic's avatar
    LeonPavesic
    Silver Contributor
    Oct 04, 2023

    Hi ilkderenoker,

    Check and set character encoding in Microsoft Outlook 

    1. In Microsoft Outlook, select File > Options.

      The Outlook Options window is displayed.

    2. From the left-hand side options, click Advanced. 

    3. Within the International options section, ensure that Automatically select encoding for outgoing messages is set to Unicode (UTF-8).

       
    4. Click OK to save the changes.
     

    Check the character encoding settings on your Mac.

    • Open System Preferences and go to Language & Region.
    • Click the Advanced button.
    • Under Character Encodings, select Unicode (UTF-8).
    • Click OK to save your changes.

    Repair Outlook.

    • Close Outlook.
    • Open the Control Panel and go to Programs and Features.
    • Select Microsoft Office and click Change.
    • Select Repair and click Continue.
    • Follow the on-screen instructions to repair Outlook.

    Reinstall Outlook.

    • Uninstall Outlook from your computer.
    • Download and install the latest version of Outlook from the Microsoft website.

     

    Additional troubleshooting tips:

    • Try creating a new IMAP account in Outlook and see if the problem occurs with the new account. If it does not, then the problem is likely with the original account settings.
    • Try using Outlook Web App (OWA) to access your email. If you do not see the problem in OWA, then the problem is likely with the Outlook application.
    • Try using a different email client, such as Apple Mail or Thunderbird. If you do not see the problem with a different email client, then the problem is likely with the Outlook application.


    Please click Mark as Best Response & Like if my post helped you to solve your issue.
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    Kindest regards,


    Leon Pavesic
    (LinkedIn)

      • LeonPavesic's avatar
        LeonPavesic
        Silver Contributor
        Oct 05, 2023

        Hi ilkderenoker,

        thnaks for your feedback.

        My apologies, I totally missed the part where you said you were using Outlook on Mac.

        You can use these steps for troubleshooting:

        1. Check your Outlook settings. Make sure that Outlook is set to use UTF-8 encoding for both incoming and outgoing messages. To do this, go to Tools > Preferences > Composing and Reading tabs. Under Message format, make sure that the Default encoding for outgoing messages and Default encoding for incoming messages drop-down menus are both set to Unicode (UTF-8).

        2. Create a new Outlook profile. If you have tried the above and you are still having problems, you can try creating a new Outlook profile. To do this:
          1. Quit Outlook.
          2. Open Finder and go to Applications.
          3. Control-click on Microsoft Outlook and select Show Package Contents.
          4. Go to Contents > SharedSupport.
          5. Double-click on Outlook Profile Manager.
          6. Click the + button to create a new profile.
          7. Enter a name for your new profile and click OK.
          8. Follow the on-screen instructions to create your new profile.

        Manage profiles or identities in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

        Please click Mark as Best Response & Like if my post helped you to solve your issue.
        This will help others to find the correct solution easily. It also closes the item.


        If the post was useful in other ways, please consider giving it Like.


        Kindest regards,


        Leon Pavesic
        (LinkedIn)

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