navigation bar moved to left

Iron Contributor

Dears,

 

The navigation bar has been moved to the left. How can I change it back to be on the bottom?

 

1.png 

408 Replies
I just went through this procedure on a client's computer and for some reason didn't have the same result literally everyone else seems to have had. I've checked and triple checked the Registry location, as well as the key and its value. Tried a reboot, no luck. I'm sure you've relayed it correctly, so I'm just worried that Microsoft got wind of this fix and disabled it. Anyone else run into this, or have any other ideas?
@BochulainCV
Others have mentioned that possibly based on individual user settings/setup, there is a different registry folder to put the key. You could try removing it from the original folder that I indicated and instead put the key here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Office > 16.0 > Common > ExperimentConfigs > ExternalFeatureOverrides > outlook

Let us know if this works for you. Thanks!
What I only recently realized is that the user isn't an admin so I'd opened Regedit as admin. This, of course, loads the admin's ntuser.dat, so the changes you'd described wouldn't apply to the client I was working with. I'm going to temporarily make him admin, try the first way first, then this way if that doesn't work, and let you know the result. Thanks for getting back to me!
Absolute legend. Worked for me!

It's absurd that Microsoft, for all it's touting of accessibility and user first focus, would FORCE a UI change like this. It should be an optional setting. If anyone from the office team reads this: you need to hire some new managers tbh.
Turned off the "Coming Soon" features, and it solved this.

Such a small but frustrating change, it takes up a surprising amount of screen space for no real benefit.

Please make the position a setting when this is pushed out, even if the default is left hand side.

@megazone 

Hi 

thanks for info re navigation bar received from Microsoft.  The link had expired, so I tried changing manually by editing the registry, but no difference.

 

Am I supposed to edit the default registry key in the contents as it is, i.e. with double quotes, or do I drop the quotes:
"ofm1jti54ear4s1"="true"

and

"Microsoft.Office.Outlook.PreviewPlace.Cleanup"="ofm1jti54ear4s1"

 

Do you have the contact details of the person at Microsoft, in case I cannot get this to work?

Many thanks
DD

 

Hello DD

The suggestion was to go to the key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\ExperimentEcs\Overrides

and find the string value:
Microsoft.Office.Outlook.Hub.HubBar

and change it from true to false.

In my case, I had to create the string value:
Microsoft.Office.Outlook.Hub.HubBar

at that location, and then add:
False
to the value.

Once I did, and rebooted, the Navigation Bar was back where it belongs, at the bottom, under the folder list, without consuming space better used to actually READ my email information.

@John_Roldan 

 

Here is a paraphrase and combination of the steps I used from previous pages (tailored so that a reboot isn't necessary) on this message board.

 

Only perform the steps below if you are comfortable editing the Windows Registry!!!

 

Version:

Microsoft® Outlook for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2207 Build 16.0.15427.20182) 64-bit

 

Steps to remove the left sidebar in Outlook o365 (without a reboot, no admin access required):


Close Outlook (and preferably all open applications)

 

Open Registry (WinKey + R) then type "regedit"

 

Locate the following path in the tree ...

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\ExperimentEcs\Overrides

 

Add these key and value pairs ...

 

  • MicrosoftDoesNotListen = "true"
  • Microsoft.Office.Outlook.Hub.HubBar = "false"

See pic #1 below.

 

Locate the following path in the tree (or create if missing) ...

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\ExperimentEcs\Overrides\Outlook

 

Add this key ...

  • Microsoft.Office.Outlook.PreviewPlace.Cleanup = "MicrosoftDoesNotListen"

See pic #2 below.

 

Kill "explorer.exe" in the TaskManager and keep TaskManager open

 

Within the TaskManager, under File -> Run New Task ... type the following "explorer.exe" then click "OK"

 

Re-open Outlook, hopefully your left sidebar is gone and the icons are at the bottom of the favorites folder pane.

 

I have not tested after a restart, but hopefully this solution sticks.  Also no guarantee after Windows updates are pushed to the machine.

 

In my opinion, not allowing the Outlook User a choice on where they would like to place their quick icons is absolutely atrocious!!!

 

Pic #1

 

Pic1.png

 

Pic #2

 

pic2.png

@DanLhotka 

After so many suggestions and other regedits which didn't work for me, this finally did. Thank you so much. I had to add this string value

Microsoft.Office.Outlook.Hub.HubBar

with value=false as it was not existing in my registry (at least at this point in time) in key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\ExperimentEcs\Overrides

 

Finally moved the **bleep** nav bar back to bottom. However, since this key is in "Experiment" domain, I fear soon I'll have to google again for this nonsense. Can't believe how UI designers think wasting so much vertical space and reducing content page space for those 4 items makes any sense at all...

 

If you want to help fix this bull* for good, please support this idea in Outlook feedback:

https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/6b9896c4-e49f-ec11-a81c-002248504419

@Randy Redekopp 

 

I too would like to voice my objections to this change. Other users at our company are also not happy with the change. I have too much real estate on my screen & this limits it.

Microsoft is controlled by the Deep State.  Most every change they make that doesn't provide a user choice is all part of the Deep State's plan to control the masses.  They make little changes like this to condition users to the fact that Microsoft is in control.  It's working.  Today's youth swallow hook, line and sinker all the crap they see on social media.  When my generation dies off, the Deep State will have won the war without ever firing a shot. The only problem is that there will be no one left to carry the water. le@MBZ1_ 

@MBZ1_ After a required password update, I had this nav bar move happen to me. No option to turn off. Looks like they're trying to replicate the Outlook web app, which I hate and that's why I stuck with the desktop app. I notice now in the Task Manager that Outlook has a bunch of Edge subapps running too. It's even more laggy now, and clicking the new "More Apps" icon results in a script error that crashes the app. Thanks MS!

@Vik99977   Thank you, this worked!

Thanks a lot Vik!
Thanks !
That worked well. Thanks.

images (4).png

Check if this is Switched ON, if yes then switch it off and restart your outlook. It would go back to the left bottom again.

If this is switched ON it means you opt yourself to test the upcoming features of outlook in advance.

We don't even have that option enabled.
Thanks, this has worked, at least temporarily.

@Vik99977 

 

Thanks for that! Had the same problem en this solved it. It is the oddest fix I have ever seen and I am since 30 years in the IT business.