Outlook synching issue, emails being repeatedly received
Two days ago I started re-receiving emails that have been sent to me in the last 2-3 weeks (these are from multiple sources). I spent several hours with Microsoft support and we confirmed it was an outlook web synching issue, took a series of steps (signing out of all devices etc) and I was told that it would resolve itself in 24 hours and all these additional emails would be deleted. We are now 40 hours later and I am still receiving these emails again and again and now have 130,000 messages in my inbox (I had 3,000 on Wednesday). I have just been on with Microsoft support again, they said it needs escalating but no one is available (again) and to contact back in 4-5 hours. This is taking hours of my time and I am not getting anywhere and so wondered if this community might be able to help me. Thank you.
New Outlook: Shadow contacts not stored in Outlook.com, no sync/export and missing Birthday calendar
I’m reporting a reproducible data‑integrity issue in the New Outlook for Windows that affects Outlook.com contact storage and synchronization. 🔍 Summary When a contact is created in the New Outlook, the client appears to save it successfully. However, the resulting contact is not stored in the user’s Outlook.com account as a normal cloud contact. Instead, it becomes what I would describe as a local “shadow contact” in the New Outlook cache. ⚠️ Observable Behavior • The contact appears in Outlook.com → People, but does not show “Stored in: Outlook” • The contact does not appear in Outlook.com CSV exports • The contact does not sync to mobile devices connected to the same account • The contact does not populate the Outlook.com Birthday calendar • The contact is lost if the New Outlook app is reinstalled or its local store is cleared 🧪 Steps to Reproduce 1. Open the New Outlook for Windows 2. Create a new contact and add a birthday 3. Save the contact 4. Open Outlook.com → People 5. Locate the contact — it will appear, but the “Stored in: Outlook” field is missing 6. Export contacts from Outlook.com (CSV) — the contact will not be present 7. Check a mobile device configured with the same Microsoft account — the contact will not be present 8. Check the Outlook.com Birthday calendar — the birthday will not appear 9. Reinstall the New Outlook app — the contact will be gone ✅ Expected Behavior • Contacts created in the New Outlook should be stored as first‑class Outlook.com contacts • They should appear with a proper “Stored in: Outlook” location • They should sync across devices, export via Outlook.com, and populate the Birthday calendar ❌ Actual Behavior • Contacts created in the New Outlook are effectively “shadow contacts” stored in a local cache • They look normal in the New Outlook UI, but they are incomplete, non‑synchronizing objects from the service’s perspective 📉 Impact • Silent data loss risk for users who assume contacts are in Outlook.com when they are not • Inconsistent contact and birthday data across devices and services • Split contact store model: • Real Outlook.com contacts • Local shadow contacts created by New Outlook 📎 What I’ve Already Done • Submitted feedback through the New Outlook (Help → Feedback → Report a Problem) • Submitted a detailed report via the Windows Feedback Hub • Contacted Microsoft Support, who advised that escalation must occur via Feedback 📣 Request I’m posting this here to document the issue publicly and to ask: • Can anyone from the Outlook / Exchange / Outlook.com team confirm this behavior? • Can other users reproduce this with the steps above? Given the data‑integrity implications, I’m hoping this can be brought to the attention of the relevant engineering team. Any confirmation, additional data points, or official guidance would be appreciated.New Outlook: Creating Rules for CC: and Sent Items (Workaround solution)
Many users have said they miss one of Outlook Classic's features: the ability to create rules for sent items. One popular use is automatically moving a Sent item to a designated folder, reducing the time it takes to handle email. Currently, rules in New Outlook manage received messages in the Inbox. This blog provides details. New Outlook Limitations: Outgoing Message Rules » TRACCreations4E I am happy to share that I have finally come up with a workaround to add a copy of the message you sent to a folder of your choice. Yes, the original message will remain in the Sent folder, but you don't have to move it manually. This method should hold you over until Microsoft rolls out the functionality for "Sent rules," which has not been added to the roadmap. Watch the full tutorial to discover how you can: Setup your email Use hashtags in your signature line Set up an automatic rule Blog Post: New Outlook Sent Email Rules: Here’s the Workaround Video: https://youtu.be/guOjz5lHJEY?si=un6jp2afgO-3PAhg Remember, this is a workaround solution. I am also waiting patiently for the Sent Rules functionality. If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to assist others with the same question. /Teresa #traccreations4e 6/11/2024Flagged Emails in New Outlook: Set Reminders and Due Date
I understand that transitioning from Classic Outlook to New Outlook can be intimidating and frustrating, especially regarding the feature changes. I'm here to help you navigate through the differences and make the switch as smooth as possible. You can access your flagged emails via the MyDay icon located in the top menu. Here are the steps to set reminders, due dates, and more. 1) Select the My Day icon 2) Click on the To-Do Tab (Note: Usually, this tab defaults to 'Tasks' for the primary mail account.) 3) If you manage multiple accounts, choose the correct mail account. 4) Select Flagged Emails: All flagged items for the select account will appear here 5) Right-click on any flagged item, and you will see many settings, including Set Reminder and Set Due date. I understand that completing the requirement involves many steps. It can be challenging, but I expect more improvements in the future. I hope this helps. /Teresa #traccreations4e 01/18/2024What do you think about RSVP in Outlook?
Hello Calendar Community, RSVP (responding to meeting invitations) is an area with lots of opportunity for improvements in Outlook Calendar. I’m reaching out to gather your feedback on RSVP. We’re particularly interested in understanding: Ease of Use: How intuitive and user-friendly do you find the current RSVP process? Functionality: Are there any features you wish were included to improve the RSVP experience? Efficiency: How could we make RSVPing quicker and more efficient for you? Overall Experience: Any other comments on your overall experience with the RSVP functionality? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. I am really eager for some insights from our community and its power calendar users. cheers, GioSignificant changes to the New Outlook Calendar Event User Interface
In October 2025, the New Outlook Calendar Event was redesigned to incorporate Copilot, leading to a complete user interface makeover. Many icons were rearranged. This blog post includes a screenshot, icon placement, and descriptions. New Outlook Scheduling Gets a Makeover - Copilot Chat Joins #traccreations4e-p25 10/29/2025
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.
Locked out of account
Hi, I was trying to redeem an Xbox gift voucher when I got locked out of my account, I followed the steps for “ Enter your phone number, and we'll send you a security code “ and that worked the first time. When I tried again with the gift voucher I was locked out again. Now I’m getting the Try another verification method but there isn’t another option for me to select. I tried to contact support and they said 1-3 weeks for a reply, then I got an email and it said 5 days. Surely I can’t expect to be locked out of my account for 5 days? I have my email and password and access to my backup email but can’t login? Can someone please help. Thanks, CormacCan't login to Hotmail with Safari, Chrome, or Edge...
This is a major issue that should not exist. Whenever I try to login using one of those 3 browsers, I get the "too many attempts" message. The same thing happens if I try logging in with a private window in any browser. I don't think they can give me any good reason for this happening. It still happens even after clearing the cache/cookies. I can login in just fine with Firefox, even with my extensions enabled. Another issue (and one that I feel is completely stupid on the part of Microsoft), is that when I tried to login to this forum, it was automatically logging me in with the saved business account (only used for website email). It did NOT give me the option to sign in with a different account. So, I had to completely clear the cache/cookies in Firefox to be able to login here (totally ignorant). Why does Microsoft do stupid stuff like this? Are all of their coders so clueless that they never think to give us options? I don't want to automatically sign in with the business account - I only want to sign in with my personal account. It really shouldn't be that hard for them to figure out. If anyone has any ideas on why this is happening, or why Microsoft feels the need to do dumb stuff, let me know. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. P.S. I see so many sites pushing passkeys now, but I don't want that (and I highly doubt it would fix the above issue(s)). They keep claiming that our passwords are insecure, yet my passwords are not getting hacked - only their servers are.
