Outlook: Not Good

19th March 2025

We have received a lot of complaints from our clients recently about the state of Outlook since the ‘new’ version became widely available last August. Even with the six updates released since then, users are still finding problems.

In an effort to try to make this easier for both you and us, we thought it would be worth listing these issues and some possible solutions:

Technical issues:

These include: inbox not updating, app password errors, Microsoft editor issues, email sync issues, search functionality problems and even complete outages in some regions.

To avoid these problems, ensure Outlook is regularly updated, switch to the classic Outlook if you have to (by using the toggle in the top right corner) and contact either Microsoft or your IT support if the problems persist.

User interface changes:

Many people have found the new layout to be harder to navigate compared to the last version.

To get around this you can either customise your ribbon – File > Options > Customise Ribbon – to at least make it more relevant to what you use or revert to classic view.

PST file access:

PST or Personal Storage Table files refer to the file format used by Outlook to store copies of emails, contacts, calendar events and tasks, serving as a data backup.

The newer Outlook does not support direct access to this format: you can try importing your saved PST files – File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import from another program or file – or you can change back to the classic view.

The new Outlook uses OST (Offline Storage Table) files instead, storing a synchronised copy of your mailbox that enables you to work offline.

Performance on older devices:

On older hardware it is reported that Outlook runs slower and consumes more resources when compared to the classic version.

The easiest fix here is to upgrade the hardware, but we understand not everyone is able to do that. We recommend you try to optimise performance as best you can by using Cached Exchange Mode, disabling unnecessary add-ins, archiving older emails and compact PST files.

Feedback and support:

With all these problems arising, users have found it difficult to provide feedback or get the support that they need.

You can try to get in contact with support – Help > Support – or provide direct feedback – Help > Feedback – but you might be better off searching for the issue in the Microsoft Community forums. Someone else may have encountered the same issue and left a simple solution.

If you still need help, we recommend you contact your IT support and see if they can resolve the issue before Microsoft do.

Overall, you can expect the new Outlook to gradually improve until it is eventually at the same level of quality as the last iteration – it might just take Microsoft a while. In the meantime, please contact us if you’re having any issues with Outlook, or anything else IT related.