Outlook 365 problem

On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 12:11:56 +0100, Scott snipped-for-privacy@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote: [snip]

To add some more details: a new email now has a four inch margin, the characters are spaced out and do not look like Arial even though the setting is to Arial. I have tried a repair, which makes no difference.

Normally this issue comes up due to people using sleep or quick start of windows, as its storing stuff on disc. The complete reboot is the only way to go with this. If its not been fixed by this, then then normal cause of things is to restore windows to an earlier time. There are normally points set for updates and installations. It might be that you have to go back to the last office update. However, what I cannot answer is whether the settings have been corrupted and will still persist. I don't use Outlook as to me its always messing itself up. Most people use Thunderbird 102. Don't let it update further than that as they have completely we written the code base and its riddled with bugs at the moment. Of corse this might not help with existing Outlook Content, I have no idea if you can import them or not. Bring back Outlook Express, I say, as although it had bugs, nothing so ridiculous as Outlook has. You will not I'm using Express here at the moment. Brian

Thanks. Good shout but unfortunately the corruption continues. I'm wondering about uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook 365 but maybe this would have the same effect?

Generally un-installing and re-installing outlook is futile and pointless. Its usually the settings which have become corrupt and these don't get deleted on an un-install.

I think if you go into the control panel, there is still an icon for mail settings. Open that and click "show profiles", create a new profile, add your accounts. If you are using a protocol like POP3 where the only copy is on your PC you may need to export and import the mails to move them to the new profile.

Dave

Thanks, and this seems to be the case. I reinstalled all of Office and the problem is still there.

Does this mean creating a new .pst file? Is it the pst. file that contains the settings? Why can't the new profile be pointed at the existing .pst file?

On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:22:39 +0100, David Wade snipped-for-privacy@dave.invalid wrote: [snip]

Thanks for your assistance - and thanks to Brian also. The problem was (per Monty Python) something completely different. It turns out that Immersive Reader - whatever that is - was turned on. Turning it off restores normality.

...you won't be doing it for much longer.

MS are in the process of withdrawing support for email clients, leaving only webmail as a means of access. Unless you get a pay-per-month Exchange account, and even then you can't transfer any old email to it without the help of a specialist.

This affects anyone using BT to provide their email, even in their 'business' accounts.

What is this about? I am with Zen Internet. This is POP3 so what will happen to me and what will be the solution?

The PST file does not contain the settings. I was suggesting a new PST in case the content of the old had somehow become corrupted.

Dave

Sorry I am retired....

I assume that the desktop Outlook will retain support for POP, and its the servers it been removed from.

Dave

Not sure that that is true,

BT are heavily IMAP, I very much doubt they will bin that.

I know someone with a BTConnect business account, using three email addresses. One by one, they have been turned off. He uses Thunderbird, which can now no longer access his account. He, like me, hates webmail and is trying to contact people to give them an address elsewhere. Because the email addresses are @btconnect.com, he can't move them anywhere.

Here are a few satisfied customers:

BT have never provided email services. Before Microsoft, they outsourced to Yahoo. Before that, they simply told business clients to get a free Yahoo email address. That's how well they have always supported business.

IMAP isn't mentioned explicitly but is referred to elsewhere as also going. I suspect the whole thing is no more than a new version of Exchange no longer including POP and IMAP servers. There are, of course, encrypted versions of POP3 and IMAP.

Are you using Microsoft email addresses, or those of some company which outsources to them? They will continue to provide webmail access, which is not exactly suited to business users, who typically keep email archives as required by law. I've seen two conflicting explanations of what methods of using PC applications to access email in future, as well as conflicting prices.

You should try talking with whoever you pay for email, as to the alternatives and their recommendations. If you're getting your email service from Zen, there's probably nothing to worry about. Zen is a professional company and probably provides email services in-house rather than outsourcing to MS. It's basically the large number of BT customers who have problems.

If you are a pukka business you wouldn't be using an @btinternet.com email anyway.

Well let us hope that they will maintain a redirect service so that @btinternet customers can forward their email to somewhere a bit more friendly.

Fortunately I had email long before BT had internet products, and run my own vanilla insecure POP3 services. Thunderbird raises an eyebrow but then shrugs and does it anyway. Had to implement a bit of security on smtp relaying because every man and his dog wanted to use it.

In the past I advised three clients not to use BT. All of them ignored the advice, and all were bitten in some way or other, all to do with email.

Do you have a source for this? My personal email is on hotmail :( and I'd like to learn more.

Googling has given me a 2022 date for unauthenticated pop3 withdrawal - in the past, so not anything we need worry about.

Andy

I'd have thought you would have been notified if there will be a problem. I have a free MS account, but I always use webmail, and in emergencies only, so I don't know if there are email client issues there. Certainly, BT customers have problems, and I know one of them.

As I've said, I think MS are just dropping POP3 and IMAP servers from a new version of Exchange, and that's the only mail server they will ever use.

Sounds more like you've altered the view of how all your emails are displayed ...

Sounds like bollox to me