SOT: Outlook / Microsoft 365

Yes, it's piss poor crap software.

Now it won't start again. It is showing as an unlicensed product even though I paid for Microsoft 365. Word and Excel don't open either. I have fully repaired Windows 365. Should I be looking at Classic Outlook, Windows 365 or Windows 11 as my starting point? I have checked for Windows updates and restarted the PC. Is Classic Outlook part of Windows 365 or could it be I am using some legacy software?

Sorry to answer my own post (bad netiquette). I have now got it started and I can see it is the Windows 365 version of Outlook. Is the New Outlook installed locally or an online resource like outlook.com?

You shoulde be using the version of Outlook that is included with MS

Thanks. In the meantime I have repaired Windows 11, which involved installing a 24H2 (repair) file then some updates. It is working okay so far. Reinstalling Microsoft 365 would seem to be the next stage, as you suggest if problems persist. Thank you for the comment about New Outlook. I do indeed use POP3 for my emails and I certainly do not want them to go via Microsoft and IMAP.

Fail to start in the sense that you click the icon and nothing happens?

If so, then yup that is one of its favourite party tricks. The problem is that it is already running, and uses a mutual exclusion object to make sure it does not run a second instance at the same time.

The problem is that it is not obvious it is still running!

Task manager -> Processes Tab

Scroll down through the background processes list and search for Microsoft Outlook. If it is there, right click on it and "End Task". It will then restart ok.

Just restarting the machine would likely do it on its own if it is the above problem.

Yes

Probably not - does depend a bit on the type of mailbox you have.

Thanks. This is good to know. Now I can resolve the problem immediately. The mailbox is POP3 that I gather does not work well with New Outlook.

New outlook just seems to be a thin wrapper round the outlook web app... not found much to recommend it yet...

Excuse my ignorance but is Classic Outlook fully supported as part of Microsoft 365 or is it likely to be phased out?

It is at the moment, they do seem to be 'encouraging' full Outlook users to try New Outlook, I don't think it will be popular if they force it.

Supposedly the Windows Mail app was killed-off at the end of December, I don't use it, but if I try to start it, I end-up in a wizard to configure New Outlook.

It is still fully supported at the moment in 365 and also in Office Home & Business 2024 (and previous releases). Not sure what their long term plan is, but if they were to deprecate it, I could see significant push back from business that use CRM software that is "hard coded" to outlook on the desktop.