Unable to open email links or attachments

Hello Astrid Kozlowski

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how frustrating this is, links in emails suddenly stopped working in Outlook, and restarting your computer (which usually fixes it) no longer helps.

I can see there’s a Q&A Assist reply under your post. To avoid repeating it, could you tell me whether you’ve tried those steps yet, and what happens when you try? And can you also confirm: when you click a link, does nothing happen or do you get a specific error message?

In the meantime, here are some steps that you can try:

1. Reset your default browser

• Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps
• Choose your preferred browser (Edge/Chrome/Firefox) and select Set default (if available)
• Still in Default apps, search for and ensure these are mapped to the same browser:
  • HTTP, HTTPS (protocols)
  • .htm, .html (file types)
• Close Outlook and try a link again
• Official guide: Change Default Apps in Windows - Microsoft Support

2. Test Outlook in Safe Mode (checks if an add‑in is blocking link clicks)

• Close Classic Outlook app completely
• Press Windows + R, type outlook.exe /safe > press Enter
• Test a link in Safe Mode
• If links works in Safe Mode: disable add-ins (File > Options > Add-ins > Manage: COM Add-ins > Go) and re-enable them one by one to find the culprit.

3. Repair Microsoft 365 apps

• Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps 
• Find Microsoft 365/Office/Outlook, click the three dots next to it > Advanced options
• Scroll down and choose Repair

For more details, you can see Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support

Thank you for your understanding and patience. Please feel free to update me after trying these steps.

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If you're unable to open links in emails, it could be related to your default browser settings or a restriction in your system. Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Check Default Browser Settings: Make sure that your default web browser is set correctly. You can do this by going to Internet Options > Programs tab and selecting Make default under Default web browser.
2. Reset Internet Explorer Settings: If you're using Internet Explorer, you can reset its settings. Open Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Reset. Make sure to select Delete personal settings and then click Reset.
3. Set Outlook as Default: Ensure that Microsoft Outlook is set as your default email program. Go to Internet Options > Programs > Set programs and select Microsoft Outlook > Set this program as default.
4. Registry Fix: If the above methods do not work, you may need to export and import a registry key from another computer that does not have this issue. This is an advanced step, so proceed with caution and back up your registry first.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider contacting your system administrator or Microsoft Support for further assistance.

References:

• Hyperlinks are not working in Outlook