Drag and drop Outlook emails from Outlook to desktop not working

Hi @Ruben Cruz

Drag the email to the desktop and click to drop it.

Is this issue recent? Did something happen?

According to my tests, dragging and dropping a file only requires clicking on the file and dropping it in the appropriate location.

According to your description, it seems that the problem is about Windows Server 2016 and Outlook clients.

To narrow down the problem, first make sure it's not an issue on your PC, check if other programs can drag and drop files properly.

Then try the following possible solutions:

1. Make sure that the Outlook window is active, and then press the ESC key several times. Usually, 3 or 4 clicks are enough to get the drag and drop working again.
2. Disable/enable cached mode.( File >account setting >change)  If this cache has grown or become corrupted, you will experience performance issues in Outlook Microsoft.
3. Also, this can also happen if some Outlook folders are corrupted, causing drag and drop issues. To reset Outlook folder, type the following command: outlook.exe/resetfolder.

Hope this helps!

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OP clearly states that Outlook PWA is the Outlook of Choice in this case..

Drag & Drop is neither supported by the PWA or the "New Outlook" App. It has to do with Browser Restrictions interacting with the Filesystem. Maybe the "New Outlook" App will get that Feature but i dont think that it will be ever possibly in the PWA.

Have a nice Day

Hello there,

If you're experiencing issues with dragging and dropping Outlook emails from Outlook to the desktop, you can try the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the problem:

Restart Outlook: Sometimes, a simple restart of the Outlook application can fix minor glitches that might be causing the dragging and dropping issue.

Check Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to save files to the desktop. Sometimes, if your user account doesn't have sufficient privileges, you might encounter issues while trying to drag and drop files.

Check Desktop Space: Ensure that there's enough space on your desktop to accommodate the email files you're trying to save. A full desktop can prevent new files from being saved.

Disable Add-ins: Some Outlook add-ins might interfere with the drag and drop functionality. Temporarily disable any third-party add-ins and try dragging and dropping again.

Update Outlook: Make sure you are using the latest version of Outlook. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that could address such issues.

Check for Windows Updates: Sometimes, issues can arise due to Windows updates that haven't been installed. Ensure your operating system is up to date.

Run Outlook in Safe Mode: Starting Outlook in Safe Mode can help diagnose if the issue is caused by an add-in or some third-party software. To do this, press Win + R, type outlook /safe, and press Enter.

Create a New Profile: Your Outlook profile might be corrupted. You can create a new profile and see if the issue persists.

Repair Office Installation: Use the "Repair" option in the Office installation settings to repair any potentially corrupted installation files.

Test with Another User Account: Create a new user account on your computer and test dragging and dropping emails there. This can help determine if the issue is specific to your user profile.

Check Anti-virus/Firewall: Sometimes, security software can interfere with drag and drop functionality. Temporarily disable your antivirus or firewall and see if the issue is resolved.

Try Different File Format: If you're trying to drag and drop emails in a specific format (like MSG), try saving the emails in a different format (like PDF) and see if the issue persists.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

Hope this resolves your Query !!

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