how to reset outlook mail to default settings

Hello SwamZM

Hi, I'm Karl and will be happy to help you today.

If you are asking how to start over from scratch, the best approach would be to create a new Outlook profile and configure the email accounts again using the Control Panel Mail app. While there are ways to reset individual items, there is no one single option to "reset all Outlook settings".

a) - With Outlook closed open the Control Panel <Mail> app

Just in case you need info regarding how to access the Control Panel Mail app, that's described in the following article by Outlook MVP Diane Poremsky

Where is the Control Panel Mail icon?

https://www.slipstick.com/how-to-outlook/where-...

If using Windows 11

How to Open Control Panel in Windows 11

https://www.lifewire.com/open-control-panel-in-...

b) - Select <Show Profile> --> <Add> --> give the new profile a name (no need to remove the existing Outlook profile)

c) - Configure your email account(s)

d) - Set the newly created Outlook profile as the default for the next time Outlook is opened otherwise it'll use the old profile

Hello SwamZM

Hi, I'm Karl and will be happy to help you today.

If you are asking how to start over from scratch, the best approach would be to create a new Outlook profile and configure the email accounts again using the Control Panel Mail app. While there are ways to reset individual items, there is no one single option to "reset all Outlook settings".

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a) - With Outlook closed open the Control Panel <Mail> app

Just in case you need info regarding how to access the Control Panel Mail app, that's described in the following article by Outlook MVP Diane Poremsky

Where is the Control Panel Mail icon?
https://www.slipstick.com/how-to-outlook/where-...

If using Windows 11

How to Open Control Panel in Windows 11
https://www.lifewire.com/open-control-panel-in-...

b) - Select <Show Profile> --> <Add> --> give the new profile a name (no need to remove the existing Outlook profile)

c) - Configure your email account(s)

d) - Set the newly created Outlook profile as the default for the next time Outlook is opened otherwise it'll use the old profile

Thank you for trying to help me. I'm old and a lot of the terms used are meaningless to me. I will probably have to call tech support or something, but thanks for trying!

Will start this off by focused on what Outlook program you are using

The attached screenshot shows three different things of what people refer to as "Outlook" (Microsoft likes to call everything related to email as "Outlook") so just need to make sure that we are both on the same page

#1 - The top part is what you would see if you are accessing an Outlook.com email account via webmail (using a browser) - it only shows the op part of what you would see in your browser window. Don't think this is what you are asking about but including it just to be complete

An Outlook.com account in this case would be accessed using the following link

https://outlook.live.com/owa/

#2 - The second (middle part) of the screenshot shows what the Windows 11 Mail app would look like.

#3 - The bottom (third part) shows the Outlook desktop program (part of Office). If you are using Outlook '2010 or later, it would look similar to this. If you are using Outlook '2007 (or earlier) OR Outlook '2021, it would look different. To make it easier, if you are using the Outlook desktop program and it looks different - when did you purchase it (Outlook '2021 will look different

I'm using Windows 11, but don't know how to tell which Outlook I'm using. You are very kind to offer. I haven't been able to call tech support yet because of ...well...life! Some problems. Will call them soon and let you know. What a nice person you are!

Sorry for the delay in responding - had a 2 day internet outage due to a major storm that occurred a few hours before you replied.

If you don't get the answers you are looking for from tech support, will be happy to try and walk you through things one step at a time.

Knowing what version of Windows and Outlook you are currently using would help