My Outlook 2016 "Start Up Options menu" has no drop down submenu

Hi CSG-08:

Just an FYI that other MS Outlook users with a perpetual (non-subscription) license are reporting the same problem in the 04-Jul-2023 thread Outlook MS Pro+ 2021 Start-up Options Disappeared in the AskWoody forum but no one posting there has found a solution yet.

I use MS Office Home and Business 2019 Click-to-Run (Current Channel release) and recently noticed that my Outlook 2019 setting(s) at File | Options | General | Start Up Options are blank ...

.. when they should look something like this. (Note: the image below was copied from Diane Poremsky [ M365 MVP ]'s 06-Apr-2021 post in How to enable the prompt "Outlook Closed while you had items open. Reopen those items from your last session?")

I performed a Quick Repair of my MS Office 2019 installation as instructed in the MS support article Repair an Office Application but that did not restore my missing Start Up Options settings. If I can't find a simple solution in the next day or two I'll run a Full Repair and will post back to let you know if that fixes the problem.

The only reason I noticed my Start Up Options are missing is that, like you, I began seeing the same “Outlook closed while you had items open . Reopen these items from your last session?" pop-ups about a week ago (perhaps when I was automatically updated to Version 2306 / Build 16529.20154 that was released on 26-Jun-2023) and began looking for the setting in Outlook 2019 at File | Options | General | Start Up Options that should allow me to stop this pop-up.

Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.3086 * Firefox v115.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.23050.5-1.1.23050.3 * Malwarebytes Premium 4.5.32.271-1.0.2051 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279 * Microsoft Office 2019 Home and Business 2019 Version 2306 / Build 16529.20154 C2R

Hi Jason,

I really appreciate the input you have given to help myself and others sort our Outlook issue.

I have read some excellent advice from moderators and have been fully through the “Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support” with no joy, as well as several fixes given that other end users like me have not succeeded with.

Clearly, going by feedback from multiple users, there is a bug in the last update (2306 build 16529.20154) that needs rectifying at a higher level, unless someone can do some wizardry in the meantime.

These things happen, even the best make errors. The mark of a good parent company is they take ownership of the error, and how quickly it’s addressed. At least we can still use Outlook.

I look forward to a permanent fix being made available soon.  

Pete

Good afternoon Jason,

Beginning with your specific questions: ~

1. This is Microsoft Outlook 2016, part of the Microsoft Office Suite and has been operating, without issues on my home desktop PC since January 2020. I use Windows 10 which is updated regularly.
2. I am unaware of any changes in the account which precipitated the strange behaviour this week. (According to Properties> Previous versions ~ there are none)
3. For the last few days ~ whenever I open Outlook, I am presented with a Microsoft Outlook message stating: ~ “Outlook closed whilst you had items open. Reopen those items from your last session”

I have already taken the following action: ~

• Even when I close down all pages before closing Outlook it reopens as above!!
• Following the online Microsoft Help advice, I went to – File> Options> General looking for the heading "Start-up options". Yes, the sub heading is there but there are no drop down command options visible!! --- I have searched and clicked many times
• Following your suggestion, I opened Outlook, clicked on File> Options> Advances but cannot find a “General Section” on this page. The available options listed on this page are: ~

Outlook Panes; Outlook Start & Exit; Auto Archive; File & Browser preferences; Reminders; Export; RSS Feeds; Send/receive; Developers; International Options; Display; Other.

Am I missing something obvious? If not then I’ll try the Microsoft Office repair function.

In the meantime, thanks for your help.

Hello to you all.

I also have the same issue "Outlook closed while you had items open . Reopen these items from your last session ?".

This problem also has just started happening since the last Office update recently, and I also have no start up options visible to select from.

Hopefully MS will put out a fix for this bug soon.

Pete

This also affects my Outlook 2021 retail version.

No drop-down beside the Startup option, and no Advanced option about startup pane.