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Our IT person recently had to re-image my laptop, and re-installed Microsoft Office. Now my working hours (8am-5pm) are greyed out on my calendar, but are white on the other calendars I have access to. How do I fix this?
Using classic Outlook for Windows in business environments
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Good day.
I’m reaching out to follow up on this issue. Have you had an opportunity to review the solution I provided earlier? Any update from your side would be greatly appreciated.
If you have already tried the suggested options and the issue still persists, the best course of action would be to contact your IT department for further support.
Please feel free to let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with.
Thank you for your understanding, and I hope your issue will be resolved soon.
My Outlook build version is: Microsoft® Outlook® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2603 Build 16.0.19822.20086) 64-bit. That seems like it would be newer than the one listed above, but I don't know that for sure.
Thank you for checking and sharing your Outlook build information.
Based on what you provided, you’re already on a newer Outlook build than the one Microsoft identified for this issue, so since the problem persists especially after a device re-image or Office reinstallation it’s unlikely to be version-related and is more likely due to mailbox sync issues, local cache, profile corruption, or calendar view settings.
Please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Re-save your working hours in Outlook on the Web
Because Outlook on the web connects directly to Exchange, updating your working hours there often forces the correct settings to sync back to the desktop client.
Step 2: Clear the local Outlook cache
If the mailbox settings are correct but Classic Outlook still shows the incorrect shading, clearing cached data can often resolve display issues.
Step 3: Create a new Outlook profile
If the issue started immediately after the laptop was re-imaged, it may be tied to a partially corrupted Outlook profile. Creating a new profile is a safe and effective way to test this.
This does not delete or affect your existing profile, it simply creates a clean one for testing.
Step 4: Contact your IT admin
If the issue persists after trying the steps above, I strongly recommend contacting your IT administrator so they can review organization‑ or server‑level factors such as Office update channels and policies, mailbox calendar configuration on the Exchange server, and, if necessary, open a Microsoft support ticket through the Admin Center using advanced diagnostic tools.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions or need me to check anything further, feel free to let me know.
I hope you're having a great day.
In certain versions of Classic Outlook, your working hours may appear greyed out on your own calendar, while other calendars remain white. Microsoft has documented this behavior here: Calendar shows working hours as grey - Outlook | Microsoft Learn
This issue commonly appears after a laptop re-image or Office reinstallation. In those cases, the device is often running an older Outlook build or a company-managed update channel, which can cause the display behavior to return.
Here are my recommendations, please try the steps below:
1/ Check your Outlook version / build (Classic Outlook)
Please open Outlook and go to File > Office Account (or Help) and look under Product Information to find the current version and build number.
If the build is lower than 16.0.16626.20196, you can update Office by opening any Office app and navigating to:
Additionally, if your organization uses the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel:
In some environments, this fix may not yet be available because Office updates are controlled by IT. If that’s the case, please contact your IT team to confirm your update channel and available options.
3/ Temporary workarounds
In the meantime, you may use Outlook on the Web (OWA), where working hours usually display correctly.
Or if your organization allows it, you may also consider trying the New Outlook experience, which does not typically show this Classic Outlook display behavior. You can toggle on the Classic Outlook button at the top-right corner of the app to switch to New Outlook.
4/ Contact support
If the issue persists even after these steps, it may stem from a deeper system-level cause. In this case, I recommend contacting your organization's IT administrator, who can submit a support request to Microsoft through the Microsoft Admin Center. They’ll be able to access system-level information to investigate the issue thoroughly and provide assistance. At the very least, they can offer the most effective workaround to ensure your experience remains smooth and secure.
As community moderators, we appreciate your understanding that we do not have access to the administrative tools or permissions required to investigate or modify these configurations. We also do not have the capability to initiate remote sessions for direct assistance. Our role is to guide users to the appropriate resources and support channels.
I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.
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AI answer
This behavior is expected when Outlook is connected to a newer version of Exchange and the working hours for the client and the mailbox are in the same time zone. Outlook cannot fully handle the newer Exchange calendar elements (such as WeekDays, WeekendDays, and AllDays), so it shows the working hours with a grey background instead of white.
To fix this, Outlook must be updated to a build that contains the fix. The issue is resolved in Outlook build 16.0.16626.20196. Install the latest Office/Outlook updates from Microsoft 365 Apps (or have IT do so). After updating to at least that build, restart Outlook and the working hours should display with a white background again, consistent with other calendars.
References: