Microsoft Outlook users can't view and compose emails, see these fixes

The Microsoft Outlook 2104 build 13929.20372 update released on May 11 caused many desktop users to be unable to view and compose Outlook emails.

Instead of viewing the entire email content, users can only view a portion or a single line, as shown in the image below.

Microsoft Outlook users can't view and compose emails, see these fixes Picture 1

In addition, when the user finishes composing an email and presses Enter, all previously written content is deleted, as shown below.

Microsoft Outlook users can't view and compose emails, see these fixes Picture 2

In a Microsoft 365 Admin Center incident status notification titled 'EX255650: Issue affecting viewing email content in Outlook', Microsoft announced that it has identified the cause of the issue and released a statement. issue a fix.

'We have identified the underlying cause of the incident and are taking corrective action. This fix should reach all affected users within the next 4 to 5 hours. Once users receive the fix, they will need to restart their email client.

In some cases, users may need to restart their application a second time for the error to be resolved. We expect to complete this process and restore service to all affected users by 3:00 a.m. on May 12, 2021 (local time)' – Microsoft informed users.

The cause of the issue is a recent change to the system that supports text display management for content within the Outlook client.

All affected users will receive the update within the next 3 to 4 hours and will need to restart Outlook to install the fix.

If you previously turned off Microsoft Office updates, you should turn them back on to receive this update from Microsoft.

How to troubleshoot Microsoft Outlook

If you are experiencing this problem in Microsoft Outlook, many other users reported that it can be fixed by rolling back to a previous version of Microsoft Outlook.

BleepingComputer tested this method and it was successful.

Method 1: Restore Microsoft Office to the latest April 2021 release

To roll back to the April 23, 2021 release, users follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Command Prompt .

Step 2: In Command Prompt, enter the line below and press Enter.

cd "C:Program FilesCommon Filesmicrosoft sharedClickToRun

Step 3: The ClickToRun folder is opened, enter the line below and press Enter.

officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.13901.20462 

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Step 4: At this point, Microsoft Office will download the specified version of Microsoft Office and roll back to the previous version. Please be patient as this process may take a few minutes or longer, depending on your computer and Internet connection speed.

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Step 5: When the updates are installed, the screen appears with the words Update were installed , meaning the update has been installed, select Close .

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Step 6: Microsoft Outlook will be restored to the previous version and you will be able to restart Microsoft Outlook .

Step 7: Now, you can close the Command Prompt by clicking the X button .

Method 2: Start Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode

If you don't want to go back to a previous version of Microsoft Outlook or can't find the ClickToRun folder, you can launch Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode to fix the error until an update is released.

It should be noted that, when starting Outlook in Safe Mode, all add-ins will be disabled, including security add-ins.

To start Outlook in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press and hold the Ctrl key on the keyboard, then launch Microsoft Outlook . Outlook will start and ask if you are sure you want to start in safe mode.

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Step 2: Select Yes and Outlook will start in Safe Mode with add-ins disabled.

Step 3: When Outlook starts, you can be sure you are in Safe Mode, because the title of the Outlook window will say Microsoft Outlook (Safe Mode) , as shown below.

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Step 4: When you finish using Outlook, just close the program.

Note, you need to repeat this process every time you want to start Outlook in Safe Mode.

How to turn off Microsoft Office updates

If you want to prevent Microsoft Office from automatically updating to this buggy version, you can temporarily disable updates.

To prevent Microsoft Outlook from automatically updating, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Outlook .

Step 2: Select File .

Step 3: Select Office Account at the bottom left of the sidebar.

Step 4:  When the Account screen opens, select Update options -> select Disable Updates .

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Step 5: At this point, the User Account Control   prompt will be displayed -> select Yes to turn off all updates.

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Step 6: You will then return to the Outlook Account screen and be notified that updates have been disabled, as shown below.

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Step 7: To exit the Account page, you can press the Esc key on the keyboard.

Microsoft Outlook updates will now be disabled, and you can reverse these steps to re-enable them when a fix is ​​released.

Micah Soto

Update 19 October 2023