How to reset Outlook to default settings (classic and new Outlook)

This guide covers classic Outlook for Microsoft 365, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows 11 and 10, plus the new Outlook app. Start at the top and stop as soon as Outlook behaves. Each step wipes more than the one before it. If you aren’t sure which Outlook you have, this classic Outlook guide shows how to tell them apart.

Pick the right reset

Symptom	Try this	What you lose
Columns, sorting or the reading layout look wrong in one folder	Reset the view	Your changes to that view
Navigation pane won’t load or Outlook closes on start	/resetnavpane	Custom shortcuts and folder order in the pane
Inbox, Sent Items or other folders show the wrong language or name	/resetfolders or /resetfoldernames	Nothing; folders are restored or renamed
Reminders pop up that you can’t dismiss	/cleanreminders	Nothing; reminders are rebuilt
Wrong or old addresses suggested as you type	/CleanAutoCompleteCache	All saved AutoComplete suggestions
Outlook crashes, hangs or a feature misbehaves	Safe mode, then turn off add-ins	Nothing
Sign-in loops, sync errors or account settings are tangled	New Outlook profile	Local settings tied to the old profile; mail on the server stays
Outlook still fails after all of the above	Repair Office	Nothing (files are replaced)

Reset the view of a folder

Most “Outlook looks wrong” problems are a changed view: missing columns, a strange sort order, or messages grouped oddly. Open the folder, go to the View tab and look in the Current View group. Most recent classic Outlook versions have a Reset View button there, which puts that folder’s current view back to its defaults. It’s greyed out when the view is already at its defaults. We couldn’t find this button documented on a current Microsoft support page, so the label may differ in your version.

To use one clean view in every mail folder, set it up in one folder and choose View > Change View > Apply Current View to Other Mail Folders. Microsoft notes that you can’t delete the built-in views, even after changing them, so resetting is the way back.

Some guides suggest the outlook.exe /cleanviews switch instead, which resets all views at once and removes every custom view you’ve made. We couldn’t confirm it on a current Microsoft page, so use Reset View folder by folder unless you have a lot of folders to fix.

Reset parts of Outlook with startup switches

Startup switches tell Outlook to rebuild one piece of its configuration as it opens. Close Outlook first, press Win + R, type the command, and press Enter. Microsoft’s switch documentation says you can use only one switch at a time, and switch names can’t be shortened.

outlook.exe /resetnavpane

Rebuilds the navigation pane (the folder list on the left). Microsoft suggests it when the Outlook window can’t open. The setting is stored on each PC, so run it on every computer that has the problem.

outlook.exe /resetfolders

Microsoft uses this switch to restore the default folders and their names, and it re-creates a missing Reminders folder.

outlook.exe /resetfoldernames

Renames the default folders to match the language of your Outlook installation. Microsoft’s guide on incorrect folder names uses it when folders show up in another language after a migration.

outlook.exe /cleanreminders

Clears and rebuilds reminders. Microsoft recommends it, often together with /resetfolders, when old reminders keep reappearing.

outlook.exe /CleanAutoCompleteCache

Empties the list of addresses Outlook suggests as you type a recipient. Every saved suggestion goes, not just the wrong ones. To remove a single address, start typing it and click the X beside it instead.

If Windows can’t find outlook.exe, Microsoft says to give the full path to the program, in quotes if it contains spaces. For a 64-bit Microsoft 365 install that is usually "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\outlook.exe".

Rule out add-ins with safe mode

Before resetting anything bigger, check whether an add-in is the real cause. Press Win + R, type outlook /safe and select OK. Accept the default profile when asked. If Outlook works normally in safe mode, an add-in is the likely culprit.

Open Outlook normally, go to File > Options > Add-ins, set Manage to COM Add-ins and select Go. Clear every box, restart Outlook, then turn the add-ins back on one at a time until the problem returns.

Create a new Outlook profile

A profile holds your accounts and their settings. A damaged one causes sign-in loops, sync errors and odd behaviour that survives everything above. Creating a new profile is the nearest thing classic Outlook has to a full reset, and you can switch back if it doesn’t help.

1. Close Outlook. Open Control Panel, search for Mail and open it. From inside Outlook you can use File > Account Settings > Manage Profiles instead.
2. Select Show Profiles, then Add.
3. Type a name in Profile Name and select OK.
4. Enter your email address, and your password if asked, then select Next and Finish.
5. Under When starting Microsoft Outlook, use this profile, choose Prompt for a profile to be used and select OK.
6. Start Outlook and pick the new profile from the Choose Profile list.

Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and Exchange accounts keep mail on the server, so it downloads again into the new profile. POP accounts and anything stored only in a local .pst file are different: note where those files are and add them to the new profile. Don’t remove the old profile until the new one is working, because Microsoft warns that removing a profile deletes its offline cached content. To bring back a shared mailbox afterwards, see how to add a shared mailbox in Outlook.

Repair Office

If Outlook still crashes, its program files may be damaged. Repairing Office replaces them without touching your mail.

1. On Windows 10, right-click Start and choose Apps and Features. On Windows 11, the same list is under Settings > Apps > Installed apps and the option sits behind the … menu.
2. Select your Microsoft 365 or Office product and choose Modify.
3. Pick Quick Repair and select Repair. If that doesn’t help, run it again with Online Repair.

Microsoft describes Quick Repair as faster but limited to detecting and replacing corrupted files. Online Repair takes longer and is the one Microsoft recommends when problems persist. Restart the PC afterwards if prompted. If Office asks you to activate again, see where to find your Office product key.

Reset the new Outlook for Windows

The new Outlook is a Store-style app and doesn’t use profiles or startup switches. It has a proper repair and reset instead.

1. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
2. Search for Outlook and find Outlook (new).
3. Select the … menu, then Advanced options.
4. Select Repair first. If the problem stays, come back and select Reset.

Microsoft explains that Repair keeps the app’s data, while Reset deletes it. After a reset you sign in again and the app downloads your mail from the server.

Once Outlook is back to normal, these Outlook tips help you set it up the way you like again.

Related guides

• Classic Outlook download: how to get it back on Windows 11 and 10
• Outlook Tips and Tricks: 12 Ways to Manage Email Faster in Outlook for Windows
• How to Add a Shared Mailbox in Outlook (Windows, Mac, Web and Mobile)
• How to find your Office product key (and when you don’t need one)

Official sources:

• Microsoft Support: Create a new Outlook profile
• Microsoft Support: Repair the new Outlook for Windows
• Microsoft Learn: Default folder names are incorrect in Outlook