Whether you are using New or Classic Outlook, you can easily restore Outlook to default settings using 10 effective methods, along with step by step instructions. Scroll down to learn more!
Restoring Outlook to default settings means reverting the application’s configuration to its original state, similar to how it looked and behaved when it was first installed. This process focuses on fixing issues caused by corrupted or misconfigured user settings without reinstalling Microsoft Office or deleting email data.
It’s a common troubleshooting step when Outlook starts behaving unpredictably or no longer displays information correctly. Here’s a clear breakdown:
|
Category |
Gets Reset |
NOT Reset |
|
Views & Layouts |
Folder views, column order, sorting, and reading pane settings |
Email content inside folders |
|
Navigation Pane |
Folder shortcuts, favorites, and expanded/collapsed state |
Folder structure on the mail server |
|
Rules |
Client-side or profile-related rules may be removed |
Server-side rules (Exchange/Microsoft 365) |
|
Profiles |
New profile recreates account configuration |
Mailbox data stored online |
|
Local Settings |
UI customizations, cached preferences, add-in states |
Microsoft Office installation |
|
Data Files |
— |
PST and OST files remain unless manually deleted |
|
Mail Data |
— |
Emails, calendars, contacts, tasks remain intact |
✅ When You Should Reset Outlook? Resetting Outlook is recommended when problems persist despite basic troubleshooting, including view or display issues, frequent crashes or freezes, sync problems, corrupted profiles, faulty add-ins, etc.
If Outlook works but feels “broken” or inconsistent, restoring default settings is often faster and safer than a full reinstall, and it’s usually alogical step before deeper system-level fixes.
Resetting the Outlook view restores the default layout for folders, columns, and panes. This is especially useful if emails appear missing, folders look incorrect, or the interface feels cluttered or broken.
📍📍📍Quick Guidelines: Start with UI resets for minor or visual problems. Move to command-line resets when issues are widespread, persistent, or clearly caused by corrupted Outlook settings.
Outlook includes a built-in Reset View featuretorestore the default layout for selected folders or specific modules, such as Mail, Calendar, Contacts, etc.
👉 Mail:
Step 1. Open Outlook and switch to Mail.
Step 2. Select the folder you want to fix (for example, Inbox).
Step 3. Click the View tab in the top ribbon, then Reset View.
👉 Calendar:
Step 1. Switch to Calendar.
Step 2. Go to the View tab, click Reset View.
👉 Contacts (People)
Step 1. Switch to People / Contacts.
Step 2. Go to the View tab, click Reset View.
If Outlook works but the Inbox layout looks wrong, such as Mail spacing is too large, subject lines cut off, etc., this is usually a layout setting issue, not data corruption. Restoring the default message list layout often resolves the issue and serves as a quick fix worth attempting before resetting all views.
Step 1. Open Outlook and switch to Mail. Click View > View Settings.
Step 2. In the Advanced View Settings window, click Other Settings. Check Always use compact layout and click OK.
Step 3. Backto your Inbox and verify that emails now display in a compact, multi-line format.
If many folders are displaying incorrectly, resetting all views at once is faster and more effective.
Step 1. Close Outlook completely.
Step 2. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type outlook.exe /cleanviews and press Enter.
Add-ins are a common source of crashes, slow performance, or missing functionality. If this is the problem, disable Add-ins.
Step1. Open Outlook. Go to File > Options > Add-ins. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
Step 2. Uncheck any add-ins you suspect are causing issues. Click OK and restart Outlook.
Step 3. Re-enable add-ins one by one to identify the problematic one.
✅Tip: Disable unnecessary add-ins permanently if they are not essential.
If the ribbon or toolbar buttons are missing, duplicated, or behave incorrectly, restoring them to default can fix the problem.
Step 1. Open Outlook. Go to File >Options > Customize Ribbon.
Step 2. Click Reset >Reset all customizations. Confirm you want to reset them and restart Outlook.
Navigation Pane issues often cause missing folders, broken shortcuts, or blank folder lists. Resetting it can quickly fix these problems.
Step 1. Close Outlook.
Step 2. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type outlook.exe /resetnavpane and press Enter.
Outlook stores some rules and client-side behaviors locally. If rules stop working, messages aren’t moving as expected, or Outlook behaves inconsistently across folders, resetting these settings can help.
Step 1. Close Outlook completely.
Step 2. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Enter the following commands and press Enter:
👉 Reset client-side rules only:
outlook.exe /cleanclientrules
👉 Reset both client-side and server-based rules:
outlook.exe /cleanrules
Outlook will restart automatically. During the process, it will remove corrupted or conflicting rules, restore default rule behavior, etc.
⚠️ Important: These commands delete existing rules. Export your rules first if you need to restore them later.
Launching Outlook in Safe Mode disables add-ins, customizations, and extensions, allowing you to determine whether a problem is caused by third-party components or corrupted settings.
Step 1. Close Outlook completely.
Step 2. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type outlook.exe /safe and press Enter.
Outlook will open with minimal settings and no add-ins. You can then try to send/receive emails, view folders, open the calendar, etc., and see if Outlook works normally in Safe Mode.
If that’s not the problem, it may be caused by faulty add-ins, corrupted ribbon or toolbar customizations, or problematic views.
Resetting Classic Outlook to its default settings goes beyond simple view or layout fixes. This process rebuilds Outlook’s core configuration, making it ideal for resolving deep issues such as startup failures, repeated crashes, or persistent sync problems.
Creating a new Outlook profile is the most effective method to restore Classic Outlook to default settings. Profiles store account details, data file mappings, and many client-specific configurations, so rebuilding one removes hidden corruption.
Step 1. Close Outlook completely.
Step 2. Open Control Panel, switch to Large icons or Small icons view, and click Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
Step 3. Click Show Profiles. In the pop-up window, click Add, give the new profile a name, and follow the prompts to add your email account.
Step 4. In the When starting Microsoft Outlook section, select Always use this profile (or choose Prompt for a profile to be used). Click OK.
Step 5. Open Outlook and log in using the new profile.
Sometimes, even after creating a new profile, Classic Outlook may still be loading corrupted configuration data from the Windows Registry.Removing leftoversettings can restore Classic Outlook to its default behavior.
⚠️ Warning: Editing the registry can affect your system if done incorrectly. Always back up your registry or create a system restore point before proceeding.
Step 1. Close Outlook completely. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Navigate to the following path and replace with your Outlook version number.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook
Step 3. Right-click the Outlook folder and select Export. Save the .reg file to a safe location.
Step 4. Right-click the Outlook folder and select Delete. Confirm this.
Step 5. Close the Registry Editor. Restart Outlook. You need to reconfigure your profile or attach your existing PST/OST files if needed.
Instead of manually exporting mailbox data or saving attachments to OneDrive, it’s wise to schedule backup Outlook data, especially for business users who rely on Outlook. This allows youto recover deleted or corrupted files without downtime.
AOMEI Backupper Professional, a powerful backup software for Windows, integrates Outlook backup features to fully back up all Outlook data, including emails, attachments, calendars, contacts, PST files, etc., while offering a full suite of backup features.
Step 1. Open your Microsoft Outlook and log in with the account you want to backup. Open AOMEI Backupper after installing, click Backup > Outlook Backup.
Step 2. Click Add Outlook data. Select the account containing Outlook data and click OK.
Step 3. Click the PC icon > Local Drive/Network Share/NAS to add a new destination. Or select the current location (if it exists).
Step 4. Enable Daily, Weekly, Monthly (By date), Event triggers, etc., to schedule backup, and click Start Backup to backup Outlook data automatically. Optionally, click Options or Backup Scheme to review or change the settings.
📍📍📍Notes:
✅Options: Include compression, splitting, backup only used sectors of file system, VSS, etc., to minimize the image file size automatically and avoid any interruption.
✅Backup Scheme: Incremental backup is enabled by default. You can also change it to differential backup and enable automatic backup cleanup to delete old backups automatically.
Restoring Outlook to default settings can resolve a wide range of issues, from minor display problems to major profile corruption. Choosing the safest method depends on the type and severity of the problem, as well as the version of Outlook you’re using.
In addition, data protection is another critical aspect to consider when using Outlook. Instead of exporting manually, adding attachments to OneDrive, schedule backup of Outlook data using AOMEI Backupper is more flexible.