Summary: Windows 10 has compelled a large volume of users to upgrade existing version of the OS. Based on configuration settings, the upgrade process sometimes affects the functionality of MS Outlook app that leads to the occurrence of several issues. The blog addresses issues that users may face during or after the upgrade procedure.
While upgrading the Operating System to the latest Windows 10, you may notice some errors. The upgrade might be error free or smooth on some configurations particularly when you are upgrading from Windows 8 or 7. There are many issues that demand attention and it is vital to understand the same beforehand to avoid any interruption during or after the upgrade process.
The guide contains information about issues that users may face with Microsoft Outlook. After upgrading the current OS version to Windows 10, PST corruption may take place, and you will need to repair PST file to gain accessibility to incorporated data.
Which MS Outlook version is supported by Windows 10?
Windows 10 is highly compatible with Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007. Before upgrading, it is better to ensure that the Outlook version being installed on your PC is compatible with Windows 10. Ensure that Service Pack 1 is installed for Office 2013, Service Pack 2 is installed for Office 2010, and Service Pack 3 is installed for Office 2007. Also, verify if any additional updates being essential for Windows 10 are installed on the machine.
Outlook 2003 or earlier version is not recommended for installing on Windows 10 or any other version as its support is not provided for this version as well as its earlier versions. If you ever try to install Office 2003 or earlier edition, the system will encounter compatibility issues. In severe cases, you may lose the considerable volume of data as outdated versions are not secure enough to prevent data against viruses. Any sort of data loss can be rectified by running ScanPST, a built-in tool to repair Outlook PST files.
What could be the potential issues while upgrading from Windows Vista or Windows XP?
Users must be familiar with the fact that upgrading from Windows Vista or XP is actually a clean installation. The installation will ask you to either “Keep personal files only” or “Nothing.” If you choose to select ‘keep personal files only’ option before an upgrade, ensure that you take a backup of the entire data so that you have the option to restore important files back in case the upgrade process goes wrong.
Take note of all the email accounts being configured on the system as you will need to reconfigure settings after upgrading to Windows 10. Till Windows 8 and Windows 7, WET (Windows Easy Transfer) was used to easily move files and settings from Windows Vista and XP versions; however, it is no more supported by the latest version of the respective OS.
Is it possible to upgrade from Windows 7 (Ultimate) to Windows 10 (Professional)?
It is essential to note that while upgrading to the updated version, you can only upgrade to the same edition of Windows. If you are using Windows 7 Ultimate, you can only upgrade to Windows 10 Professional version. Similarly, you can upgrade to Windows 10 Home if you are Windows 7 Start user.
Settings, files, and programs are transferred automatically from the previous OS to the updated version. You can then log in directly to the latest installed OS and launch Outlook with essential settings and files in place. If you are Windows 8 user and has not upgraded to 8.1, then Windows Update will not allow you to upgrade to Windows 10. However, it is possible to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10 using Windows 10 installation media without losing any of the settings, apps or program files.
Is the updated version integrated with a virus scanner?
Although Windows Defender is the built-in virus scanner for Windows 10, the option to install third-party application is also available. While you install the virus scanner, verify whether any Outlook integration components are installed. It is one of the best practices for all the versions of Windows and is not specific to the latest version only.
If Outlook is integrated with a virus scanner, there are a number of issues that a user may encounter. These issues include the slow performance of Outlook, send/receive error messages, corruption in emails, inaccessible PST file, and much more. The integration section of the virus scanner can easily be disabled without compromising on the integrity and security of data. If any inconsistencies are found, you can install reliable PST repair software to scan the file.
What if ‘PST File Access Denied’ error message appears?
It is probable that you may get the following error:
“Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. File access is denied. You do not have the permission required to access the file C:\Users\Angela\Documents\Outlook Files\Angela.pst”
If this is the case, you will require adjusting the PST file permissions to gain access to ‘Full Control’ over the file.
Follow the steps below:
- Navigate to the path mentioned in the error message
- Right-click the file and select Properties
- Select Security tab and then press Edit button
- Select the correct user account
- Select Full control permission
- Press OK button till all windows being open are closed
- Then restart MS Outlook
Tip: It is a good practice to reset permissions for the entire user folder.
After upgrade to Windows 10, Outlook showing ‘Rebuild Search Index’ message, what could be the reason?
If you frequently get ‘Rebuild Search Index’ or ‘no result found’ message while you attempt to search for a particular email or any other mailbox component, you may require re-index the Outlook application. However, in the majority of cases, this issue gets resolved automatically and appears occasionally.
In addition, you may fail to download images existing within the email message or enclosed in the attachment. To rectify this error, you will need to edit the Registry. This can be done by resetting the registry value for ‘Temporary Internet Files’ folder path to default. Next, you will need to delete the registry entry for ‘SecureTempFolder’ in MS Outlook. If anything unexpected (such as data loss) happens with the Outlook mailbox files during the process, you can use PST repair software to recover the lost data.
Additional Information!
Windows 10 Upgrade automatically starts while executing-in-place upgrade. The tool highlights the applications and drivers that need to be updated or uninstalled pre- and post-installation. Availability of this tool not only speeds up the entire upgrade process but also increases the chances of success.
Even though the whole upgrade procedure is simple and straightforward, the security of Outlook PST mailboxes is at risk. The user may experience the slow performance of the application, and Outlook upgrades message, inaccessible mailboxes, corruption in PST files, frequent program freeze issues, etc.
Keep reading and Share your experiences with us. For troubleshooting assistance, You can discuss specific errors in MS Outlook or Office.
Was this article helpful?
