[German]A quick question for users of Microsoft Outlook with a connection to Exchange Online. Have there been more and more problems with Microsoft Outlook in recent days, with it no longer responding or working extremely slowly?
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A reader's note on Outlook
German blog reader Markus M. has contacted me recently by email because he is receiving reports of problems from Outlook users in his environment. He wrote to me that his company has a large IT landscape with Microsoft Outlook 2016 & Outlook 365 clients with a connection to Exchange Online. Microsoft Outlook 2016 is licensed as an msi installation via "Business Standard" and is up to date with the latest updates. Microsoft Outlook 365 uses the Current Channel with version 2412, build 18324.20194.
There have been massive problems in this constellation for a few days now. Microsoft Outlook no longer opens when I call it up, and the program is extremely slow, etc. However, it works perfectly via webmail.
The problem can often be solved by creating a new Outlook profile. Once, IT even had to recreate the entire Windows profile on a Windows client in order to resolve the problems with Outlook.
Contacting Microsoft didn't help, writes the reader, because their support team didn't really know what to do either. However, the reader's IT service provider also confirmed that he has been receiving an increasing number of calls from other customers reporting similar problems in recent days.
Markus closed his email from February 6, 2025 with: "This is a really big problem for us, today alone we had 15 users who had the problem, and the trend is rising." He asked whether I had encountered similar problems, which I answered in the negative (apart from the fact that Outlook is a permanent construction site). So I would like to ask if anyone has experienced similar problems?
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Old problem with Exchange Online?
Off the top of my head, the scenario from the 80s of the last century came to mind, where users moved heaven and hell to get away from the connection to the slow host. It seems to me that the "modern cloud" has brought back the old problems.
I did some research on the Internet – the complaints that Outlook reacts extremely slowly or doesn't start at all have been around for years. On reddit.com, someone complained that Outlook 2016 and Outlook 365 have been extremely slow since they switched to Exchange Online. There are various explanations for the causes. This reddit.com thread also deals with the problem that Outlook has become slow after connecting to Exchange Online.
Microsoft has published support articles
For example, Microsoft has published the support article Outlook not responding, stuck at "Processing," stopped working, or freezes with all kinds of voodoo instructions on what to do. This also includes creating a new profile.
The Microsoft support article Outlook performance is slow in the Microsoft 365 environment from January 2024 also deals with slow Microsoft Outlook and measures to remedy the situation.
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