The following articles were included in our Exchange Messaging Outlook (EMO) newsletter published on September 28, 2023.
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Today's Highlights »
- Fixed: Outlook closed while you had items open
- Dealing with Meeting Request Spam
- New OneDrive Feature: Exclude File Extensions
No Exchange Messaging Outlook issue next week, I'm going to out of town.
Fixed: Outlook closed while you had items open
The "Outlook closed while you had items open" bug I reported in early July is fixed in Version 2309 Build 16827.20130 in both Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2021.
The bug first appeared in Version 2306 in Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2021: Outlook displayed a dialog upon restarting "Outlook closed while you had items open. Reopen those items from your last session?" but the option to turn if off or change it was missing in File > Options > General. Outlook had the "Start Up Options" section header but not the menu containing the options for always, never or ask in the section. Oops.
Outlook 2019 and Outlook 2021 users now have the option to choose whether to reopen previously opened messages in File > Options > General.
If you haven’t updated yet, or for whatever reason, want to edit the registry, the key is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Office > 16.0 > Outlook > Preferences
Add the DWORD: ReopenWindowsOption
Possible values are:
Never reopen previous items = 1
Ask me if I want to reopen items = 0
Always reopen previous items = 2
Dealing with Meeting Request Spam
Spammers like to use meeting requests to get your attention – their spam is added to your calendar (as a tentative appointment) and you might get a reminder. Obviously, you should never decline the invitation (or accept it) – this will only confirm your address is valid and active.
If the junk email filter moves the message to the Junk Email folder, the event should not be processed by Outlook or added to the calendar.
If the meeting request is in your Inbox just delete the invitation. DO NOT respond to it. Responding verifies your address is good and valid addresses are worth more on the spammer’s resale markets. If the tentative meeting is on your calendar, delete it too. Deleting the invitation from your Inbox will not delete it from the calendar.
If you are getting a lot of meeting request spam in your Inbox, you can make a rule to delete meeting requests, and if you use Outlook for Windows, you can use a macro to delete the spam meetings.
Don’t forget to set an exception for people who send you legitimate meeting requests. Note: rules won't apply to messages the Junk mail filter puts in the Junk Mail folder.
In Outlook desktop, create a rule that uses the form name. Click on Form name and choose Application Forms > Meeting Request as the form name. If you receive valid invites, add an exception for addresses in your address book.
In Outlook on the web, open Settings (gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Rules. Create a new rule, choose Type as the condition and Invitation as the type. Use Delete as the Action. You can add additional conditions or exceptions if you receive legitimate meeting invitations to this address.
For more information, screenshots, and a macro, see Meeting Request Spam
New OneDrive Feature: Exclude File Extensions
If you have OneDrive set to “backup” Documents folder to OneDrive and have pst files open in Outlook that are stored in the Documents folders, the newest version of OneDrive app now has an option to exclude file types.
To exclude file files from syncing, open OneDrive settings. Select Sync and backup then expand advanced settings on the right. Click the Exclude button and type pst into the Extension field then click Exclude.
The excluded extensions are listed on the page. Click the X if you no longer want to exclude it from syncing.
Note: if you are only using OneDrive to store backup copies, you don't need to exclude pst files. But if the file is open in Outlook, it should be in a folder outside of OneDrive, not synced to OneDrive.
New & Updated Microsoft 365 & Exchange Server Support Articles
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New & Updated Outlook Support Articles
Outlook Desktop crashes sending a meeting invite that includes a Loop component
Outlook unexpectedly prompts to reopen items from your last session
Script Error in Outlook when clicking "Microsoft Office Online" from the Shortcuts function
Unable to view private items in a shared calendar using MAPI in cached mode in Outlook
Other Resources
Create a rule to delete spam with no sender address
How to create a rule that deletes messages with no address in the From field, in either Outlook on the we or Outlook desktop software.