The following articles were included in our Exchange Messaging Outlook (EMO) newsletter published on May 7, 2026.
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Today's Highlights »
- Outlook AutoComplete: Current Status, Workarounds, and Feedback
- What Do You Want to Do When You Open Outlook Is Missing
- So you think your account was hacked?
Outlook AutoComplete: Current Status, Workarounds, and Feedback
As mentioned in my last issue of Exchange Messaging Outlook Microsoft removed the “X” that let you delete individual entries from the AutoComplete list.
Will Microsoft restore this feature? Microsoft hasn’t said anything yet, but I expect they’ll address it if enough people submit negative feedback. Even then, it could take a couple of months or longer.
You can report the impact in Outlook via Help > Feedback. You can also upvote and comment on Ron Lewin’s suggestion:
Return ability to delete individual auto-complete suggestions for email recipients · Community
Until Microsoft restores the ability to delete individual entries, you have two practical options:
- Clear the entire AutoComplete list
- New Outlook or Outlook on the web: go to File > Settings > General > Privacy and data, select the Privacy and data option, and turn the setting off. Leave it off for 24–48 hours, then turn it back on.
- Classic Outlook: go to File > Options > Mail and look for Empty Auto-Complete List. (As of now, this button is not working.)
- Classic Outlook only: roll back Office to Version 2603 and turn off automatic updates.
Rollback office to 2603:
- Press Windows Key to open the Start menu
- Type cmd on the Start Menu. When Command Prompt comes up, choose Run as Administrator
- Paste the command line at Deleting Auto-Complete Entries No Longer Works | Slipstick Systems in the command prompt window and press Enter.
Submitting feedback matters!
My article on the issue: Deleting Auto-Complete Entries No Longer Works
'What Do You Want to Do When You Open Outlook' Is Missing
The option to choose whether Outlook opens the first message in the Reading Pane or shows a blank Reading Pane has disappeared for many accounts.
If the setting is still available in your account, you can find it in new Outlook or Outlook on the web:
- Go to File > Settings > Mail > Layout.
- Under What do you want us to do when you open Outlook?, choose one of the following:
- Open the first message in the list
- Let me select which message to read first
This behavior is intended as a privacy/security feature: message content won’t appear until you click a message. Many users prefer 'Let me select which message to read first' for this reason. If a majority of users are using 'let me select' it makes sense to default to that and remove the option to simplify things.
I'm waiting for confirmation that it is an intended change and not a bug, as the option appears to be gradually rolling out (or being removed) across Microsoft 365 tenants. You may see it on some accounts but not on others as it can take weeks for changes to reach all accounts.
In New Outlook, this behavior is controlled by your primary account setting. If you want messages to load automatically and one of your accounts still offers that option, set that account as the primary account - then the choice applies across the profile.
So you think your account was hacked?
A user received sextortion emails demanding payment in bitcoin or they would send the “evidence” the user was participating in nefarious things online to all their contacts.
Chances are the email is just a scam to scare you into sending them money (even if you did what you stand accused of). It’s unlikely they have anything besides your email address - no access to your computer or camera. The scammers get the addresses (and often a password) from data breaches and take their chances. They can usually find a sucker or two who will pay.
Check the message headers to see if it came though the expected mail server. If not, the From address was faked.
As a precaution, you (or the sender account) should change the account password. If it was sent from an outlook.com address, enable 2 step verification and click the option to sign out everywhere at https://account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional
If you aren’t using a POP or IMAP client, turn off IMAP support in Outlook on the web at https://outlook.live.com/mail/options/mail/forwarding
Don't forget to use Malware Bytes to scan your computer for any malware, just to be sure you aren't infected with something.
This article has a copy of the email I received years ago: No, you're not being blackmailed | Slipstick Systems
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New & Updated Outlook Support Articles
[FIXED] Outlook 2024 LTSC crashes opening Viva Engage, Yammer, Power Automate, and other emails
[FIXED] Auto Translate stopped working in classic Outlook
[FIXED] Outlook on premise Exchange web add-ins stopped loading after updating to Version 2603
[FIXED] My Templates are missing from Outlook
[FIXED] Classic Outlook error when sending from Outlook.com "You do not have permission to
Other Resources
Deleting Auto-Complete Entries No Longer Works | Microsoft Community Hub
Following an update to classic Outlook version 2603, the X to delete autocomplete entries from the Suggested Contacts list is gone.
Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com - Microsoft Support