Many users are reporting problems configuring iCloud in Outlook on brand new computers. When they check the box for Mail, Contacts, Calendars they receive and error error message that there is no default profile.
The users typically have one profile, it’s set as the default, Outlook is set as the default. Everything should be working.
I am trying to setup Microsoft Office 365 Outlook to sync with iCloud. When I check the box for Mail, Contacts, Calendars I get an error message: "Setup can't continue because Outlook isn't configured to have a default profile. Check your Outlook settings and try again."
I have one profile in Outlook, with the "Always use this profile" selected. I worked with Apple Support and Dell Support, uninstalled and reinstalled both applications, restarted my system many times, all to no avail. I have also confirmed that the iCloud Outlook Add-in is shown as Active in the Outlook File/Options/Add-ins screen.
This problem was originally caused in part by having the Windows Store version of Office preinstalled and installing the Click to run version from Office.com. More recently, it is because iCloud does not care for an IMAP data file set as the default data file. This is more common with the Windows store version of iCloud installed, but can occur if you use the download from Apple.
IMAP Account is default
If you are using an IMAP account and do not have an Exchange POP account, or PST file, in your profile, you may get this error (or others) because iCloud does not like the IMAP data file.
The fix: Add a pst file to the profile and set it as default. After you set up iCloud, you can remove it.
If you have other accounts in your profile or adding a pst file to the profile does not help, you need to create a new profile and set it as default. So not copy the existing profile, you need to make a new one. Restart Outlook a couple of times then try setting up Outlook. See Andrew's comment here.
Windows Store version of Office
As time goes on, fewer users should have the store version. If you have a new computer with it installed, replace it while it's still new (removing it deletes customizations, email accounts and IMAP and Exchange data files, leading to the potential for loss of Calendar & Contacts in an IMAP data file.)
iCloud and most addins will not work with the store version. You need to install the click to run version from Office.com.
Installing the current version of Office from office.com should remove the store version, but to insure it is removed, run these cmdlets:
Open PowerShell in run as admin mode then paste:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | where-object {$_.packagename –like "*Outlook*"} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online
Then:
Get-AppxPackage "*Outlook*" | Remove-AppxPackage
Close the PowerShell window and open it without using run as admin. Run this command:
Get-AppxPackage "*Outlook*" | Remove-AppxPackage
If you are using iCloud installed from the windows store, it should work after running the scripts above. You cannot set the store version to use compatibility mode.
If you are using iCloud installed from Apple's download and are using Windows 10, set icloud.exe to run in Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 Compatibility mode.
To do this, go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Internet Services, locate icloud.exe, right-click on it and choose Properties. Switch to the Compatibility tab and enable compatibility mode.
Now try enabling iCloud to sync Calendar and Contacts. It should work.
More Information
See Outlook is Not Recognized as the Default Email Client for other causes not related to iCloud.
if you followed all these steps ( https://www.slipstick.com/outlook/icloud-error-outlook-configured-default-profile/ ), and icloud still won't sync to outlook, try the following: go to control panel, go to mail, create a new profile with the same email addresses that are in your already existing default (although icloud says its not default). DO NOT COPY the existing profile as this will bring the same sync problem. Once you made the new profile, make sure you set mail to ask which profile to use each time. Now launch outlook. It will pull up the profile selection window automatically. here, select the new profile you just created, click to show more options and set the new profile as default and take the check mark out of asking which profile each time. Now outlook should open to your new profile normally. Close outlook. Reopen outlook and make sure it does not ask you what profile to use and goes into the correct new profile. Now close outlook again. Open icloud, click to sync contact calendars etc, and hit apply. It should work now. Extremely frustrating, and i cant tell the technical reason why this works, but after wasting hours and hours getting this issue resolved and trying… Read more »
Andrew, Thank you so so so much!!! That worked perfectly. I can't believe I spent so many hours on this as well. The only mail profile I had should be the default one, so it is absolutely ridiculous that the iCloud software wouldn't recognize it as the default. Thank you again!!!!
Thank you soo much! This fixed the problem after trying all the other solutions in this thread. Sure wish I knew a way to force this solution to the top of the thread to save everyone else a lot of useless effort when this fix is easy and does the trick
Andrew - your fix worked for me too. Thanks.
HP ProBook, Win 10 20h2, Outlook 2010
Thank you very much Andrew - this also worked for me - and like the others I spent endless hours trying to make it work before I found this. Thank you again. Mick
None of these worked for me, but what did was uninstalling icloud, rebooting the computer, then downloading the version from Microsoft store. It worked like a champ. This happened to me when I upgraded to Microsoft 365...
Andrew!!! I feel blessed to even have stumbled on to your suggestion. It worked. I am so grateful. First, you are brilliant for discovering this solution. Second, you are a wonderful person for sharing your solution in such detail. I spent several frustrating hours trying to figure this out. Thank you very much!!!
Gracias, por la ayuda, llevo varios dias probando proque la opcion de sincronizar contactos, calendarios, ... con outlook no iba, habia probado de todo, desinstalado e instalado varias versiones de office y no habia manera, seguia igual y cuando he leido al final el tema de la compatibilidad simplemente lo he hecho y me salido la opcion para sincronizarlo.
Un saludo.
Translate:
Thanks for the help, I have been trying for several days because the option to synchronize contacts, calendars, ... with outlook did not work, I had tried everything, uninstalled and installed several versions of office and there was no way, it was still the same and when I read in the end the issue of compatibility I have simply done it and I got the option to synchronize it.
It's 2022 and I'm now having this problem. Have tried everything above and also read through older comments for any other tips/approaches to resolve to no avail. I am using a MacBook 2021 with M1/ARM64 running Parallels 17 and with Office 365 installed from office.com. I've tried both 32 and 64-bit versions of Office 365 to fix this problem without any luck. iCloud for Windows is the latest version installed from the Microsoft Store. Could the M1/ARM64 be the diffences/what's causing this issue to reappear?
I'll test it in my parallels... my initial thought is no, it's not the cause but I also know there have been problems with AV and parallels, so I could be wrong.
Thanks Diane. I hope you'll be able to help me find a solution to this most annoying issue :-)
I am trying to use Andrews solution to resolve the problem on my PC. I have a few questions:
- You add a PST file by adding an email account with a POP account. Is that correct?
- After I did this I noticed that the default datafile remains with the original IMAP user account OST. Should I change this to the new account PST?
- How do you establish a new Profile? Is that like using a second version of Outlook? If so, how do you do that?
- When Diane says “ right click on pst in the folder list and choose Close pst-name,” where is the folder? Is that the data file tab in Outlook, or the folder in Windows?.
>> You add a PST file by adding an email account with a POP account. Is that correct?
No, just add a pst. No account is needed with it.
>> After I did this I noticed that the default datafile remains with the original IMAP user account OST. Should I change this to the new account PST?
Yes, set the pst as default.
>> How do you establish a new Profile? Is that like using a second version of Outlook? If so, how do you do that?
>> When Diane says “ right click on pst in the folder list and choose Close pst-name,” where is the folder? Is that the data file tab in Outlook, or the folder in Windows?.
It's the folder list on the left.
https://www.slipstick.com/outlook/how-to-create-a-new-profile/
>> How do you establish a new Profile? Is that like using a second version of Outlook? If so, how do you do that?
Thanks for this page, I've *Wasted hour* and am now giving up...
None of these solutions worked for me. I tried building a PST file and making it the default and creating a new profile as well.
After spending hours and days trying to fix the problem, it turned out the problem was caused because I upgraded my Outlook from 2013 to 365.
I ultimately opted to reinstall iCloud from the MS Store. The description of iCloud in the store indicated that it would only work for versions 2016 and above. My assumption is that iCloud never recognized the Outlook upgrade and was behaving as though it was still the 2013 version.
Reinstalling the iCloud app corrected the problem for me.
I'm hoping that posting this here will help as others for whom no other solution worked.
There's a mystery step here! "The fix: Add a pst file to the profile and set it as default. After you set up iCloud, you can remove it."
How do I go about doing that??
Thanks!
Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings to open the Account Settings dialog. on the data files tab, set the IMAP data file as the default. Restart outlook then right click on pst in the folder list and choose Close pst-name.
After at least 3 hours of pulling out what little hair I have left, I found an easier solution in the Apple Forums that worked for me.
See this link for the steps:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251360630?answerId=252913029022#252913029022
I cannot say for certain if this problem occurs when a person has ONLY IMAP accounts in Outlook, but that was my case and creating an empty PST worked for me. I then closed the empty PST after the icloud install was successful, changed my default data file back to its original setting, and deleted the empty PST (I created it on my desktop so it could be easily found).
This worked for me. Thanks Steve.
Dwight
This thing bit me again. I'm using a desktop install of Office 365 32-bit and a current iCloud installed from the Windows store. The issue this time was that iCloud was not recognizing my correct Apple ID / Password. I use 2-factor authentication and I'm not sure if that was part of the issue or not. I also tried the Power Shell steps, installing an old iCloud version, and looked around for the option to set compatibility to Windows 8. None of that worked for me on W10, O365 (32-bit). The fix procedure that worked for me on W10, O365 (32-bit) is: Uninstall O365 Uninstall iCloud Install O365 from Office.com (downloaded offline installer) Outlook > File > Account Settings > Manage Profiles > Show Profiles Add a Dummy profile (don't worry about it configuring an eMail account) Set the Dummy profile as the default (Always use this profile) Rename the old Outlook profile (e.g. oldOutlook) Shutdown / Restart Outlook > File > Account Settings > Manage Profiles > Show Profiles Add a new profile named Outlook (don't worry about it configuring an eMail account)) Set the Outlook profile to be the default (Always use this profile) Shutdown / Restart Outlook… Read more »
>>
I also tried the Power Shell steps, installing an old iCloud version, and looked around for the option to set compatibility to Windows 8. None of that worked for me on W10, O365 (32-bit).
>>
The store app does not have the compatibility option.