Top 6 Fixes for Outlook Add-In Missing or Not Working on Windows (2024)

Add-ins play a crucial role in extending Outlook’s capabilities on your PC. They not only offer features to improve your productivity but also help you streamline daily tasks. However, what if these Outlook add-ins go missing or stop working on your Windows 10 or 11 PC?

Top 6 Fixes for Outlook Add-In Missing or Not Working on Windows (1)

Whether you’re experiencing issues with a specific Outlook add-in such as Teams, or with all of them, this guide will help. Work your way through the following tips to fix issues with Outlook add-ins and get them working on your PC.

1. Restart Microsoft Outlook

Outlook, like any other app, can experience issues while launching or running on your Windows computer. When this happens, some of your Outlook add-ins may not show up or work as expected. In most cases, you can fix such issues by simply restarting the Outlook app.

Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to access the Task Manager. In the Processes tab, locate and select Microsoft Outlook. Then, click the End task option at the top.

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Open the Outlook app again and check if the issue is still there.

2. Make Sure the Add-In Is Enabled

One possible reason for an Outlook add-in to disappear is if it has been disabled, either by the user or system administrator. If that’s the case, you can use these steps to restore the missing Outlook add-in on your Windows PC.

Step 1: Open the Microsoft Outlook app on your PC and click the File menu at the top-left corner.

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Step 2: Select Options from the left pane.

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Step 3: Switch to the Add-ins tab. In the Manage drop-down menu, select Disabled Items and click the Go button.

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Step 4: Select the add-in you want to restore and click the Enable button.

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3. Update the Outlook App

By default, Office apps including Outlook install newer updates automatically on your Windows PC. However, if you have disabled automatic updates for Office apps, you might be running an outdated version of Outlook, which can sometimes result in performance niggles.

To update the Outlook app manually:

Step 1: Open the Outlook app and click the File menu at the top-left corner.

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Step 2: Switch to the Office Account tab, click on Update Options, and select Update Now.

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4. Scan Outlook Data File

Issues with Outlook data files on your PC can also cause your add-ins to go missing or stop working. Fortunately, Microsoft includes a tool that can find and repair problematic Outlook data files automatically. Here’s how to run it.

Step 1: Press the Windows + E keyboard shortcut to open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Step 2: Double-click the SCANPST.EXE file.

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Step 3: Click Start to initiate the scan.

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Step 4: If the tool finds any issues, click on Repair.

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After completing the above steps, check if your add-ins work.

5. Modify Registry Files to Prevent Outlook From Disabling Add-Ins

At times, Microsoft Outlook may disable an add-in if it causes the app to run slowly or crash. If you don’t want that, you can modify a few registry files to stop Outlook from automatically disabling add-ins.

Since registry files contain important files for Windows, it’s important to back up all the registry files or create a restore point before proceeding.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type regedit in the box and press Enter.

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Step 2: Type the following path in the address bar at the top and press Enter.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Addins
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Step 3: Locate the add-in you don’t want Outlook to turn off and copy its name.

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Step 4: Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and press Enter.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Resiliency\AddinList

Step 5: In the right pane, right-click anywhere on an empty spot and select New > String Value. Name it with the add-in key name copied earlier.

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Step 6: Double-click the newly created string value, enter 1 in the text box and click OK.

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If all else fails, you can run the Office repair tool on Windows to fix issues that may be causing the Outlook add-ins to misbehave. Here are the steps for the same.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to launch the Run command. In the Open field, type appwiz.cpl and press Enter.

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Step 2: In the Programs and Features window, select Microsoft Office Suite or Microsoft 365 and click the Change option.

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Step 3: Select Online Repair and click the Repair button to continue.

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Reignite Your Outlook

When you rely on Outlook add-ins for your personal or professional work, it can be frustrating when they go missing or stop working. Hopefully, one or more of the above tips have helped fix the problem, and things are back to normal.

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Top 6 Fixes for Outlook Add-In Missing or Not Working on Windows (2024)

FAQs

How do you fix missing add-ins in Outlook? ›

Enable Disabled Add-in
  1. Select Disabled Items in the drop-down at the bottom of this window, next to the Go button.
  2. Click Go.
  3. Select the Add-in which you would like to re-enable.
  4. Click Enable in the lower-left corner of this window.
  5. Restart Outlook. Close Outlook, wait for 5 seconds, then start it again.

How do I fix Outlook detected an add-in problem? ›

If Outlook detects a problem with an add-in, you can uninstall and reinstall the add-in. If that doesn't solve the issue, contact the company that supplied the add-in. For most add-ins, you can find the company that supplied the add-in by selecting File > Add-ins.

How do I force Outlook to enable add-ins? ›

In Outlook, click File > Manage Add-ins. > Manage add-ins. Under Manage add-ins, in the Turned on column, select the check box for the add-in you want to enable.

Why do Outlook add-ins get disabled? ›

Outlook sometimes disables add-ins that it believes are slowing down Outlook during startup. (You may not actually have noticed any actual improvement in Outlook's startup speed after it disabled the Encyro Addin.)

How do I get more add-ins for Outlook? ›

Click the drop-down menu on any email message in Outlook.com, and then select Get Add-ins or select More apps in the app bar and select Add apps. On the Add-ins for Outlook page, select the add-in. For free add-ins, click Add. For paid add-ins and free trials, select Get it to finish your purchase.

How do I fix Outlook team add-in? ›

Close Outlook. Close Teams from the System Tray by right clicking on the Teams icon in the System Tray and select Quit. Restart New Teams. This will force New Teams to reinstall the Teams Meeting Add-in which should fix the issue.

How do I resolve an error in Outlook? ›

Choose Account Settings > Account Settings. On the Email tab, choose your account (profile), and then choose Repair.

How do I enable Office add-ins? ›

View or change add-in settings
  1. Select File > Get Add-ins.
  2. Select More Add-ins>Manage My Add-ins.
  3. Select Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Add-ins.
  4. Check or uncheck the boxes you want.

Does Outlook Safe Mode disable add-ins? ›

If Outlook won't open, try opening it in safe mode, which disables add-ins.

How do I ensure users installing Outlook add-ins is not allowed? ›

Solution
  1. Navigate to Exchange admin center https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com.
  2. Click to expand Roles select User roles.
  3. Select Default Role Assignment Policy.
  4. In the properties pane on the right click on Manage permissions.
  5. Under Other roles uncheck My Custom Apps, My Marketplace Apps and My ReadWriteMailboxApps.

How do I clear the Outlook cache? ›

How to Clear the Outlook Cache
  1. Exit Outlook and Skype for Business.
  2. From the Start menu, choose Run.
  3. In the Run window, type this path in the Open box "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook\"
  4. Click OK.
  5. Find the .ost file and rename or delete it (you may need to Show Hidden Files and Show Extensions to see the file)
Jun 21, 2024

How to find ProgId of the add-in? ›

To find a ProgId for an add-in from another vendor, you can look in the system registry. There are two locations to look: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins.

Why is the Insert tab missing in Outlook? ›

Apparently the insert tab is not part of the ribbon when you are replying to/forwarding an email directly in the outlook "preview display". You must make sure that your reply or forward "pops out" to it's own window to get all the tabs, including of course insert.

Why is Teams Add-in missing from Outlook? ›

If you still don't see the Teams Meeting add-in, make sure that it's enabled in Outlook. In Outlook, select File > Options. In the Outlook Options dialog box, select the Add-ins tab. Check whether Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office is in the Active Application Add-ins list.

How to activate inactive add-ins? ›

Activate an inactive add-in
  1. Click the File tab and then click Options.
  2. On the Excel Options window, click Add-Ins.
  3. From the Manage list, select Com Add-ins, and then click Go.
  4. Select the check box next to the add-in.
  5. Click OK.
Jan 13, 2023

Where is the Add Account button in Outlook? ›

Open Outlook and select File > Add Account.

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