How to Downgrade Outlook version

3 min. readlast update: 01.24.2022

Microsoft Outlook releases updates for their application frequently and they are downloaded and installed automatically in your system. However, there are occasions when the new version can introduce unexpected errors or broken functionalities for Outlook or other Office applications. In such a case, you may want to revert to a previous version of Outlook until Microsoft releases a patched version which will have the issue you experienced - fixed.

How to disable automatic Outlook updates

The first thing that needs to be done is to temporarily disable Outlook updates, because if they are enabled, Outlook will automatically update itself back to the broken version after you revert to the previous one.

Step 1. Launch your Outlook application and click the File button top left.

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Step 2. Select the Office Account option located bottom left.

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Step 3. Click the Update options button and select the Disable Updates option from the dropdown menu.

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After you have disabled the automatic updates, make sure you set a reminder for yourself to check Outlook for updates manually after a few days. If the updated version does not have the same issues you experienced earlier, you can re-enable automatic updates.

How to revert to an older version of Office

Step 1. You will need to find out the current build number and the previous version of Office. Open Outlook and click File > Office Accounts.

Step 2. Click the About Outlook button.

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Step 3. Note the Outlook version number located top of the about window.

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Step 4. Visit the Update history for Microsoft apps page to find the previous version number. Write it down in a text file.

Step 5. Click the Windows Start button and type in CMD for Command Prompt option to appear. Right-click on it and Run as administrator.

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Step 6. In the command prompt input the following text:

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun\OfficeC2RClient.exe" /update user updatetoversion=16.0.12527.20278

In the end, replace the 16.0.12527.20278 with the version you want to revert, then copy the entire text, paste it into the command prompt and click ENTER button.

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If everything is entered correctly, you will see the Microsoft window initiating the revert process.

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Make sure to agree to everything the update process asks of you. That could be closing any Office apps you haven't closed or any other apps that are interfering with the revert process. After a short while, the revert process will be finished, launch the Outlook application to check if it is operating normally.

Tips:

  • Make sure to check for updates manually after few days to see if Microsoft fixed the issue with the latest version

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