In this guide we will discuss about : “How To Disable ‘Outlook closed while you had items open’ prompt” Although there has been no open items during the last shutdown. This bug is generally caused by a problem in how Outlook handles sessions, and Microsoft still does not have a fix.

Currently, there are several possible solutions which can be used to turn off this disturbing message.

Outlook Closed While While You Had Items Open – Tips to Turn Them Off

FIX 1: Registry Editor

The best and quick solution to pause or eliminate this prompt is by modifying the Windows Registry. The windows Registry mostly contains essential configurations of the windows operating system program and related items such as an outlook email program.

Here’s how to modify it:Here’s how to modify it:

• Open the Run Dialog: Firstly, you need to open up the ‘run’ command, this you do by pressing the Windows button on your keyboard followed by the ‘R’ key.
• Open Registry Editor: You need to open the command prompt and then type ‘regedit’ without the quotes and hit the ‘Enter’ button.

Navigate to the Outlook Preferences Folder:

• Paste this path in the Registry Editor’s address bar

KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16. 0\Outlook\Preferences

Create a New DWORD Value:Create a New DWORD Value:

• Go to preferences folder right click.
• Choose Select from the New submenu and Define New item in the submenu that opens up by clicking the New option in the Value data field.
• What should the new DWORD “ReopenWindowsOption.

Set Value to 1:

• Right click on the new DWORD which was created and click on it.
• Next to it, set up the Value data to 1.

Close Registry Editor and Restart Outlook:

This one is self-explanatory, you should look whether the “Outlook closed while you had items open” notification disappeared.

Important: Messing with the windows registry is always a dangerous task if it is performed inappropriately. As you go through the steps, be very keen or else back up your registry first.

FIX 2: Downgrading Outlook

If the registry fix does not work then you can also go for the option of reinstalling to a lower version of Outlook that does not contain this bug. Follow these steps:

Uninstall Current Outlook Version:

• Right click on Computer then click on Properties,
• Go to Control Panel and select Programs and Features, and look for Microsoft Outlook.
• Right-click and select Uninstall.

Download the Previous Version:

Go to Microsoft Office website or consult with the IT department of your organization to download version 2305 because this version was steady and had not such problem.

Install the Older Version:

Keep to the other instructions followed during the installation ofthe former version.

Disable Automatic Updates:

After installation is complete, turn off auto update by going to File > Office Account > Update Options > Disable Updates so as not to download the wrong version again.

Fix 3: How to Run Two Instances of Outlook

If the above two solutions do not solve your problem, then you can try the following unconventional solution which involves using two outlooks.

Open Outlook:

You can start Outlook as you often do it. If “Outlook closed while you had items open” bar appears click YES.

Open a Second Instance:

Go to the start menu, search for outlook then right-click on the outlook application and select outlook. This will launch a second version of the application to run in separate window.

Close the First Instance:

At this point, you have to close the first instance of Outlook where you see the above prompt, and keep only the second window open.

Exit the Second Instance:

Last but not the second, close the second Outlook window. Once you are restarting the app, then the prompt should not appear again.

In this step, you get to know about Registry Editor and the risks related to it:

The Windows Registry is a file containing settings for programs which are installed on the Windows operating system. As useful as it is, it opens the opportunity for incorrect change which results in system instability. Before performing any changes it is advisable to make a backup of registry or create a restore point.

How to Recover Outlook after an Inappropriate Downgrade

However, if you experience problems after the downgrade, it is always possible to re-install the outstanding Outlook version using Office installer. For information, kindly check the Microsoft website or get in touch with the company’s customer service.

Discovered Strategies to Help You to Avoid Future Outlook Problems

To prevent future issues with Outlook:

• Make a point of updating both Outlook as well as the Windows.
• Clear Outlook cache periodically.
• Force closing Outlook is discouraged as it may result to session problems.
• Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used tools in today’s world but people should know that there is something out there.

If Outlook’s problems become too frustrating, consider these alternatives:

• Thunderbird: A free email client which can be adapted and personalised for use by the users.
• Mailbird: An elegant, simple and efficient application to efficiently and conveniently work with multiple e-mail.
• eM Client: It is well known for usability and for integrating with the users’ calendar.

Outlook Support and Community Forums

If you encounter these issues and have tried the above solutions they can fix the problem by reinstalling.ach out to Microsoft support or explore community forums where fellow users and experts share solutions.

Read More : “Fix Outlook cannot generate App Password for Yahoo IMAP“

Conclusion

You have probably at some point been annoyed when the Outlook closes down while you have certain items opened; it is an issue with many solutions. One of these solutions must fit you; it depends on what you decided to do – edit the registry, downgrade Outlook or use two instances. Wait and if Microsoft is involved it is likely that they will release a solutions to this at some point.

FAQs

Yes it is safe to edit the Registry?

Yes, you can do it if you want, but always remember to create a backup of the windows registry before you proceed with this technique.

Sometimes it’s important to change the Outlook version and this question is one of the most common asked: Will the change influence my emails or the accumulated data?

No, they won’t be affected on this front as Outlook downgrading will not erase your stored emails to cloud it but it is always safer to backup your data.

Is it possible that this problem will be of concerning on older outlook versions?

As for the third option it is less probable but not excluded. It is more so the case with the latest updates of the software.

If none of these fixes’were to work what should I do?

Consider contacting Microsoft support service or read the relevant information in the forums to get more help.

Is it possible that Microsoft is going to make a formal patch for this issue?

The only thing lacking at the moment is the actual timeline which hopefully should be on Microsoft’s to-do list.