Outlook has disappeared from my PC

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646 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#290510 16-Nov-2021 12:40

Strange problem - I have a shortcut to Outlook and when I click on it I get an error message saying OUTLOOK.COM shortcut refers to has been changed or moved.

I can't find the outlook.com anywhere on my C drive anymore nor any .PST files.

Was running fine yesterday.

This is Outlook as part of Office 2019 . Actually now I dig deeper, MS Word has disappeared too (winword.exe shortcut refers etc....)

Excel still works

Wakrak

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#2813834 16-Nov-2021 12:44

Do they appear on 'program & features'? a.k.a go to uninstall software list.

Edit - ignore - just remembered that they'll be part of office 2019 like you said.

Kookoo

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#2813837 16-Nov-2021 12:47

Congratulations! Time to install LibreOffice!

Hello, Ground!

Dynamic

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#2813844 16-Nov-2021 13:00

That is odd. Faulty update? Antivirus getting a bit trigger-happy?

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1101

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#2813847 16-Nov-2021 13:21

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I get an error message saying OUTLOOK.COM shortcut refers to has been changed or moved.

outlook.exe (not .com)
Run that from start , run .

Otherwise
Control panel, programs & features, Office2019, change , repair ( 2 options)

If its windows10, the preloaded MS Office App can really screw things up .
Go into settings, apps & uninstall the 2 OFFICE apps (not the 2019 Office)

Your PST should still be there, assuming you originally had one (depending on email setup , may be an OST )
PST may be in a 'hidden' folder (but is usually in MyDocuments\outlook)

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646 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#2813859 16-Nov-2021 13:34

1101:

logo:

I get an error message saying OUTLOOK.COM shortcut refers to has been changed or moved.

outlook.exe (not .com)
Run that from start , run .

Otherwise
Control panel, programs & features, Office2019, change , repair ( 2 options)

If its windows10, the preloaded MS Office App can really screw things up .
Go into settings, apps & uninstall the 2 OFFICE apps (not the 2019 Office)

Your PST should still be there, assuming you originally had one (depending on email setup , may be an OST )
PST may be in a 'hidden' folder (but is usually in MyDocuments\outlook)

Thanks for that.

I've modified/repaired my Office2019 and all the programs are back - thank god Outlook has come back with all my emails and folders. (cue lesson about backups.....)

However I've lost the activation status which is annoying. A search through my emails shows an email from MS confirming my order and that my activation key is in my MS account under order history but it's not there. (it's been 3 years but even still - there may be an issue as my old MS account with this email address was given to my son but I've checked his order history too). PITA. Have logged a support case with them so hopefully they can retrieve my key.

Still don't know why Office decided to uninstall itself - I guess Excel didn't uninstall as I had it open at the time. Time to update my antivirus software.

shk292

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#2813871 16-Nov-2021 13:49

Kookoo:

Congratulations! Time to install LibreOffice!

What's the email client in LibreOffice?

1101

3122 posts

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#2813874 16-Nov-2021 13:54

shk292:

Kookoo:

Congratulations! Time to install LibreOffice!

What's the email client in LibreOffice?

gmail (sarcasm)

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1101

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#2813880 16-Nov-2021 14:01

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However I've lost the activation status which is annoying.

click on install office

or "services & subscriptions " in your MS a/c
You MUST use the MS login & pass that was used to originally install it .
You should be able to get the activation key from there .

MS have made this harder than it ever needed to be . Its as if they would rather you use 365 instead (sarcasm) .

Kookoo

787 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#2813899 16-Nov-2021 14:47

shk292:

Kookoo:

Congratulations! Time to install LibreOffice!

What's the email client in LibreOffice?

What's an email client? Owa all the way.

Hello, Ground!

allan

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#2813907 16-Nov-2021 15:17

Kookoo:

What's an email client? Owa all the way.

Especially if it's installed as a PWA 😀

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646 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#2813921 16-Nov-2021 15:47

1101:

logo:

However I've lost the activation status which is annoying.

sign in here
https://www.office.com/

click on install office

or "services & subscriptions " in your MS a/c
You MUST use the MS login & pass that was used to originally install it .
You should be able to get the activation key from there .

MS have made this harder than it ever needed to be . Its as if they would rather you use 365 instead (sarcasm) .

Agree - it's 365 everywhere and not a mention of Office2019 to be seen.

Heard back from MS support and they were very helpful. I had bought Office2019 through my works Home User Program and turns out HUP products activated prior to 30 Nov 2018 are not in your Order History so they directed me to a Microsoft website where I entered my work email address and they emailed me my activation key.

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646 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#2813922 16-Nov-2021 15:51

Dynamic:

That is odd. Faulty update? Antivirus getting a bit trigger-happy?

I did try and install a VPN this morning but it failed so I ran a program from Microsoft which cleaned up my installs/uninstalls so I'm thinking that may have done something.

My install of Windows is pretty old and I've changed hardware many times so my registry or whatever is probably a mess - cue the old story about grandpa owning an axe for 50 years and he's only changed the handle 10 times and the head 5 times - that's me with my original install of windows, I've only progressively changed hard drive, motherboard, graphics card, ram, multiple times but Windows has always continued to work.