Category Archives: MS Outlook

How Microsoft Set Users Up for Failure with Outlook and OneDrive

Getting a phone call from a client that Outlook was not working seemed like any other support call. I reviewed their setup, checked settings, and everything looked exactly as it had for years. Nothing had changed. After some digging, I decided to move their Outlook pst files out of the Synchronized OneDrive Documents folder into a local folder. They kept insisting I shouldn’t because it had always worked fine, for years now. But as soon as I did, Outlook started working again. That was the moment it became clear that the problem was not Outlook itself, but where Microsoft now chooses to store its data by default.

Historically, Microsoft Outlook stored PST files inside the AppData folder. Most users never saw that location, and that was probably a good thing. It was local, it was not synchronized to the cloud, and it stayed out of the way of background services.

In more recent years, Microsoft changed the default. New PST files were placed in “Documents\Outlook Files”. On the surface, this looked like a usability improvement. The files were easier to find and easier to back up. It felt cleaner and more transparent.

At roughly the same time, Microsoft began aggressively promoting OneDrive integration in Windows. In Windows 11, signing in with a Microsoft account strongly encourages enabling OneDrive folder synchronization. Documents, Desktop, and Pictures are commonly redirected into OneDrive. Many updates once again try to force upon users data synchronization to the cloud via OneDrive as I’ve had a number of clients suddenly have their data synchronized to the cloud after an update even though previously this was not the case!

That is where the design conflict appears.
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Mastering Loops in VBA for Office Developers

Loops form the backbone of iterative programming in VBA for Microsoft Access, allowing developers to process recordsets, validate form inputs, or manipulate arrays efficiently without writing repetitive code. VBA provides four primary loop structures, Do loops (with While/Until variations), For Next, and For Each, each designed for specific scenarios such as conditional repetition or fixed-range traversal. Selecting the right loop depends on factors like whether the iteration count is known upfront, the need for early exits, or the data structure involved, such as DAO recordsets common in Access databases.
 
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How to Terminate a Windows Process Using VBA (Shell, WMI, and API Methods)

Following my previous post on working with Windows processes, specifically:

Using VBA to List Active Processes
Because of some recent work I’ve been doing trying to embed applications within an Access form (so far I’ve managed to embed Brave, Edge, PowerShell ISE, Excel, Word, …) I’ve been working with listing the active computer processes. So I thought I’d share a few procedures I’ve developed to aid me with that task. I tried a couple different approaches to get the process listing. Initially, I was using the cmd: tasklist /fo csv /nh and although it did work, it was slow and created unnecessary lag in my process (no pun intended). Eventually I turned to my tried, tested…

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this article explores different techniques for terminating a Windows process using VBA.
 
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Outlook Won’t Open? Outlook.exe Running but No Window; Here’s the Fix

Earlier this week, my neighbor called and asked if I could take a look at a strange Outlook problem she’d started experiencing.

When I sat down at her PC, she showed me exactly what was happening: she’d click Outlook, the loading animation would briefly appear, and then… nothing. Outlook never opened.

Outlook Won’t Launch, but Outlook.exe Is Running

I immediately recognized the issue from past experience with both Outlook and Microsoft Access. A quick look in Windows Task Manager confirmed it Outlook.exe was running in the background, but no GUI was displayed indicating it did not close properly when she last exited/closed down the program.

I forcibly terminated the process, relaunched Outlook, and she was back in business.

Or so it seemed.
 
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Get a Directory Listing Using VBA

Mastering Directory Listings in VBA: Exploring Folders and Subfolders with the Dir Function and FSO

Automating directory listings in VBA is a common requirement for Excel, Access, and other Microsoft Office solutions. Whether you need to list folders, enumerate subdirectories, or recursively scan an entire directory tree, VBA provides multiple ways to interact with the Windows file system each with distinct strengths and limitations.

In this article, you’ll learn how to generate directory listings in VBA using several proven techniques, including the built-in Dir function, the FileSystemObject (FSO) model, Shell.Application, WMI, and even PowerShell integration. We’ll explore when each approach is appropriate, how to handle recursive folder traversal safely, and why certain methods, especially Dir!, fail in nested scenarios.

If you’ve ever searched for “VBA list folders and subfolders”, “VBA recursive directory listing”, or “Dir vs FileSystemObject in VBA”, this guide walks through real-world, production-ready examples you can drop directly into your projects. By the end, you’ll know exactly which technique to use for simple folder scans, deep recursive listings, or advanced system-level automation.

Methods covered in this guide include:

  • Dir function (non-recursive directory listings)
  • FileSystemObject (FSO) for recursive folder traversal
  • Shell.Application for Windows-based folder enumeration
  • WMI for system-level and remote directory queries
  • PowerShell integration from VBA

 
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Simple & Reliable Methods to Check Internet Connectivity in VBA Using Ping

While working on a client project, I needed a way to check their Internet connection before running any further operations. My goal was to provide a helpful message if no connection was detected, avoiding unnecessary errors during execution.

The first approach that came to mind was the reliable PING command. This long-standing DOS utility checks if a host is reachable, making it perfect for detecting connectivity issues. With Ping, you can:

  • Verify whether a device (server, PC, printer, etc.) is accessible
  • Test if a website or URL can be reached
  • See if there is an active Internet connection

 
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Microsoft Office Icons Get a Modern Refresh

Microsoft Office has just rolled out a fresh new look, with its suite of apps receiving a long-awaited facelift. As of yesterday, the familiar icons for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more have been refreshed, giving the productivity tools a modern, streamlined design.
 
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How to Automatically Add a BCC in Outlook for Specific Recipients or Domains

Ever wish you could automatically add a blind carbon copy (BCC, or CC, or even TO) to your outgoing emails without having to remember each time? If you often send important messages to certain clients, colleagues, or domains, setting up an automatic BCC rule in Outlook using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) can save you time and ensure consistency.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to configure Outlook to automatically add a BCC address when sending emails to:

  • A specific recipient
  • Any recipient from a specific domain

Why Automate BCC in Outlook?

Some common use cases for automatically adding a BCC include:

  • Archiving all communication to a designated mailbox
  • Ensuring a supervisor or team inbox is always copied when emailing certain clients
  • Tracking outbound communication to specific domains (like partners or contractors)
  • Enforcing compliance processes within an organization

Instead of manually remembering to add the BCC, you can let Outlook do it for you!
 
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Microsoft Answers Is Being Retired

Did you see the new heading banner that appears when you go and access the (Microsoft) Access (Database) forum on Microsoft Answers?

Microsoft 365 and Office forum Moving to Microsoft Q&A

We are excited to announce that soon, the Microsoft 365 and Office forum will be available exclusively Microsoft Q&A. This change will help us provide a more streamlined and efficient experience for all your questions and discussions.

Starting July 16, you will no longer be able to create new questions here in the Microsoft Support Community. However, you can continue to participate in ongoing discussions and create new questions on Microsoft Q&A. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

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