SOLVED Outlook/Mail problems after Windows 10 upgrade

[FFG]

A couple of problems here:
1. I can only access my emails via the Live tile in the start menu. I'm ok with that but there were some add-ons on my Outlook (2010) prior to upgrade that appear incompatible, so I'm getting error messages on startup, but although the Outlook icon is still in my taskbar, I can't open it, as it says another version is running (presumably the Live tile Mail). The compatibility tool doesn't appear to help.

2. I played a bit with the Mail settings and now whenever I click on New Mail, the whole thing crashes. Prior to this, I had added a background picture (can't remove it now) and when sending an email about 5 minutes earlier I had changed the language from English US to English UK.

Was previously on Windows 7 using Outlook 2010.
Upgraded to Windows 10 on 29th July 15, no Mail problems until today. (4 August)

 

[FFG]

Found the answer to 2 elsewhere - it appears my signature (which I had also just changed but forgot about that) was too long.

Given that I can't get into any version of Outlook, how can I put my signature back onto my emails - it had a photo, and my business address and phone no, along with LinkedIn and Twitter links, plus a regulatory statement. I can live without some of that, but why should I?

I'd either like to add a better signature, or be able to access Outlook again. Any ideas?

 

[Trouble]

Can you launch outlook in safe mode.
Windows logo key + R key and type
outlook.exe -safe
hit enter
choose your profile if you have more than one and see if it launches.
Perhaps then you can do something about that signature.

 

[FFG]

Thank you @Trouble I've been able to delete the signature and can now send emails, Phew.

I'd still like to know whether I can go back to using Outlook instead of Mail?

Do I have to (Can I) install the Mail app?

 

[Trouble]

I'd still like to know whether I can go back to using Outlook instead of Mail?

I use Outlook every day on my Windows 10 machine. It's part of the 2013 office suite, so IDK about outlook 2010 but my guess is.... it should work too.

Do I have to (Can I) install the Mail app?

Not to clear on that question.
I have the mail app configured and working as well, but actually never use it except when someone has a question about it.

 

[FFG]

No I can't open Outlook at all. It actually seems to be a file access/permissions issue, as since W10 upgrade, I find I can't save anything to Documents any more, and anything I open, is opened read-only. I'm getting round most of it for now by copying all my folders to OneDrive and accessing them from there, but it's not ideal, especially if the internet goes down. I'm in an administrator account, but to change a file name, for example, it wants Administrator confirmation, and with regard to Outlook, it refuses to open saying I don't have permission to access the Outlook.pst file (in the Documents folder for the account I'm in):

'Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. File access is denied. You do not have the permission required to access the file.
C:\Users\<profile name>\Documents\Outlook files\Outlook.pst'

 

[Trouble]

Browse to that outlook.pst file.
Right click it and choose properties
Select the Security tab at the topo
Examine the permissions for your specific account.
Add or edit as needed.

Probably what you need to do to get past the other issues as well.
Check the permissions on the root / parent container, which should be C:\Users\YourUserName
Edit or add as needed and check the box that says subfolders and files to cascade your edits down to all sub containers and files contained there in.

 

[FFG]

Thanks. I did work this out as well and that seemed to work, except the permissions seem to switch themselves back every time I restart the computer. My own permissions are correct all the time, but there's a new user called HomeUsers in the list which needs to be given full access every time I switch on.

 

[Trouble]

but there's a new user called HomeUsers in the list which needs to be given full access every time I switch on.

This may be unique to your particular version of Wndows.
I do not have a HomeUsers Group in my install of Windows 10 Pro.
Perhaps you either have the Home version or it may be a product of using HomeGroups as part of your networking schema.
I'm not sure.

If you do not have the
lusrmgr.msc snapin (home versions don't apparently)
Can you edit the permission for that particular file or folder and remove that HomeUsers Group?
If your account is by default a member of that group then removing it may result in your having to re-add it back if you are subsequently denied access again.
Might be worth trying just to see.

There are some advanced steps you might also explore.
You can try blocking / disable inheritance from the parent container and simply convert the existing permission over, when you do that. Again you may have to remove that group.
OR
You could try Taking Ownership of that particular file or folder or even the parent container and then cascade that down to subfolders and files.