Folder pane width change

[Diane Poremsky]

Yes, right justified.

My names are long because they are in the favorites and include the account name - that was just an example of the smallest the bar can go.

From my folder list -

 

[rseiler]

OK.

BTW, just to add to the mystery, I keep an Office install in a VM just for experimentation purposes, and despite it being on the latest Insider (Fast) build all along, I've noted that it doesn't experience this issue. As I think might have been alluded to some months back, perhaps that's because that particular install somehow still has the search box in the old location, lower down directly above the message pane, not at the top where it's suspected to be involved with the pane problem.

Of course, if I knew how to get the search box back to its old location in my non-VM install, I'd do it, but I know of no way (it's not the Experimentation keys).

Out of curiosity, I reverted the VM to my base W10 image (no Office), reinstalled Office completely fresh (latest Insider again)...and it still gets the old search location (along with no pane problem), as if by magic, proving that it's not some kind of fluke holdover.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

that's because that particular install somehow still has the search box in the old location, lower down directly above the message pane, not at the top where it's suspected to be involved with the pane problem.

I believe you are correct - that should be an older build or a retail license though.

 

[rseiler]

I believe you are correct - that should be an older build or a retail license though.

It's not an older build and is the same corp license I use for all my installations. There's something about installing on a VM for some reason, not that that helps any.

As a further test, I switched over to a new Windows profile on my regular PC so that I have a fresh Office HKCU and nothing in the Users directory to influence anything, and then ran and configured Outlook (same version) from there. In that case, it showed the usual problem. I can't imagine what the material difference is between doing that and the VM, but it's something.

 

[mkanet]

Hi,
What is the latest version of Outlook365 that doesn't have this problem? I tried the most recent "current" channel build.. and, the issue was still there. Hence, I downgraded to version16.0.14228.20250. With this version, the issue is intermittent.

In a worst case, what is the latest version of Outlook that allows the registry trick mention in this thread? Also, does any one have any information about getting this issue resolved in an Insider build?

Thanks in advance!

 

[rseiler]

16.0.14315.20008, as far as I ever saw. That version and the earlier one you mentioned both require the Registry trick, otherwise it will be intermittent, as you found. It's with later versions where that trick became useless.

No, I've never heard of a solution. I have to wonder if this was all part of laying the groundwork for Outlook's upcoming (already here for some) vertical navigation bar. Even though this issue popped up well before it existed publicly.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

I don't think an insider build will help. Are you looking to get rid of the new search or the folder count change?

I think you would need to roll back before 16.0.12112.20000 to fix the folder count - not sure on the search field. I'd probably try the slow channel first. It gets updates 2x a year and is several builds behind. But even that is at 13801.21214


Add this key path to the registry -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate
String: updatebranch
Value: Broad


I have a ready-to-use reg file here -

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[rseiler]

Folder count? New search? It's a long thread, but I think this was strictly about the width issue. And unfortunately to fix that, as far as I know, you do have to go back to a build from last summer.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Yeah, the thread ended up all of the place - and to get the folder list back, you need to go far back.

 

[rseiler]

I got a chuckle out of the below information from the newsletter, since it suggests that Microsoft was clearly devoting thought to a topic pretty closely related to this thread but still whiffed on a more comprehensive remedy despite it staring them in the face. Of course. So, at least for now, the folder list will continue to have a lot of breathing room.

"One of the reasons I gave Microsoft for disliking the vertical navigation bar was the fact that it wasted approx. 40 pixels that I would rather have in the reading pane.

So they changed the minimum width of the folder list, making it 40 pixels smaller. You can now go as low as 160 pixels wide - if you want it smaller, you'll need to collapse it.

They have not yet addressed the minimum width of the message list, which is 300 pixels, 130 pixels of which as used for the date and Quick Actions buttons. Because the Quick Actions area needs so much space, I'm not sure we'll get the ability to shrink the message list.

This change is available now, in build 2210."

 

[mkanet]

@Diane Poremsky (or anyone still following this thread). I'm still stuck using Outlook (Microsoft 365) 16.0.14228.20216.. which is one of the last versions to support the registry hack mentioned in this forum thread to control the minimum width to a reasonable size.

I'm curious if this issue has finally been resolved in any of the recent builds (or Insider Previews). Also, I heard there's a new version of Outlook in the works... maybe that version doesn't have this issue?

Anyway, just wondering which version I should upgrade to.