Outlook signatures are a vital component of professional email communication. They convey your identity contact information and add a touch of personalization to your emails. However, there are times when Outlook signatures not working as expected, causing frustration and potential embarrassment. This guide will explore common issues with Outlook signatures and provide step-by-step solutions to get your signature smoothly.
A popular question usually asks, ‘Why is My Email Signature Not Showing in Outlook? Before moving ahead, you should know about the Outlook signatures. An Outlook signature, also known as an email signature, is a customized block of text, images, and hyperlinks is automatically appended to the end of your outgoing emails when you compose or reply to messages using Microsoft Outlook, a popular email client. Outlook signatures serve several necessary purposes and can be highly helpful for users in various ways.
Why Your Signatures in Microsoft Outlook Are Not Working?
Outlook signatures not working can occur due to various scenarios, and troubleshooting these issues can be essential to ensure that your email signature functions as intended. Here are some common cases where Outlook signature-related problems may arise:
- Review your signature in the signature editor and confirm it contains the correct text, images, and formatting.
- Ensure the images hosted at accessible URLs and hyperlinks are appropriately formatted.
- If images in your signature aren’t displaying, check the image source URLs, make sure they are accessible, and consider using absolute URLs instead of relative ones.
- Adjust the layout and formatting of your signature to ensure proper alignment and spacing.
- Test your signature on different mobile devices and email clients to ensure it appears correctly.
- Save your signature changes properly by clicking “OK” or “Apply” in the signature settings.
By identifying the specific scenario causing the problem, users can take appropriate steps to resolve Outlook signature-related issues effectively.
How to Fix Outlook Signature Not Working Error?
Outlook signatures are a great way to add a personal touch to your emails. However, sometimes, they can be a bit tricky to set up or may not work correctly. The following are the best ways to resolve the issue.
#1: Uninstall Office Apps (if needed):
Sometimes, Outlook may not work well with pre-installed Office apps. To fix this, you can uninstall them:
- Click the Windows Start button and choose Settings.
- Select Apps and then Apps and Features.
- Find Microsoft Office Desktop Apps and click Uninstall.
- Restart your computer.
- Afterwards, repair your Office installation to ensure everything works smoothly.
The above mentioned way will aid you in resolving the Outlook signature not working error.
#2: Repair Office 365:
If your Outlook signature is still not working correctly, you can try repairing Office:
- Open the Control Panel (you can search for it).
- Go to Programs and then Programs and Features.
- Find ‘MS Office 365 and click Change.
- Choose Quick Repair in the dialog box and then click Repair.
#3: Use Outlook Web App:
When you can’t add signatures in the desktop app, you can use the Outlook Web App:
- Go to the Outlook web server and sign in.
- Click Settings at the top-right.
- Choose View all Outlook settings and then Compose and Reply.
- Click + New Signatures and create your signature.
- Save your changes, and your signature will appear when you send emails.
From the above solution, you are now able to resolve the Outlook signature not working problem.
#4: Disable NTFS Compression:
Sometimes, Outlook signature problems occur due to NTFS compression:
Check if NTFS compression is turned off on the %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures directory.
If the signature button is grayed out, ensure your system administrator hasn’t disabled signatures in the policy Do not allow signatures for email messages.
#5: Modify HTML Signature to Plain Text (if needed):
The below mentioned troubleshooting way will get rid of the error Outlook signature not working. You just need to go through it. For older devices, you might need to change your signature to plain text:
- Open your Outlook account in a web browser.
- Click Settings and then View All Outlook Settings.
- Go to Mail and click Compose and Reply.
- Edit your signature and go to Message Format.
- Select Plain Text and save.
#6: Switch to HTML Format (if images aren’t showing):
If your image signature isn’t displaying, switch to HTML format:
- In Outlook, click File and then Options.
- Select Mail and change Rich Text or Plain Text to HTML below Compose Messages.
- Click OK, and your image should appear in your signature.
This method will get rid of your Outlook signature not working error. If not, opt for another one.
#7: How to Add an Animated GIF in Outlook
If you’re struggling with adding an animated GIF to your Outlook signature and it’s not working, it could be because Outlook has animations turned off by default. Here’s how to fix it:
- Open the Outlook application on your computer.
- Click on the gear icon for settings and type in your email signature.
- Create a new signature by giving it a name.
- Select the image icon and upload your GIF.
- You can resize and move the animation by dragging it to the corners.
- Click the OK button to save your new signature.
If you’re still facing issues with your email signature in Outlook not working, it could be related to Outlook not responding correctly.
#8: Removing Registry Files (Important: Backup First!)
Before you start making changes in the registry, it’s crucial to have a backup. In case you accidentally delete something important, you can restore it. Sometimes, when email signatures aren’t working in Outlook, you may need to remove specific registry files. The registry is like a database that holds necessary records.
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box.
- Type regedit and press OK.
- You might see a notification box. Click Yes to confirm.
- Once the Registry Editor is open, press Ctrl + F to find a specific key.
- Copy and paste 0006F03A-0000-0000-C000-000000000046 into the search box and click Find Next.
- Select the file and delete it.
- Repeat this process until you’ve removed all the registry keys from your system.
The solutions mentioned above should help you tackle the problem of your Outlook signature not working. We’ve covered various ways to address this issue, so be sure to give them a try. However, if none of these solutions seem to do the trick, it may indicate that your PST (Personal Storage Table) files are seriously damaged.
How to Repair Severely Damaged PST Files
In such cases, you can turn to PST File Recovery Software, which is renowned as one of the best tools for repairing Outlook PST files. This utility is designed to assist in recovering data from PST files that have been severely damaged.
Key Features:
- Recovery of severely damaged Outlook files.
- Ability to handle Password Protected and Encrypted PST files.
So, if you find yourself facing persistent issues with your Outlook signature and suspect that your PST files are the culprit, PST File Recovery Software can be your go-to solution for retrieving your valuable data. Moreover, this wizard also helps to fix Outlook error 0x800ccc0e without data loss.
Also Read: Fix Outlook Rules Not Working Issue
Ending Words
In summary, an Outlook signature is a customizable and practical feature that enhances the effectiveness of email communication. It establishes a professional identity, provides essential contact information, supports branding efforts, saves time, and contributes to efficient and trustworthy email exchanges. By following the above troubleshooting ways to resolve the Outlook signature not working error.