This guide contains information on Outlook profiles, their purpose, and the process of removing and creating profiles. Creating a new profile is a common fix for sign-in issues in the Windows 10 version of Outlook.
What is a Profile?
Outlook uses e-mail profiles to store a user’s e-mail accounts and to keep track of where each account’s data is stored.
What kinds of data are stored in a profile?
Each profile provides Outlook with the following information:
- Account Information – User name, display name, e-mail server name, etc.
- E-mail Data – Locations of: Inbox/Sweep rules, message data, contacts, calendars, notes, tasks, journals.
Profiles are stored in the Windows registry, a database of settings and information kept by the operating system, and are loaded by Outlook when the application is opened.
A profile can only contain information on one Exchange e-mail account at a time. This means that users who need to access multiple UVM e-mail accounts will need to create additional profiles in order to add these accounts to Outlook.
Removing a Profile
I can't open Outlook
To remove a profile while Outlook cannot be opened, follow the directions below:
- Press the + R keys at the same time and let go. This will cause a window labelled “Run” to appear.
- Type
outlook.exe /manageprofiles. Click “OK”.
- Click “Show Profiles…“.
- Click on the name of the profile that you would like to remove, then click “Remove“.
- Click “Yes“.
- In the window from step 4, Click “Apply” and then “OK“.
- Open Outlook.
- You’ll then be prompted to create a new profile. Enter something like “UVM“ for the name and click “OK”
- You’ll then be prompted to sign in. Enter your UVM email address and click “Connect“.
I can open Outlook
To remove an Outlook profile from your computer, follow the directions below:
- Open Outlook.
- In the top-left corner of the window, click “File“.
- Click “Account Settings“.
- Select “Manage Profiles“.
- Click “Show Profiles…“.
- Click on the name of the profile that you would like to remove, then click “Remove“.
- Click “Yes“.
- In the window from step 6, click “Apply” and then “OK“.
- Quit Outlook and open it again.
- You’ll then be prompted to create a new profile. Enter a name for the profile and click “OK“.
- You’ll then be prompted to sign in. Enter your UVM email address to begin this process.
After removing a profile, you will most likely need to add your e-mail accounts again. Click here for instructions on adding an e-mail account to Outlook.