Why My Outlook Rules Not Working Properly? – 7 Expert Tips

Summary: Outlook rules are a powerful way to simplify email management while improving workflow efficiency. The Outlook rules not working properly can create confusion and disrupt inbox management. Your emails might end up in the wrong place or an unexpected folder. But why does this happen? Several different factors can cause this behaviour. In this blog, we will look at some common reasons for Outlook rules failing and the methods to fix them. We will also look at how we can fix the issue quickly and accurately using the PST Recovery Tool. Before going through the solutions, let’s first understand the root cause of this error. 

Outlook rules act as a set of instructions that automatically manage your email by performing conditions you define. Some rules require the application to be open, and some work in the background when Outlook is closed. 

Why are MS Outlook Rules Not Working?

Sometimes, Outlook rules stop working automatically. This can happen for several different reasons. Some of the potential causes include:

• Your rules are currently disabled in MS Outlook.
• Some of the conflicts overlap or contradict with each other.
• Damaged or unreadable rules can prevent normal operations.
• Total number of rules exceeding Outlook’s storage or number limits.
• Misconfigured rules or improper setups stop the rules from working properly.
• Your Outlook is running on an outdated or older version. 
• The Outlook Data File could be corrupted, causing problems with rules.

How to Solve Outlook Rules Not Working Properly?

If your Outlook rules have stopped working, the solutions below will restore the functionality. 

Enable the Outlook Rules

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Navigate to File > Manage Rules and Alerts.
3. Once the Rules and Alert dialog box opens up, check all the concerned rules checkboxes to enable them.
4. Click on Apply > Ok. 

Verify if Rules Refer to a Deleted Folder

If your Outlook rules are enabled but still fail to execute, then the rules might be referring to a folder that has been deleted. You can fix this issue by checking the rules and their associated folders. 

Follow the steps below:

1. In Outlook, go to File > Manage Rules and Alerts.
2. Now, locate and double-click the Outlook rule not working. Then, click Next.
3. Go to Select Actions, check the rules description, and identify the issue.
4. If that folder is deleted, you can create it or edit the rule by clicking on the destination folder or by referring the rules to another desired folder.
5. Lastly, click Ok.

Update MS Outlook

Outlook updates often include fixes and improve performance. If you’re running an older version of Outlook, your rules might not work properly. To resolve this issue, check for Outlook updates and install them.

These are the steps to update Outlook:

1. Open the Outlook application on your PC.
2. Click on File > Office Account.
3. In the Product Information section, choose Update Options and click on Update Now. 

Disable Add-ins if Rules Not Working in Outlook

Faulty or incompatible add-ins can stop your Outlook rules from working properly. To troubleshoot this issue, close Outlook and follow the steps to disable the problematic add-ins:

1. Press Win+R to open the Run prompt.
2. Now, type: outlook.exe /safe and hit Ok.
3. Then, go to File > Options > Add-ins.
4. Tap on the Go button and uncheck all the add-ins.
5. Click Ok to disable the add-ins.
6. Now, restart Outlook. 

Free Up Space Used By Rules

Every rule created in Outlook takes up space in your mailbox. On the desktop app, the combined size of all rules is just 256 KB. If this limit is reached, some rules might not work properly. 

To reduce the space used by rules, consider the following:

• Delete the outdated or unused rules.
• Simplify or rename the complex rule names.
• Merge similar rules to reduce redundancy.

Delete and Recreate the Rules

Outlook rules may fail to function properly if they become corrupted. The recommended solution is to delete and then recreate the rules by following these instructions:

1. First, close the Outlook application.
2. Press the Start menu and type: outlook.exe /cleanrules.
3. Now, hit Enter, and you may also choose Run as Administrator.
4. This will delete all the Outlook rules.
5. Once done, restart Outlook and go to the Rules Wizard to recreate rules.

If the above method does not work, try this method.

1. Open the Run dialog by pressing Win+R.
2. Type: outlook.exe /cleanrules.
3. Press Enter. 

Try Changing Outlook Offline Settings 

Sometimes, the current offline settings may be stopping the messages from syncing properly. 

Follow these steps to fix this easily:

1. Open Outlook > File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. Under the Email tab, select your account and then hit Change.
3. In the Offline Settings section, find the Mail to keep offline slider and drag it to the right. 
4. Now, click Next > Ok. 
5. Restart Outlook.

Rename or Reset Send/Receive Settings (SRS) 

A corrupted or broken Send/Receive Settings (SRS) may cause issues in Outlook’s mail sync. Fix it by resetting it:

1. Navigate to this folder: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
2. Locate this file: Outlook.srs and rename it to Outlook.srs.old.
3. Now, restart Outlook to create a new SRS file automatically. 

Repair and Recover Outlook PST File 

If my rules not working in Outlook, it may be because of a damaged or corrupt PST File. To fix this, use Outlook’s built-in tool, Scanpst.exe, to repair the file.

Follow the steps given below to properly repair your PST File and resolve the error:

1. Open the Scanpst.exe tool on your PC.
2. Click on Browse to select the damaged PST File.
3. Now, choose the file and click on Open.
4. Press Start to begin scanning for errors.
5. Once the scan is complete, check the Make backup of scanned file before repairing. This will create a backup of the original file.
6. Now, hit Repair to fix the issues found.
7. When the repair is finished, click Ok on the pop-up to finish. 

The Easiest Way to Fix Outlook Rules Not Working Properly

Microsoft Outlook’s built-in Scanpst.exe repair tool does fix Outlook issues, but it is slow and inefficient sometimes. To overcome these drawbacks, and if you want a faster and more reliable solution, use PST Recovery Tool. This advanced utility is easy to use and recovers multiple corrupted PST files in one go. It handles files of any size and also enables users to export data into multiple formats. 

Simple steps to repair or recover the damaged PST File if MS Outlook rules not working:

1. Download and run the tool.
2. Go to Open and select the corrupted PST File.
3. Select Recovery Mode as Standard, Advanced, or Deep. Then, press Ok.
4. Once the scan is finished, tap Ok to continue.
5. Now, select the recovered data and preview its contents. 
6. Choose the preferred File Format, apply additional settings, and select the path to save to file.
7. At last, click on Ok to start the recovery process.

Conclusion

Microsoft Outlook rules enhance email management by automatically sorting, flagging, or moving emails based on the set criteria. However, these rules stop working occasionally. Use the solutions explained in this blog to resolve or fix the error that Outlook rules not working. If you want a quick, accurate, and error-free solution, try PST Recovery Tool if the PST File gets corrupted. Choose the desired method as per your needs.

Related Post: Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook.

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