Quickly Fix “Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook” Error

Summary: If an error “Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook” occurs, one of the reasons can be failed auto-mapping. Auto-mapping is responsible for automatically adding a mailbox to users who have access. If users have access permissions to the shared mailbox using methods that disable auto-mapping, the shared mailbox won’t appear. So, how will the user make sure that the shared mailbox appears automatically? Read the blog carefully to fix this Outlook error. In this blog, we will address and solve the issue using a manual approach and by using a professional Outlook PST Repair Tool. If the issue is related to the corrupt Outlook data file, we will use a professional tool to fix it. 

What Causes the “Can’t see Shared Mailbox in Outlook” Error?

Typically, this error occurs when there are misconfigurations in permission assignments or Outlook fails to process them. Here are some causes that may have led to this error: 

• If the access is configured using PowerShell with auto-mapping turned off, Outlook won’t display the shared mailbox.
• The mailbox access is granted, but it is still not visible in Outlook. This is due to the delay because of issues in background sync with Exchange or Office 365.
• Cached data or an outdated Outlook profile can also prevent the display of newly added mailboxes.
• Corruption in the local cache or Outlook’s OST file may prevent Outlook from showing the shared mailboxes.
• Using an older or outdated version of Outlook may fail to display shared mailboxes due to missing auto-mapping functionality. 

How to Fix the “Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook” Error?

Now that we have clarified what’s behind the error, we can move on to the steps to resolve it.

Restart MS Outlook 

Sometimes, after the permission is granted, Outlook may not reflect the changes. To fix this, the user needs to close and reopen Outlook to reload the application to sync with the server again. This will allow Outlook to reflect the updated mailbox access in the interface.

Verify and Reassign Permissions

Check whether the user holds Full Access permission to the shared mailbox. When permissions are assigned using a PowerShell command, it sometimes disables the auto-mapping. By doing this, Outlook will not show shared mailboxes, even if the user has access.

If the shared mailbox is not displaying in Outlook, do this to fix it:

• The user needs to reassign the permissions, ensuring auto-mapping is enabled. Use the following PowerShell command to fix this issue and then restart Outlook:

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity “SharedMailbox” -User “UserName” -AccessRights FullAccess -AutoMapping $true

Manually Add the Shared Mailbox

By adding the shared mailbox manually, users can eliminate the need for auto-mapping. This will allow access to the shared mailbox even if automation fails or is disabled. 

These are the steps to manually add the shared mailbox if auto-mapping is disabled:

1. Open MS Outlook.
2. Click on File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
3. Now, select the email account that has access to the shared mailbox. Then, click Change.
4. Navigate to More Settings > Advanced.
5. In the Open these additional mailboxes section, click Add and type the Email ID of the shared mailbox.
6. Lastly, click Next > Finish.

Update Outlook

Microsoft regularly releases updates to improve speed, security, and bug fixes. This also affects the shared mailbox visibility issues. 

To update Outlook, perform these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Navigate to File > Office Account.
3. In the Product Information section, click on Update Options.
4. Then, tap Update Now. 

Recreate Outlook Profile

This approach will remove any cached data or settings that might be responsible for shared mailboxes in the new Outlook not showing.

Follow these steps to create a new Outlook profile:

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Go to Control Panel > Mail > Mail Setup > Show Profiles.
3. Now, click on Add to create a new profile.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and set up the email account.
5. Select the Prompt for a profile to be used and set the new profile as the default.
6. Open Outlook with the new profile. 

Reliable Tool to Fix “Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook” 

The Outlook PST Repair Tool is a reliable solution to handle Outlook data file corruption efficiently. It provides bulk recovery and offers both quick and deep scanning options. It allows users to preview the recovered emails before saving them. With multiple saving options and strong security features, it’s an excellent choice for both personal and business use.

Quick step-by-step procedure to fix “Can’t see shared mailbox in Outlook”:

1. First, download and open the tool.
2. Click on Open and choose your corrupted Outlook Data File.
3. Select the type of Recovery Mode and click Ok.
4. Once the scan gets completed, click on Ok to proceed further.
5. Now, preview the data and make sure the repair was successful.
6. Tap Save to save the repaired file at your desired destination folder.
7. Then, click Ok to complete the process.

Conclusion

To wrap things up, the “Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook” error may result from various issues. These may include a corrupted Outlook data file, working on an older version of Outlook, restarting Outlook, etc. Executing the recommended fixes should effectively resolve the problem. If a corrupted Outlook data file is the root cause, use the Outlook PST Repair Tool to recover and restore the data. With these steps, ensure that your email communication remains uninterrupted.

Related Guide: Migrate Shared Mailbox to Office 365.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q- Why is my shared mailbox not showing in MS Outlook?

Ans- There can be multiple reasons that might be causing this issue. Some of them are: 

• Auto-mapping is disabled while using the PowerShell command.
• Background synchronization issues in Outlook.
• Corrupted Outlook PST/OST File.
• Damaged Outlook profile, etc.

Q- How to fix the Shared Mailbox not showing in Microsoft Outlook?

Ans- There are various solutions to fix this problem. It includes restarting Outlook, updating Outlook, manually adding the shared mailbox, recreating a new Outlook profile, repairing the corrupted Outlook data file, etc.

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