Why does Outlook launch IE in the background?

Hi All,

Thanks for reporting this and currently our related team is investigating this similar issue with another customer. If any information from your side is needed, I will let you know and I will update any progress here once I get it. 

On another hand, if you have more concern on this, you may try the following methods as a workaround:

1. Roll back the older version for your Outlook.
2. Have an admin permission on your machine. 

Regards,

Alan

Hi Alan,

These "workarounds" are not realistic.  

1.  Our workstations are configured to install updates on a regular schedule.  Removing the update will alleviate the problem for a short time until the update gets reinstalled.  This is like sweeping the problem under the rug to hide it rather than to fix it.
2.  We will not give our users admin permissions on their systems, and that advice violates Microsoft's security recommendations.

Evan

Alan, how do I downgrade Outlook on a click to run format? When I install it, there is only the option to install updates automatically (or not). There is no upgrade/downgrade with click to run as far as I am aware. If this is possible, please let me know the steps for this as I would prefer to downgrade until it is officially fixed. Thank you.

Hi Stephen, 

You may refer to the following steps:

1.In Outlook, on the File tab, and then click Office Account. 

2.Click Update Options, and then click Disable Updates. 

3.Open a command prompt. To do this, use one of the following procedures, as appropriate for your version of Windows. 

•Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8: Press Windows Key + R to open a Run dialog box. Type cmd.exe and then press OK. 

•Windows 7: Click Start, type cmd.exe in the search box, and then press Enter. 

4.Enter the following command, and then press Enter. 

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft shared\ClickToRun\officec2rclient.exe" /update user updatetoversion=16.0.7870.2038 

5.After the update is downloaded, if any Office applications are open, you are prompted that they need to close. Save your work and click Continue to close the applications. 

6.When the update is finished applying, start Outlook again. 

@ Evan, thanks for your feedback. Then, please be patient to wait for the update on this issue we are investigating. 

Regards,

Alan

Alan, it has been over a month since this issue was reported. Furthermore, I see there is an updated version, 1705, for 2016. Yet, the problem persists. Is there any ETA as to when this will be resolved? Thank you.

Alan,

I must agree with later posts that this is not helpful information.

That Outlook 2016 did not start Internet Explorer processes in the past and now it does screams that this is either some bad coding OR that it is intentional. If intentional, respectfully, that is a stupid thing to do.

A system where IE has been uninstalled does not have this issue for obvious reasons and there is no other browser that is being opened in lieu of IE.

If you are capable of finding the real answer, even if the answer is an admission of a bug that is being worked on, then the community can at least hope to wait for that. Otherwise, please let us know the 'you don't know' and we can all start looking elsewhere for help.

Dom