Why is outlook suddenly opening a pop out window when i click on New Email???

I don't have a touch screen. However, I get a new mail from Outlook Mail and it somehow brings a pop-out window for that mail. It's been happening for a while and it's super duper annoying...

I had this same problem using outlook webmail through a work account. I use a Mac. In order to access the work system I have to use it in Safari or I can't penetrate the security "wall". This means I have no options and very little control over anything to do with Outlook, MS Teams, etc. (which are also clearly not designed to be properly compatible with Apple products).

For me, the issue started a couple of days ago. I would open an email and it would immediately pop open a window as if I wanted to print. As others here have experienced, due to this I couldn't access attachments. At first, I was able to double click or click on it and it would go away and I could access the email in its "natural" form with attachments if there were any.

Then, today I couldn't escape it. It would pop open and I literally had to refresh the browser, but it would still pop up the "printable" email.

So I tried the suggestions at the beginning of this email discussion thread and also found them inapplicable in the sense that the interface on my outlook didn't mirror or permit following the suggested steps to fix it.

I clicked on the settings wheel in the upper right hand corner and went to "Layout." I tried the suggestion of moving the reading pane to the bottom, or hiding it. Then reverting it to the right side. This didn't work.

I then tried working on the pop ups through the Safari browser, but that didn't help.

So I went back to the "Layout" interface in Outlook and I unchecked and rechecked each of the options below the reading pane option, and somehow this ended up working.

I know this worked because I wasn't actually sure which check/uncheck worked, so I tried to go back and recreate the problem of the big pop up appearing, so I could share the fix here.

However, when I tried to recreate the problem, I couldn't! Therefore, I recommend trying this - tick and untick all the options under Reading Pane, including turning off animations, whatever that means!

And yes, agreed with others, clearly this is a bug that MS is not fixing for whatever reason.

writing to keep this thread alive.

I have a Surface. only use touchscreen. this popout window thing only happens on the Surface. this week, touches/clicks within the popout window don't respond. the new window is like reading a magazine. what the heck? none of this happens with my other laptops or desktops.

and, I don't want half of my small screen taken up with a preview. I want to see all of my emails/message headers, and then open within the app when I choose an email to read.

it worked like this for years. now this change? :(

I know. It drives me crazy. I think it is just some IT person, trying to keep their job.

..."If it's not broke, don't fix it!".

Unfortunately that box is NOT checked. So once again, this is not the issue.

None of the instructions given to this poor guy applies to his situation or mine. What is happening with the Outlook Mail client software: My Outlook 2021 version is opening random pop up new message dialog boxes when deleting inbox messages. Has nothing to do with web mail. I use Outlook 2021 mail client to pop and save proprietary emails on my drive rather than the cloud. What a nightmare trying to find support for the software products when all Microsoft wants to do, is push everything to the web and collect more money for usage. 😢 Don't get me wrong, I like having the ability to access my mail via the web when not at home. But rather than deleting important messages, I wait until I get home and use my mail client to POP/retrieve important messages and I continually empty the web's junk mail online.