Exchange account set-up missing for Outlook 2016

Firstly, create a text file containing the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 

<Autodiscover xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/autodiscover/responseschema/2006"> 

  <Response xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/autodiscover/outlook/responseschema/2006a"> 

    <Account> 

      <AccountType>email</AccountType> 

      <Action>redirectUrl</Action> 

      <RedirectUrl>https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml</RedirectUrl> 

    </Account> 

  </Response> 

</Autodiscover>

Save the file somewhere on the PC that's running Outlook 2016 Preview. It's probably worth putting it somewhere you can remember and giving it a name that tells you what it is so you don't delete it later.

Next open regedit. Navigate to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover'

Create a new 'string value' called whatever your email domain name is i.e. 'businessname.com' - no quotes.

Double click the new value and enter the path to the file you just created. Again, no quotes.

Next create a 'DWORD value' called 'PreferLocalXML' - no quotes.

Double click the new value and give it a value of 1.

Now try Outlook 2016 Preview again.

I found decision:

1. I found Sample Exchange Autodiscover Local XML File at https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/office/Sample-Exchange-Autodiscove-263028b4
2. The line <RedirectUrl>https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml</RedirectUrl>

must be <RedirectUrl>https://your_own_cas_server_name/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml</RedirectUrl>

3. The file must be .xml not .txt. So I renamed 1.txt to 1.xml
4. Start Outlook 2016

Does not work for me. May be I did something wrong in registry?

Thanks Diane, but for the time being, the included apps are actually doing the job. For me at least, in its current state, Outlook 2016 is a big, useless brick in the otherwise great Office 365 package, because of this neglected functionality.

Best regards,

No-one is asking you to enter programming code, not yet anyway. If you're not comfortable with this kind of thing stick with Outlook 2013 (or use the apps others have suggested).

If you get a response like this it means that autodiscover is running on the server you queried. The response you get in your browser is useless because the autodiscover service is only useful for Outlook clients - but if you're *not* using Office 365 you can go ahead and try putting the server name in the hosts file like I suggested above. If it works, then great. If not, you probably need to go back to Outlook 2013 until your admin enables autodiscover (which is the proper way to get this working).

If you're on Office 365 there may be another way to trick Outlook 2016 Preview into working. You'll need to use regedit, so you'll need local admin access and usual caveats apply - If you're not sure, don't try.

Firstly, create a text file containing the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 

<Autodiscover xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/autodiscover/responseschema/2006"> 

  <Response xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/autodiscover/outlook/responseschema/2006a"> 

    <Account> 

      <AccountType>email</AccountType> 

      <Action>redirectUrl</Action> 

      <RedirectUrl>https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml</RedirectUrl> 

    </Account> 

  </Response> 

</Autodiscover>

Save the file somewhere on the PC that's running Outlook 2016 Preview. It's probably worth putting it somewhere you can remember and giving it a name that tells you what it is so you don't delete it later.

Next open regedit. Navigate to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover'

Create a new 'string value' called whatever your email domain name is i.e. 'businessname.com' - no quotes.

Double click the new value and enter the path to the file you just created. Again, no quotes.

Next create a 'DWORD value' called 'PreferLocalXML' - no quotes.

Double click the new value and give it a value of 1.

Now try Outlook 2016 Preview again.

It worked for me, I hope it works for you. I don't know why MS decided to remove the manual configuration from Outlook 2016. It seems misstep to me too.

As for me, I've lost hope that Outlook 2016 will properly support manual configuration of Exchange accounts without autodiscover in place. In the meantime, I've switched to the Windows 10 default email and calendar apps that are not half bad and -get this!- do properly support manual configuration of exchange accounts without a hitch.

I believe you are correct - Outlook 2016 will not support manual configuration.

FWIW, the default mail apps use Active Sync to connect to exchange, so while you are able to sync mail, calendar, and contacts, it doesn't support all Exchange features. You'll need to use Outlook or OWA to access some features.