Profile for Outlook Classic 2016

Question

Profile for Outlook Classic 2016

Bill S 45

I have Outlook Classic 2016 installed on my Windows 11 desktop pc. I think multiple e-mail accounts are allowed per each profile but are multiple profiles allowed per each e-mail account? I have a situation where the e-mail server from my internet service provider is problematic, necessitating changes to the e-mail server configuration (domain name, ports, etc) in Outlook to get the send/receive functions to operate properly. I would like to have the ability to switch between e-mail server configurations whenever this situation arises without having to reconfigure the views and the auto-archive settings for each folder. Reapplying customizations is very time consuming.

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Answer 1

Marcin Policht 106.8K MVP Volunteer Moderator

Yep - Outlook Classic 2016 does allow multiple Outlook profiles to contain the same email account. A profile is essentially a collection of account configuration plus Outlook-specific settings and you can create two profiles that both contain the same ISP email address but use different incoming/outgoing server settings.

For your situation, this can be a workaround. You could create, for example, a "ISP - Configuration A" profile and an "ISP - Configuration B" profile, with each profile configured with the appropriate server name, ports, encryption, authentication settings, etc. You would then select which profile Outlook should use when it starts. You would not have to repeatedly change the server configuration on the same account.

However, there is a limitation for what you are trying to accomplish: Outlook profiles do not necessarily share all of the Outlook customizations you care about. Views, folder-specific view customizations, AutoArchive settings, navigation-pane configuration, and certain other Outlook settings are profile-specific. Therefore, if you customize Profile A and then create Profile B, you should not assume that Profile B will inherit or remain synchronized with those settings.

There is a potentially better approach in your case. If the only thing changing is the ISP's server configuration, you can keep one Outlook profile and one email account and change the account's server settings when necessary. Your existing views and AutoArchive configuration remain associated with that Outlook installation/profile rather than having to recreate them. The downside is that you have to change the server settings manually each time the ISP problem occurs.

If the ISP gives you two different configurations that you need to switch between frequently, I would not create two profiles until testing how Outlook handles your particular views and AutoArchive configuration.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-08-29T20:28:09.8933333+00:00

The AI answer was initially helpful but the answer from Marcin Policht was more detailed and confirming. I created two different profiles, each pointing to the same e-mail account. One works fine and the other does not. The profile that works okay is configured based on internet research. The profile that does not work okay is configured based on recommended settings from my internet service provider. Those settings used to work but not since the last few days. Perhaps my ISP is experiencing problems with their e-mail server. I can't seem to get a definitive answer from them. One person tells me yes, another person tells me no.
Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-29T21:13:58.6233333+00:00

Yep - that makes sense, and your two-profile setup is a useful way to isolate the problem. If both profiles use the same email address but one works and the other does not, that implies the problem is with the server configuration in the non-working profile rather than with the Outlook installation, your mailbox, or your Windows PC.

The fact that the ISP's recommended settings worked previously but stopped working a few days ago could mean the ISP changed something on its mail servers, changed which server names or ports are supported, changed its TLS requirements, or is experiencing a problem with one of its mail services. It is also possible that the ISP's published documentation is now incorrect or outdated. If the independently researched configuration continues to work against the same mailbox, that is an evidence that the mailbox itself is healthy.

There is one thing I would check before concluding that the ISP is having a server problem: compare the two profiles setting-by-setting. In Outlook, look at Account Settings > Email > select the account > Change, and compare the incoming server, outgoing SMTP server, port numbers, encryption method, and authentication settings. If one profile uses POP3 and the other uses IMAP, that is a different situation and should be identified as well. Also check More Settings > Outgoing Server and the Advanced tab. A difference in just one of those settings can explain why one profile works and the other does not.

You can also use the fact that the working profile is functioning as a control. If you can successfully send and receive using the working profile at the same time that the ISP-recommended profile fails, you have demonstrated that your PC has Internet connectivity and that the mailbox is accessible. The remaining question is essentially "what does the working configuration do differently from the ISP configuration?" That is useful when dealing with an ISP support representative.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-08-30T09:38:06.8033333+00:00

Thank you, MP, for your additional commentary. One thing I have noticed while having two different profiles for the same e-mail account is that the folder views and auto-archive settings do not carry over from one profile to another. Allow me to explain. The original production profile began failing a few days ago with the send/receive functions. After much trial and error to correct the problem, I determined that the fault probably lies on the side of my internet service provider. Researching the internet allowed me to find an e-mail server settings configuration for Outlook Classic 2016 that proved to be workable and trustworthy, much like my original production profile once was. So, now I get my new test profile up and running with the customizations for folder views and auto-archive settings I'm familiar with and I get a brainstorm. Why not copy the test profile over to a new profile and rename it, then configure it to the recommended settings from my ISP. Maybe that will bring me back to where I used to be? No such luck. That just tells me that the problem is more than likely on the ISP e-mail server side. Here's the kicker. Copying over a reliable profile to a new one also clobbered my customizations for views and auto-archive settings for all folders. Now I'm back to square one having to rebuild from scratch. Is there any way to save the folder customizations somewhere to preserve their settings?
Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-30T11:05:00.3666667+00:00

Yep - Outlook Classic stores folder views and AutoArchive settings separately from the basic mail-server configuration, and creating/copying profiles does not give you a reliable way to carry those customizations between profiles. That is why your new profile lost the work you had done.

For folder views, Outlook has an Import/Export mechanism that can preserve some Outlook settings, but it is not a dependable profile-to-profile backup for all custom folder views. A practical method is to use Outlook's /cleanviews and view-management features carefully, but that is primarily for resetting views, not backing them up.

There is, however, a better approach for your situation - don't create a second profile just to test different server settings. Keep your production profile, make a backup/copy of it if desired, and change only the email account's server settings within that profile. Your existing folder views and AutoArchive configuration then remain associated with that profile.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-08-30T12:32:32.18+00:00

I will try as you have suggested in your last paragraph and report the results back to you through this communication medium. Meanwhile, given that Microsoft no longer supports Office 2016, of which Outlook is an important component, do you have any suggestions for a viable alternative? I've researched Microsoft365, Office 2024 and Outlook as a standalone product, but all are somewhat cost prohibitive or give me more features than what I need. I've searched Microsoft Store and tried a few of their free apps for e-mail but none of them are satisfactory enough. I'm rather sold on Outlook 2016 but with no more support by Microsoft, that is concerning.
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-08-30T14:30:47.3733333+00:00

MP,

Here are the results of changing the e-mail server settings in a known good profile and hoping to see unchanged folder views. I didn't even get that far. Instead, I got an error message. An image file of that error message is attached. I changed the e-mail server settings in the known good profile back to the way I had them and everything is okay again.

Screenshot 2026-08-30 101151.png
Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-30T18:53:14.7233333+00:00

Outlook is available for free

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-08-30T22:42:54.23+00:00

Is that the web version of Outlook? If so, I have that already on my pc. It came with Windows. I've tried that app and it's a mess. It's getting way more messages than what appears in Outlook 2016. It's pulling folders that I have set up in a separate Archives data file. It also has ads. I've tried setting it up using the recommended settings for the e-mail server from my ISP. I've tried setting it up using the server settings from my profile in Outlook 2016. It doesn't save the changed settings that I input from my Outlook 2016 profile. Unless I'm doing something wrong, it's a disaster. I'd rather put up with starting from scratch with Outlook 2016. Given that Microsoft doesn't support Office 2016 any longer, I may have to bite the bullet and purchase a newer product.
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-09-03T13:23:07.1733333+00:00

Haven't heard from you since my comment on 08/30/26. I don't understand why Outlook for Windows would be so much different than Outlook 2016 with regard to the volume of messages. They are both accessing the same e-mail account>
Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-03T22:39:15.48+00:00

I gather you might not realize that I'm doing this on purely voluntary basis - so my availability is somewhat limited.

In any case, the primary reason I mentioned the web version of Outlook was because you were concerned about supportability of Outlook 2016 and the cost

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-09-04T09:11:36.6866667+00:00

I apologize for infringing upon your privacy. No further questions.
Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-04T11:10:03.18+00:00

No problem at all - this forum does rely on volunteer moderators like myself who will gladly assist with any technical issues you're running into. Do not hesitate to ask any other questions you might have.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Bill S 45 Reputation points

2026-09-04T16:36:11.4333333+00:00

MP,

You were kind enough to respond in a friendly manner. I'll just point you in the direction of my comment on 08/30/26 at 6:42 PM and hope that you can offer some explanation as to why there is such a wide discrepancy in the number of messages between Outlook for Windows and Outlook 2016. Both applications are accessing the same e-mail account. There is an Archive data file defined in Outlook 2016 but it is not resident on my ISP's e-mail server and yet Outlook for Windows has much more messages than does Outlook 2016.

Answer 2

Yes. Outlook Classic supports multiple profiles, and a profile can contain one or more email accounts. Multiple profiles can be created on the same PC, and Outlook can be set to prompt for a profile at startup or to use a chosen default profile.

For the described scenario, separate profiles are the supported way to keep different account/server configurations without editing the same profile each time. A practical setup is:

Create one profile for each server configuration.
Add the same email account to each profile using the different server settings needed.
When needed, switch profiles instead of reconfiguring the account.

How to do it:

Start the profile picker by holding Shift while starting Outlook.
- Alternative: Win+R → Outlook.exe /profiles
- Alternative from Outlook: File > Account Settings > Change Profile
In the profile picker, select Options.
Select New and create another profile.
Add the email account to that new profile with the alternate server settings.
Enable Prompt for a profile to be used if frequent switching is needed.
Or select a profile and enable Set as default profile if one configuration should open automatically most of the time.

Important limitations:

Outlook cannot switch profiles while it is running.
A profile stores account settings and where data is delivered and stored.
Most people use one profile, but multiple profiles are specifically intended for cases where separate account/settings sets are needed.

Caution: deleting a profile is permanent. Keep old profiles until all needed data and settings are confirmed.

If the goal is to avoid reapplying customizations, separate profiles can reduce repeated account reconfiguration, but each profile is its own Outlook configuration set. Switching profiles is supported; copying all customizations automatically between profiles is not described in the available guidance.

References: