Outlook Built-In Stationery Causes Error

Question

Outlook Built-In Stationery Causes Error

Donna Ruck 20

Last week, suddenly and with no warning I get an error message when I click "New Email". I discovered that it is caused by the fact that I had chosen a built-in stationery theme. I had been using this feature for years with no issues. I was using the one called Pixel but the error occurs no matter which one is chosen. According to an AI search, this is a known and new issue due to a recent Microsoft update. So, if Microsoft caused the problem, then why don't you fix it or, at a minimum, take that feature away so that it doesn't cause users to get the error? Do you plan on fixing this so I can utilize a stationery again?

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Answer accepted by question author

Levi Cornwell 255

Since New Email works normally when stationery is disabled, that does seem to narrow it down to the stationery feature rather than your mailbox or Outlook profile.

I’d first check the exact Outlook version/build under File > Office Account > About Outlook and note when the issue started. If this began right after an Office update, that would be useful to report along with the build number.

As a temporary workaround, you can leave stationery set to No stationery so New Email works normally.

I’d also try Outlook in Safe Mode (outlook.exe /safe). If stationery still causes the error there, that would make an add-in less likely and point more toward Outlook itself.

Since all built-in themes are affected, I’d report it through Help > Feedback with the Outlook build and the name of the stationery used.

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4 additional answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Samuel Meadors 0

Hello All,

I'd like to report that two of our users are experiencing the same issues related to themes as of this week. If a theme has been selected under stationary options they receive an error when they go to compose a new message. The error can be dismissed and the message composed normally. The error reads "Some of the files in this Web page aren't in the expected location. Do you want to download them anyway? If you're sure the Web page is from a trusted source, click Yes."

We tried resetting the users outlook profile without sucess. It's also affecting other Outlook deployments we have if a user tries to select a theme. We're on Office 365 for Windows Version 2608 Build 16.0.20326.20072
outlook_theme_error

The error is also triggered in the theme selection dialogue whenever a theme is selected. For what it's worth this sounds like it may be a TLS/SSL error. We're using an enterprise firewall that's doing content inspection.

Donna Ruck 20 Reputation points

2026-09-16T16:13:14.55+00:00

Yes, that is exactly the same issue I was experiencing. The only way to solve it is to pick "No Theme". Unfortunately, until Microsoft addresses this issue, I guess we can no longer use stationery themes.
Ivory 1,500 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-16T17:15:41.11+00:00

Hi Samuel,

Please submit feedback through Outlook · Community so that Microsoft can review the issue and assess its impact on users.
Samuel Meadors 0 Reputation points

2026-09-17T12:47:34.88+00:00

I'll be sure to get right on that once Microsoft deems it appropriate for users in GCC Low tenants to sign-in
Ivory 1,500 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-17T18:17:27.1966667+00:00

Hi Samuel,

Since feedback submissions aren't supported with a GCC account, I'd be glad to help by submitting the feedback for you: Outlook built-in stationery causes error

You can use a standard or personal account to upvote the feedback item, which will help increase its visibility with the Microsoft product team. Additionally, since you're using a GCC account, I recommend opening a support ticket from your own tenant to ensure the issue is routed through the appropriate specialized support channel.

Answer 2

Ivory 1,500 Independent Advisor

Hi Donna,

If you want to give feedback to Microsoft, I highly recommend submitting a feedback by navigating to Outlook · Community.

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.

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Answer 3

Donna Ruck 20

I understand. I thought this was a way to give direct feedback to Miscrosoft. I don't remember what I clicked on specifically, but it had something to do with Microsoft support.

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Answer 4

Ivory 1,500 Independent Advisor

Hi Donna,

Currently, I'm unable to find any ongoing known issues related to built-in stationary theme on Classic Outlook.

In order to investigate further into this known issue, could you please share some additional information?

What is the exact error message you're receiving? If possible, please provide the complete error text or a screenshot.
Does the error occur with all built-in stationery options or only a specific one?
Does it occur only when creating a new email, replying/forwarding, selecting the stationery, or sending the message?
Are you able to send emails normally when no stationery is applied?

To ensure I provide the most accurate assistance, I would appreciate any additional information you can share regarding your current situation. If possible, please include screenshots, as they can be very helpful in the investigation.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

I look forward to your response.

Donna Ruck 20 Reputation points

2026-09-14T17:42:08.3933333+00:00

I get this every time I click on "New Email" if I have a stationery turned on. This issue started this past Friday.
Donna Ruck 20 Reputation points

2026-09-14T17:42:40.4133333+00:00

Google AI seems to be aware of the issue.
Ivory 1,500 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-14T21:48:46.0833333+00:00
Hi Donna,

As a workaround, please try disabling the Outlook stationery theme to see if the issue persists:

Open Classic Outlook.

Select File > Options.

Select Mail.

Under Compose messages, select Stationery and Fonts.

On the Personal Stationery tab, select Theme.

Choose (No Theme).

Select OK to save the changes and close all open windows.

Close Outlook completely, reopen it, and then test creating a new email.

Additionally, please check whether your email signature contains any images, files, or links that reference content stored in SharePoint, OneDrive, or another network location. If Outlook cannot access those resources, it may trigger similar warnings when composing a message.

However, for further investigation, I recommend contacting your IT administrator and asking them to open a support request with the Microsoft Support team through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center on your behalf. This route ensures that a Microsoft support engineer can initiate a remote session to investigate backend configurations, run advanced diagnostic tools and, if necessary, they can request to escalate the case to specialized teams with access to internal systems and logs. These backend resources are essential for resolving issues that go beyond what’s visible in the user interface.

In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support

I hope this provides enough clarity and helps you stay inform with your current situation.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

If the answer is helpful, please click 'Yes' and kindly upvote it.

Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Donna Ruck 20 Reputation points

2026-09-15T12:52:38.19+00:00

Thank you but I did turn off the stationery right away as soon as I realized what was causing the error and that fixed the problem. My issue is that, according to an AI Google search, it's likely that Microsoft caused it to stop working due to a recent upgrade. So, what I want to know is if Microsoft plans to fix this feature and, if not, then why don't they take it away so that it doesn't cause other people to have an error that they have no idea why. Either fix the feature so it still works or remove it if that's too hard to do.
Ivory 1,500 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-15T15:26:13.57+00:00

Hi Donna,

I completely understand your concern. Unfortunately, as a fellow user and community member, I don't have visibility into Microsoft's internal development plans, bug databases, or whether a specific feature is scheduled to be fixed in a future update.

At this time, I'm not aware of any officially acknowledged known issue regarding built-in stationery in Classic Outlook. Because it has not been publicly identified as a known issue, there's no information available to the community about whether Microsoft intends to repair, redesign, or retire this feature.

If you feel this is a product defect, I would strongly encourage you to submit feedback directly to Microsoft. User reports are one of the primary ways issues like this get reviewed by the product team, especially when a feature is still available in the product but is no longer functioning as expected.

You can submit a report through Outlook > Help > Feedback > Report a problem

Alternatively, you can ask your IT administrator to submit a report on your behalf, as mentioned in my previous reply. Thank you for your effort in reporting this issue.