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The Hot Take: Trying to kill a dinosaur client.
New Outlook is âpainful and drives me crazy,â one user told me as their organization prepared to ditch Outlook Classic. But does that mean Microsoft will hold off on its plans to force New Outlook? Certainly not. According to Microsoftâs roadmap, it still plans to move all Classic Outlook users to New Outlook starting in March 2027, and weâre not that far away now.
New Outlook for Windows has been around for almost three years, as it was first rolled out to testers in 2023. Fast-forward to 2024, and Microsoft released New Outlook for everyone, and it eventually replaced the native Mail & Calendar apps. While Mail and Calendar were not exceptionally good, they still worked better than New Outlook in several areas.
Outlook (New) is getting better, but itâs not the best app for everyone
Weâre nearly six months away from 2027, and thereâs no denying that New Outlook has gotten significantly better. Microsoft has added up to 15 features in the past several weeks, but most of them are not exactly new. They have already been available in Outlook Classic, and Microsoft is simply catching up.
For example, Microsoft has added support for .PST files and improved offline support to cover attachments. Outlook Classic has always supported .PST files, and since it wasnât a web app, the lack of offline support was never an issue.
Some of the other improvements include the ability to pin or snooze an email, which is quite handy, but itâs again something you could do in Outlook Classic.
More recently, Microsoft rolled out the ability to add multiple categories and create automatic actions to keep your inbox organized or clean. For example, you can set up rules to automatically purge promotional emails and keep only recent messages in your inbox.
Microsoft has also added Schedule Send, which was always available in Outlook Classic.
At the same time, New Outlook is still missing several useful features that have been available in Outlook Classic for years. Microsoft insists itâll bring everything back in the coming months, but the clock is ticking.
Youâll be forced to use New Outlook in March 2027
According to Microsoftâs roadmap seen by Windows Latest, the company is fully committed to moving Outlook Classic users to the new version starting in March 2027, so enterprises have less than a year to prepare for the forced rollout.
âThe opt-out phase for Enterprise environments will now begin in March 2027 (previously April 2026), providing organizations with 12 months of lead time to prepare,â Microsoft noted in an update earlier this year. âGCC High and DoD timelines will be communicated separately at a later date.â
What happens in March 2027 if you choose to keep using Outlook Classic?
All hell is not going to break loose, but you may find yourself automatically redirected to New Outlook when you open Outlook Classic.
Fortunately, youâll still be able to switch back to Outlook Classic. However, donât be surprised if it later reverts and you find yourself back in New Outlook again.
Weâve seen Microsoft use a similar approach before. When it began replacing Mail & Calendar with New Outlook, it allowed users to opt out and return to the older apps, only for some of them to be moved back to New Outlook later.
I am expecting a similar pop-up when Outlook Classic hits the deadline in March 2027, but remember that it does not mean you will be blocked from using the original email client.
In another document, Microsoft has clarified that itâll support Outlook Classic until at least 2029, as long as itâs already installed and you have either a perpetual or a subscription license. Of course, you canât expect new features after March 2027. In fact, Outlook Classic has mostly stopped adding new features except a few Copilot and agentic additions.
Microsoft says itâs seeing âstrong adoption of new Outlookâ
At this point, one thing is clear that thereâs no going back for Microsoft, and New Outlook will eventually become the default experience whether you like it or not. The company also argues that New Outlook is now being adopted by more users, and adoption growth is not just strong, but rapidly âaccelerating.â
That may be true because enterprises also need to embrace Copilot, which works more extensively in New Outlook than in Outlook Classic.
âWe continue to invest heavily in expanding capabilities and addressing feedback from customers who want to go further with new Outlook. To ensure organizations have the time they need to prepareâand to fully realize the value of ongoing innovationâweâre extending the opt-out timeline,â Microsoft previously said.
The post Microsoft still wants to force New Outlook on everyone by 2027, even as users call it painful, and prefer Outlook Classic appeared first on Windows Latest
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The Hot Take: M$ is the only one to give us Ads on Windows 11....
LG is removing a McAfee pop-up ad from its LG Monitor App Installer after criticism that some LG monitors were silently installing the app through Windows Update and showing ads on every boot. Microsoft says LG agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up, but the broader issue remains: Windows allows certain peripheral companion apps to install automatically without notifying users. Ars Technica reports: Following Gamers Nexus' video, a Microsoft representative stated that the LG Monitor App Installer will no longer show pop-up ads for McAfee. In response to a social media post about the app, Pavan Davuluri, EVP of Windows and devices at Microsoft, said this week: "We've connected with the team at LG and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app. We appreciate LG working with us toward a shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers. We will keep improving here with our ecosystem partners."
As mentioned, some LG monitors appear to have been installing LG Monitor App Installer onto Windows computers for months. Publication Windows Latest noted that the app recently got an update, "and its changelog mentions McAfee as an additional app," which could be what prompted more people to see the ads... and then complain about them. However, the removal of McAfee doesn't address the problem of a peripheral installing ad-pushing software onto people's computers.
Users have been finding LG Monitor App Installer and its ads on their systems without LG ever showing a prompt or asking for permission. LG has some of the most expensive computer monitors available. Paying, in some cases, over $1,000 for a monitor that ends up forcing ads onto Windows is disruptive and a privacy concern. Once the app is installed, "LG technically possesses permission to use 'all system resources,'" as well as to "collect geolocation, device data, online activity, contacts, user credentials, transactions, and more," [editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus, Steve Burke] said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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The Hot Take: Software development world is condensing fast with Ai....
Microsoft is expected to announce another round of layoffs soon. Less than 2.5% of the company's workforce will be affected, according to sources that spoke with Business Insider. Due Microsoft's size, even that small percentage means thousands of people will be affected.An SEC filing from June 30, 2025 showed Microsoft had about 228,000 employees. That figure has fluctuated since then, but it gives a gauge of the size of Microsoft's full-time workforce.Division cuts & AI infrastructureThis round of layoffs will affect thousands of roles across sales, consulting, and within the Xbox division. Microsoft is expected to announce the layoffs next week, though plans are subject to change.July layoffs have become commonplace for Microsoft because the company's fiscal year starts on July 1. Over 9,000 layoffs were made by Microsoft last July. Microsoft also lays off workers during other times of the year, such as the 6,000 layoffs made in May 2025.Microsoft is one of many tech giants looking to reduce head count and lower expenses in certain areas. Increased AI spending and the rise of AI has affected jobs at several levels.Voluntary retirements lowered the impactThis July will reportedly have fewer layoffs because several employees took voluntary retirement. Microsoft offered buyouts to employees level 67 and below in the United States who had 70 or more combined years of service and years of age (for example, someone who was 50 years old who had worked for Microsoft for 20 years).Roughly 9,000 Microsoft employees were eligible for that buyout and around one third of those eligible took the buyout, according to Business Insider.Xbox restructuringLayoffs have been expected, and not simply because they've become an annual occurrence. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is overseeing a restructuring of Xbox, much of which will occur within a 100-day reset.As is the case with all layoff-related stories, I understand the business decisions that lead to layoffs but feel bad for the employees affected.Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
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The Hot Take: Interesting features, we'll see if they pull me from eM Client which has all these now. Minus .pst files.
Outlook âNew,â which is based on Outlook.com, is far from a decent email client. While it has come a long way, the new Outlook doesnât feel as good as the Classic version, and it still lacks many features most users want. Microsoft now says itâs adding advanced support for Mail Merge, .PST, and a new single view for all accounts to the new Outlook app.
Outlook for Windows and web is getting the All accounts view in August 2026
I asked Microsoft for more details, and it told me that Outlook on Windows 11 (and 10) will get support for a feature called âAll accounts view,â similar to a Gmail feature that lets you see emails from all your accounts in a single inbox.
This feature is handy for those who manage their personal and professional inboxes in the Outlook app.
The all-accounts view is also called Unified Inbox, and when it rolls out to Outlook for Windows or web in August 2026, youâll be able to see emails from all your accounts in a single view. That means you donât have to switch back and forth between different inboxes, as long as you pay attention to the labels.
It also means you no longer have to merge mailboxes to see everything in one place.
Outlookâs All accounts view has advanced controls too, so itâs not just about viewing your emails or responding to them. Youâll be able to interact with emails as youâd do in their dedicated inbox. This means you can also delete, archive, move, or mark messages as read across all your mailboxes.
You donât have to repeat these actions in their respective mailboxes.
Windows Latest also found that the All accounts view will have Copilot integration too, and it could be a bit useful. For example, when youâve enabled All accounts view and use Copilot to search emails, the updated immersive search experience will surface content from the All accounts view.
At the moment, you cannot add a shared mailbox to the All accounts inbox, and itâs also not possible to use cross-account search. These features will be added to the All accounts inbox later this year.
As mentioned at the outset, Microsoft plans to ship the All accounts inbox to everyone in August 2026, but given the companyâs track record, it can also get delayed.
New Outlook is making it easier to access Favorite folders
New Outlook always had the ability to set folders as âFavorite,â but you canât switch between Favorite folders without opening the full folder pane.
With a new update, you can now view the favorite folders in a vertical list and access folders you use most with just a single click. Also, counts appear directly, so you can see which folder needs your attention.
âItâs a familiar experience for anyone who loved favorites in classic Outlook, now built right into the new Outlook,â Microsoft noted in a document.
This feature is stated to arrive in September, 2026.
More control over the unread count for the folder pane
Microsoft is testing a new toggle that gives you greater control over the unread count in your folder pane for each folder. Youâll be able to choose whether each folder should have the unread count visible in the folder pane. You can also choose to show the total item count instead, so itâs totally up to you.
Right now, Outlook can display the count for each folder, but it canât tell you the total count for all folders. To use the new feature, you just need to right-click any folder and choose between the total or unread count.
New Outlook is adding Mail Merge support
Microsoft is finally testing advanced Mail Merge support in New Outlook for Windows and the web after a long delay.
In an update spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft said itâs improving Mail Merge so that each recipient will receive an individual email with only their address in the recipient field. Microsoft will also allow you to personalize emails by replacing fields with recipient-specific values, such as the personâs name.
Mail Merge will release in September 2026, while other features could begin rolling out earlier:
Youâll be able to import your calendars and even contacts using a .pst file (July 2026)
You can select non-consecutive dates in the calendarâs mini month using two new keyboard shortcuts, which are Shift+Click or CTRL+Click (July 2026)
Outlook will support basic conditional formatting rules (July 2026).
It is worth noting that the update timeline could always change, and Microsoft has planned several changes for Outlook in June/July. I expect most features to be available to everyone by August 2026.
What else do you want Microsoft to add to the new Outlook for Windows or the web? Let me know in the comments below.
The post Ditch Outlook Classic? Microsoft confirms major New Outlook update with 5 features, all-accounts view, mail merge, .PST, and more appeared first on Windows Latest
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The Hot Take: Wondering if this will break more people off into Linux. We'll have to see how/if Microsoft boots him off the board and starts distancing themselves from their pedo founder.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has taken another battering after the Justice Department released files detailing his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In a February town hall with Gates Foundation staff, Gates admitted to two affairs referenced in Epsteinâs emails. Some people familiar with the matter said they heard about the admission with disbelief, although they should not have been too surprised, as during his divorce proceedings, allegations linked to more than 20 affairs had come up.
The Justice Department files show Epstein knew about some of Gatesâs extramarital relationships. A Gates spokesperson said he was not involved in any illegal activities with Epstein and accepted it had been a mistake to meet him.
âGates has apologised for that mistake and is voluntarily speaking with the House Oversight Committee [in June] to answer questions about his interactions with Epstein. Gates supports the release of all the Epstein files in hopes the victims can get the justice that they deserve,â the spokesperson said.
But according to the Wall Street Journal, Gates has been given the cold shoulder by Microsoft, the outfit he co-founded and still looms over like a corporate ghost.
He usually hosts a dinner at his Washington state home tied to Microsoftâs annual CEO summit. Weeks before the May event, his team was told it would be better not to do it this year.
A Volish spokesman said: âWhile it didnât work out this year, weâve already extended an invitation for Bill to attend the CEO Summit next year.â
There was more awkwardness at TerraPower, the nuclear outfit Gates founded. After the Epstein files release and Gatesâs admission of affairs, TerraPower chief executive told staff he had spoken to Gatesâs private office and âit is clear it doesnât involve TerraPower.â
Several current and former TerraPower employees found that a bit puzzling. One of the women Gates referred to as a past affair, a âRussian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,â had close ties to TerraPower.
She worked at TerraPower from 2010 to 2012, according to her LinkedIn page, and her name was in the companyâs internal system. She was featured in a 2011 magazine article about her work at TerraPower, including a photo shoot with Gates.
The Gates spokesperson said he did not have âan inappropriate relationship with any employee of TerraPower.â
A person familiar with the matter said the brief affair happened after she worked at TerraPower, so that clears that up.
Bill Gates, Jeffrey Epstein, Microsoft, Gates Foundation, TerraPower, Netflix, Tremolo Productions, Gates Ventures, Justice Department
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