I've been working hard to keep New Outlook off my workstations for over a year now since we're not ready to adopt it yet. I even have a Group Policy Object (GPO) in place to remove the 'Switch to New Outlook' button from the Classic Outlook. I also have scripts that uninstall Appx packages at every login, and I've removed OfficeHub to prevent Copilot popups. However, with the rollout of the 24H2 update on some new workstations, I'm noticing something new: a 'New Outlook' pin is automatically added to the taskbar. This isn't included in my Start Menu or Taskbar XML configurations and seems to be inserted by an unknown process. When I log in for the first time, my defined taskbar appears, but a few seconds later, an empty white icon shows up before it changes to the New Outlook one. Even if I remove the pin, it reappears for new user profiles. This automatic behavior is frustrating, and it appears that Microsoft is bypassing our defined policies. Has anyone else encountered this issue, and do you have any strategies to stop the New Outlook from pinning itself?
3 Answers
I can totally relate! I’ve struggled with trying to remove other icons like Edge from the taskbar. It's such a pain—did you use GPO or any specific method for your taskbar setup?
Dealing with Microsoft can be a hassle for sure! What worked for me was adjusting a specific registry key. Try adding this:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsCloudContent]
"DisableCloudOptimizedContent"=dword:00000001
Make sure to test it out; it should prevent the pin from coming back!
Thanks for sharing! This might save a lot of headaches. It's wild that something so simple can fix an issue like this.
Good to know! I've been scratching my head trying to find a solution. I'll give this a shot!
Isn't it ridiculous that we have to battle with Microsoft to manage our own setups? I feel you there. It's just frustrating when they change something without letting us control it!
I wish I could figure out how to get rid of Edge too. Whatever method you're using, I might need to copy that!