[Trainer-Talk] Bringing Back the Classic Outlook

[Christopher Murphy]

Good afternoon,
	Thanks for sending this. This is going to be useful for working with clients that may want to revert back.




--
Christopher Murphy
Email:
cjohnmurph at gmail.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: Trainer-Talk <trainer-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Curtis Chong via Trainer-Talk
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2026 1:36 PM
To: 'List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology' <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Curtis Chong <chong.curtis at gmail.com>
Subject: [Trainer-Talk] Bringing Back the Classic Outlook
Importance: High


Bringing Back the Classic Outlook

 
By Curtis Chong <mailto:chong.curtis at gmail.com> 
 
 

Introduction

 
As Microsoft pushes the world away from the Classic Outlook to what it calls the New Outlook, I am getting more and more emails and phone calls from concerned and frustrated blind people who have purchased new computers and installed Microsoft 365, only to find that the Classic Outlook (a program that they have worked with for a long time) is no longer there for them to handle their emails. Instead, their only option seems to be the New Outlook, a program which feels a lot like something that is still under development and which seems to lack many of the features that we have grown used to when handling our emails.
 
The official word from Microsoft is that the Classic Outlook will be with us until some time in 2029. This article will give you the information you need to bring the Classic Outlook program back to your new computer.
 
 

Getting the Classic Outlook Back On to Your System

 
The steps listed here assume that you have already installed Microsoft 365 on to your computer and that you have found a way to get some variant of Outlook started on your system. You should be able to know that you have started the New Outlook if you hear your screen reader say something like, "Outlook - Web content page"
 
Here are the steps that you should now follow to get the Classic Outlook back.
 
*	After starting the New Outlook, turn off your screen reader's cursor (i.e., the Virtual Cursor in JAWS or Browse Mode in NVDA). For JAWS, press Insert with the letter z. For NVDA, press Insert with Space.
*	Press the Alt key to focus on the Home tab of the ribbon. Then, press Left Arrow to focus on the Help tab. Do not press Enter. Instead, press Down Arrow.
*	Now, press the Right Arrow key about six times to focus on the Go to classic Outlook button. Press Space or Enter to activate this button.
*	At this point, Microsoft will bring up a dialog asking you why you want to "switch back." You can skip this part simply by tabbing until you reach the Skip Feedback button. Activate this button to be taken to the web page where you can download the installation program for the Classic Outlook. If this does not happen and, instead, you bring up the Classic Outlook, then you are finished here. However, if you are taken to the Install or reinstall classic Outlook <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/install-or-reinstall-classic-outlook-on-a-windows-pc>  web page, download the Classic Outlook installation program and run it.
*	Once the installation has finished, you might need to create a Desktop shortcut to start the Classic Outlook as opposed to the New Outlook program.
*	Invoke the Windows Run command by pressing the Windows key with the letter r. Type "shell:appsfolder" (without the quotes) and press Enter.
*	Scroll through the list of applications until you find: Outlook and Outlook (classic). Focus on the Outlook (classic) item. Right click on this item (Shift F10) and activate the Create Shortcut item. You will be asked if you really want to create the shortcut on your Desktop. Respond Yes.
*	All you have to do now is to activate the shortcut you just created to bring up Classic Outlook.
 
 

Conclusion

 
It is unfortunate that Microsoft has chosen not to include the Classic Outlook in new installations of its Microsoft 365 product. Suffice it to say that this has created quite a lot of frustration and confusion among blind people who use screen readers to operate their Windows-based systems.
 
Please feel free to contact me by email at chong.curtis at gmail.com <mailto:chong.curtis at gmail.com>  or by phone at 515-306-1654 if any of this does not work for you. My hope is that you now have what you need to bring back the Classic Outlook on your computer.
 
 
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