Microsoft just made Windows 10 worse, and there's (almost) nothing you can do about it

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The new Outlook is being forced onto Windows 10 PCs through the latest security update.

Outlook Client Hero
(Image credit: Future)

Windows 10 users now have a worse email experience, at least in the eyes of many who dislike the new Outlook. The latest update to the operating system includes security fixes, but it also installs the new Outlook for Windows app. That means fans of the classic Mail & Calendar app need to adopt the new Outlook app or switch to a different email client.

The new Outlook is a controversial app that has drawn quite a bit of criticism. Many of the complaints center around the new Outlook being a web app, which has resulted in worse performance than the native Mail & Calendar app. People have also quibbled over the design of the new Outlook, though whether the new app has a better or worse design than its predecessor is subjective.

We already knew that the new Outlook would be forced onto Windows 10 PCs. This week's news is that the forced rollout has begun. Anyone who receives the latest security update to Windows 10 will also receive the new Outlook.

The Windows 10 KB5051974 update rolled out this week on Patch Tuesday. It is a mandatory update, meaning it should show up on your system automatically if you're running Windows 11 version 22H2. Bleeping Computer highlighted the rollout of the new Outlook and Microsoft's release notes for the build.

  • [Mail] New! You now have the new Outlook for Windows app. A new app icon appears in the Apps section on the Start menu, near classic Outlook. There are no changes to any settings or defaults. If you are an IT admin, learn how to manage this update at Control the installation and use of new Outlook.
  • [Screen capture] Fixed: The Capture Service and Snipping Tool stop responding. This occurs when you press the Windows logo key+Shift+S several times while the Narrator is on.
  • [Chinese Pinyin input method editor (IME)] Bing will stop giving automatic suggestions in the search box for search engine sites like Baidu. To get manual suggestions, use Ctrl+Tab or the chevron button (>). 
  • [Digital/Analog converter (DAC) (known issue)] Fixed: You might experience issues with USB audio devices. This is more likely when you use a DAC audio driver based on USB 1.0. USB audio devices might stop working, which stops playback.
  • [USB audio device drivers] Fixed: The code 10 error message, "This device cannot start," appears. This occurs when you connect to certain external audio management devices.
  • [USB cameras] Fixed: Your device does not recognize the camera is on. This issue occurs after you install the January 2025 security update.
  • [Virtual memory] Fixed: An issue depletes virtual memory, which might cause some apps to fail.

What's happening to Windows 10?

It's unlikely Microsoft's leaders and developers consider the new Outlook to be a downgrade. The tech giant has a guide on how to prevent users from switching to the new Outlook. If you're on Windows 11 version 23H2 or later, the new Outlook is preinstalled, so you have to remove it.

Blocking the installation of the new Outlook onto Windows 10 requires admins to use a reg value. Admins also have the option to remove the new Outlook if it has been installed.

👉 Read more: Microsoft is wrong: The new Outlook for Windows is not ready for prime time

The same update that forces the new Outlook onto Windows 10 includes several bug fixes. Windows 10 users won't see many more updates like this since the operating system reaches its end of support in October of this year. Microsoft has shared warnings and blog posts about the cutoff for several years. Once Windows 10 reaches end of support, it will no longer receive security updates. Extended support will be available from Microsoft, but it will cost quite a bit.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_. 

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • GraniteStateColin
    My concern is New Outlook replacing Classic Outlook (not Mail & Calendar). New Outlook is to Classic Outlook as Notepad is to Word, with a bunch of broken UI elements to boot (e.g., can't right-click or use the Menu key on the keyboard to correct misspelled words like Windows built-in apps and all third-party apps that support real-time spell checking, can't use to touch to scroll the folder list, can't drag and drop messages to folders that don't fit on screen if the folder list is longer than fits in the window). All of these are just WTF!? kind of problems. I don't think these are "subjective" complaints. These are objectively terrible UI decisions or bugs.

    I know they're not forcing New Outlook to replace Classic Outlook yet, but they're hinting that it's coming. It's so far from feature complete, it's nowhere near ready for that. For example, I depend on rules that assign categories to incoming messages for work. No way to do that in New Outlook. I use macros and some object linking and embedding. Not only is there no way to do that in New Outlook, nothing even similar to that could be possible with a web app -- it requires native code to call via OLE or DDE.

    This is one of the worst things that MS has done. And it makes me sad, because I think Teams, in contrast, is just about the best thing they've ever built, right up there with Windows and Excel. To do the exquisite work in creating Teams and also making the burning trash heap that is New Outlook in such proximity is giving me whiplash.
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