One of my computers is no longer displaying pop-up notifications and sounds for Outlook despite having enabled desktop alerts and sounds in Outlook settings, allowing notifications from Outlook in Win10 notifications settings, not using quiet hours, and receiving new emails in the inbox.
I noticed that Windows 10’s notification settings for Outlook had been disabled without my knowledge when I first noticed the issue. However, re-enabling the setting did not restore the pop-up alerts, and restarting the computer did not help either.
The computer is running Windows 10 Enterprise and Outlook Office 365 ProPlus version 1903 (build 11425.20202).
2 Answers
Introduction
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email clients used by millions of users worldwide. It provides various features, including desktop alerts and sounds, to notify users of new emails. However, sometimes users face issues where the desktop alerts and sounds stop working on one of their computers, even though they are enabled in the settings. This post will discuss the possible reasons why Outlook desktop alerts and sounds haven’t shown up on one of your computers and how to fix them.
Check Outlook Settings
The first step to fixing the issue is to check the Outlook settings. Ensure that desktop alerts and sounds are enabled in the settings. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Open Outlook and click on the File tab.
- Click on Options and then select Mail.
- Scroll down to the Message arrival section and ensure that the “Display a Desktop Alert” and “Play a sound” options are checked.
- Click on OK to save the changes.
If these options are already checked, move on to the next step.
Check Windows 10 Notification Settings
The next step is to check the Windows 10 notification settings for Outlook. It is possible that the notification settings for Outlook have been disabled at some point. To check and enable them, follow the steps below:
- Click on the Start menu and select Settings.
- Click on System and then select Notifications & actions.
- Scroll down to the Get notifications from these senders section and ensure that the toggle button for Outlook is turned on.
- Close the settings window and check if the desktop alerts and sounds are working in Outlook.
If the toggle button for Outlook is already turned on, move on to the next step.
Check Windows 10 Focus Assist Settings
Windows 10 has a feature called Focus Assist, which allows users to control notifications and alerts when they are working on important tasks. It is possible that Focus Assist is turned on, which is preventing Outlook desktop alerts and sounds from showing up. To check and disable Focus Assist, follow the steps below:
- Click on the Start menu and select Settings.
- Click on System and then select Focus Assist.
- Ensure that the “Off” option is selected under the “Focus assist” section.
- Close the settings window and check if the desktop alerts and sounds are working in Outlook.
If Focus Assist is already turned off, move on to the next step.
Check Outlook Add-ins
It is possible that a third-party add-in is causing the issue with Outlook desktop alerts and sounds. To check and disable add-ins, follow the steps below:
- Open Outlook and click on the File tab.
- Click on Options and then select Add-ins.
- Under the “Manage” section, select “COM Add-ins” and click on Go.
- Uncheck all the add-ins and click on OK to save the changes.
- Close and restart Outlook and check if the desktop alerts and sounds are working.
If disabling add-ins does not fix the issue, move on to the next step.
Check Outlook Rules
Outlook rules are used to automatically perform specific actions on incoming emails. It is possible that a rule is preventing desktop alerts and sounds from showing up. To check and disable rules, follow the steps below:
- Open Outlook and click on the File tab.
- Click on Manage Rules & Alerts.
- Check if there are any rules that may be affecting desktop alerts and sounds.
- Disable the rule(s) and click on OK to save the changes.
- Close and restart Outlook and check if the desktop alerts and sounds are working.
If disabling rules does not fix the issue, move on to the next step.
Reinstall Outlook
If none of the above steps fix the issue, it is possible that there is a problem with the Outlook installation. Reinstalling Outlook may fix the issue. To reinstall Outlook, follow the steps below:
- Open the Control Panel and select Programs and Features.
- Find Microsoft Office in the list of installed programs and select it.
- Click on Change and then select Repair.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.
- Restart your computer and check if the desktop alerts and sounds are working in Outlook.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Outlook desktop alerts and sounds not showing up on one of your computers can be frustrating. However, by following the above steps, you can easily fix the issue. It is important to ensure that the desktop alerts and sounds are enabled in the Outlook settings and Windows 10 notification settings. If the issue persists, checking and disabling add-ins, rules, and Focus Assist can help. In extreme cases, reinstalling Outlook may be necessary.
I turned off all or most of the notification-based settings, including desktop alerts in Outlook, displaying an envelope icon in the taskbar, and Outlook notifications in Windows notification settings. Later, I reactivated these settings, but I did not keep track of the sequence because I did not anticipate it to fix the issue.
Surprisingly, after restarting Outlook, the problem was resolved.