MS Outlook mailattachments open slowly after recent Win11 update

[marfix]

After the recent Win11 update, documents open very slowly in MS Outlook email. What changed and how to correct.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @marfix,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand the issues with slow attachment opening in MS Outlook after a Windows 11 update could be related to several factors. Windows updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues, performance slowdowns, or change system settings that impact application behavior. 

Here are some possible causes and steps to troubleshoot:

Potential Causes:

1. Indexing and Search Issues: The update may have caused Outlook's search indexing to rebuild, slowing down access to attachments.
2. Antivirus Scanning: Your antivirus or Windows Defender may be scanning attachments more aggressively after the update.
3. Add-ins or Plugins: Certain add-ins (e.g., PDF readers or cloud storage integrations) may become less responsive or incompatible after an update.
4. File Associations: The update might have altered file associations, making it slower to open attachments in default programs.
5. Outlook Profile Corruption: The update might have caused minor corruption in your Outlook profile, slowing down attachment handling.
6. Disk Fragmentation or Storage: If your hard drive or SSD performance has been impacted by the update, file access can slow down.

Steps to Fix:

1. Repair Office Installation:

• Open Settings → Apps → Installed Apps.
• Find Microsoft Office, click on it, and select Modify.
• Choose the Quick Repair option first. If the problem persists, run the Online Repair.

2. Check and Rebuild Outlook Indexing:

• Open Outlook, go to File → Options → Search.
• Select Indexing Options → Modify, and ensure Outlook is checked.
• Click on Advanced → Rebuild under Troubleshooting. This may take some time but can resolve slow search and file opening issues.

3. Check Antivirus Settings:

• Ensure your antivirus or Windows Defender isn’t scanning email attachments too aggressively.
• In your antivirus settings, consider excluding Outlook or attachments from real-time scanning (temporarily to test).

4. Disable Problematic Add-ins:

• In Outlook, go to File → Options → Add-ins.
• At the bottom, select Manage COM Add-ins and click Go.
• Disable any unnecessary add-ins, especially ones related to cloud storage, PDF readers, or file management.

5. Check File Associations:

• Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps.
• Ensure that file types like .docx, .pdf, .xlsx, etc., are associated with the correct apps. Sometimes updates reset these associations.

6. Clear Outlook Temporary Files:

• Open File Explorer, paste %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook in the address bar.
• Delete the contents of the Temp folder to free up any cached or stuck attachments.

7. Run Disk Cleanup:

• Open Start and type Disk Cleanup. Choose your system drive (C:).
• Check options like Temporary Files and Thumbnails to clear unneeded data that may be slowing down file access.

8. Update Drivers:

• Ensure your system drivers, especially storage and display drivers, are up to date after the Windows update. You can do this via Device Manager or by downloading the latest drivers from the HP website.

9. Create a New Outlook Profile:

• Go to Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles.
• Add a new profile, set it as default, and see if attachments open more quickly.

Refer to this document: HP Pavilion Desktop - 510-p010 User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @marfix,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand the issues with slow attachment opening in MS Outlook after a Windows 11 update could be related to several factors. Windows updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues, performance slowdowns, or change system settings that impact application behavior. 

Here are some possible causes and steps to troubleshoot:

Potential Causes:

1. Indexing and Search Issues: The update may have caused Outlook's search indexing to rebuild, slowing down access to attachments.
2. Antivirus Scanning: Your antivirus or Windows Defender may be scanning attachments more aggressively after the update.
3. Add-ins or Plugins: Certain add-ins (e.g., PDF readers or cloud storage integrations) may become less responsive or incompatible after an update.
4. File Associations: The update might have altered file associations, making it slower to open attachments in default programs.
5. Outlook Profile Corruption: The update might have caused minor corruption in your Outlook profile, slowing down attachment handling.
6. Disk Fragmentation or Storage: If your hard drive or SSD performance has been impacted by the update, file access can slow down.

Steps to Fix:

1. Repair Office Installation:

• Open Settings → Apps → Installed Apps.
• Find Microsoft Office, click on it, and select Modify.
• Choose the Quick Repair option first. If the problem persists, run the Online Repair.

2. Check and Rebuild Outlook Indexing:

• Open Outlook, go to File → Options → Search.
• Select Indexing Options → Modify, and ensure Outlook is checked.
• Click on Advanced → Rebuild under Troubleshooting. This may take some time but can resolve slow search and file opening issues.

3. Check Antivirus Settings:

• Ensure your antivirus or Windows Defender isn’t scanning email attachments too aggressively.
• In your antivirus settings, consider excluding Outlook or attachments from real-time scanning (temporarily to test).

4. Disable Problematic Add-ins:

• In Outlook, go to File → Options → Add-ins.
• At the bottom, select Manage COM Add-ins and click Go.
• Disable any unnecessary add-ins, especially ones related to cloud storage, PDF readers, or file management.

5. Check File Associations:

• Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps.
• Ensure that file types like .docx, .pdf, .xlsx, etc., are associated with the correct apps. Sometimes updates reset these associations.

6. Clear Outlook Temporary Files:

• Open File Explorer, paste %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook in the address bar.
• Delete the contents of the Temp folder to free up any cached or stuck attachments.

7. Run Disk Cleanup:

• Open Start and type Disk Cleanup. Choose your system drive (C:).
• Check options like Temporary Files and Thumbnails to clear unneeded data that may be slowing down file access.

8. Update Drivers:

• Ensure your system drivers, especially storage and display drivers, are up to date after the Windows update. You can do this via Device Manager or by downloading the latest drivers from the HP website.

9. Create a New Outlook Profile:

• Go to Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles.
• Add a new profile, set it as default, and see if attachments open more quickly.

Refer to this document: HP Pavilion Desktop - 510-p010 User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.