Classic Outlook · Profile rebuild
Recreate your Outlook profile without losing your emails
A corrupted profile is a common cause of Outlook faults, and a fresh one often fixes them. The reassuring bit: for Microsoft 365, Exchange and IMAP accounts your email lives on the server, so a new profile simply re-downloads everything - nothing is lost. Here's the safe way to do it, with the one exception (POP) to watch out for.
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Will I lose email if I recreate my Outlook profile?
For the accounts most people have - Microsoft 365, Exchange, or IMAP (including Gmail and Outlook.com) - the answer is no. Your messages, folders, contacts and calendar all live on the mail server. A profile is just Outlook's local settings for connecting to it, so when you create a fresh profile and add your account back, Outlook re-downloads everything from the server. You end up with the same mailbox, minus the corruption that was causing trouble.
There is one important exception: POP accounts. A POP account often pulls mail down and removes it from the server, which means the copy on your PC - the .pst file - can be the only copy in existence. If you have a POP account, you must back up that .pst file first. If you're not sure which type you have, check under File > Account Settings, or let us look before anything changes.
Two things don't always carry across a new profile: your email signatures and any local rules. Note them down first so you can pop them back afterwards.
// WINDOWS PCS ONLY
We do not support Outlook on Apple Macs, iPads or iPhones. Apple does not allow our remote-support tool to take control of an iPad or iPhone (an Apple restriction), and our remote support covers Windows PCs only. On an Apple device, Microsoft’s own Outlook help is the place to start.
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The steps from this guide, one at a time. Tick each one off and it shows the next. Nothing here leaves your device.Last reviewed 11 October 2026
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01Check account type and back up POP
In Outlook, File > Account Settings, note whether each account is IMAP, Exchange/Microsoft 365 or POP. If any is POP, copy its .pst file to a safe folder first.
Done that step? -
02Note signatures and rules
Copy your signature text from File > Options > Mail > Signatures and review your rules under Manage Rules & Alerts, as these don't always transfer.
Done that step? -
03Open Mail in Control Panel
Close Outlook. Open Control Panel (not the Settings app), set view to large icons, click Mail (Microsoft Outlook), then Show Profiles.
Done that step? -
04Add a new profile
Click Add, give the profile a name such as Outlook2, and click OK.
Done that step? -
05Add your account
Enter your name and email address. For Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com, complete the Microsoft sign-in window that appears; for IMAP or POP, use Manual setup to enter the server details. Outlook then connects and prepares to sync.
Done that step? -
06Set it as the default profile
On the Show Profiles screen, choose Always use this profile and select your new profile from the drop-down, then click OK.
Done that step? -
07Open Outlook and restore extras
Launch Outlook - it opens the new profile and downloads mail from the server. If prompted, finish signing in. Once everything is present, re-add your signatures and rules.
Done that step?
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Recreate your Outlook profile without losing your emails - the fix order (365techies.co.uk/recreate-outlook-profile-without-losing-emails/) 1. Check account type and back up POP: In Outlook, File > Account Settings, note whether each account is IMAP, Exchange/Microsoft 365 or POP. If any is POP, copy its.pst file to a safe folder first. 2. Note signatures and rules: Copy your signature text from File > Options > Mail > Signatures and review your rules under Manage Rules & Alerts, as these don't always transfer. 3. Open Mail in Control Panel: Close Outlook. Open Control Panel (not the Settings app), set view to large icons, click Mail (Microsoft Outlook), then Show Profiles. 4. Add a new profile: Click Add, give the profile a name such as Outlook2, and click OK. 5. Add your account: Enter your name and email address. For Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com, complete the Microsoft sign-in window that appears; for IMAP or POP, use Manual setup to enter the server details. Outlook then connects and prepares to sync. 6. Set it as the default profile: On the Show Profiles screen, choose Always use this profile and select your new profile from the drop-down, then click OK. 7. Open Outlook and restore extras: Launch Outlook - it opens the new profile and downloads mail from the server. If prompted, finish signing in. Once everything is present, re-add your signatures and rules. Still stuck? 365 Techies fix it remotely: 01202 775566 - https://365techies.co.uk/remote-support/// NEED THIS FIXED RIGHT NOW?
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Do these in order
How to create a new Outlook profile the safe way
You'll do this from the Windows Control Panel, not from inside Outlook. Close Outlook first.
- Check your account type and back up if POP. In Outlook open File > Account Settings > Account Settings and note whether each account is IMAP, Exchange/Microsoft 365 or POP. If any is POP, copy its .pst file (find its location on the Data Files tab) to a safe folder before going further.
- Note your signatures and rules. Open File > Options > Mail > Signatures and copy the text somewhere safe, and glance at your rules under File > Manage Rules & Alerts - these don't always transfer.
- Open Mail in Control Panel. Close Outlook. Open the Windows Control Panel (search for it in Start - not the Settings app), set view to large icons, and click Mail (Microsoft Outlook). Then click Show Profiles. If you don't see a Mail icon, open Outlook once and close it, then try again.
- Add a new profile. Click Add, give it a name like "Outlook2", and click OK.
- Add your account. Enter your name and email address. For a Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com account, a Microsoft sign-in window appears - sign in there (with your password and any two-factor prompt) rather than typing a password into the old box, because these accounts now use modern sign-in. For IMAP or POP you may need Manual setup to enter the server details. Outlook then connects and prepares to sync from the server.
- Set it as the default profile. Back on the Show Profiles screen, choose Always use this profile and pick your new one from the drop-down, then click OK.
- Open Outlook. Launch Outlook - it opens the new profile and downloads your mail from the server. If it asks you to finish signing in on first launch, do so. Once you're happy it's all there, re-add your signatures and rules.
Leave the old profile in place until you've confirmed everything is present in the new one - there's no rush to delete it.
Where does your email actually live?
When a new profile is safe, and when your email might be only on this PC, in 42 seconds.
An animated diagram with a spoken guide and captions.
What the film says
Where does your email actually live? Usually, not on your computer. It’s kept by your email company, like BT, Sky or Gmail. Your computer and your phone each show you a copy of the same email. So if your old email program stops working, your email is still there. A new program shows it again. But some older programs, like Outlook Express, were often set up to move email onto one computer. Then it’s only on that PC. Your phone can’t see it, and if the PC fails, it can be lost. Not sure which you have? Ring us before you change anything.
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// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Does a new Outlook profile delete my emails?
For Microsoft 365, Exchange and IMAP accounts, no. Your mail lives on the server and a fresh profile simply re-downloads it. The only account type at risk is POP, where the .pst on your PC can be the only copy - so back that up first. When in doubt, check File > Account Settings for your account type.
How do I know if I have a POP account?
In Outlook go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings and look at the Type column for each account. If it says POP, treat the local .pst file as precious and copy it somewhere safe before making a new profile. IMAP, Exchange and Microsoft 365 accounts keep their mail on the server, so they're safe.
Why can't I just type my password when adding a Microsoft 365 account?
Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com now use modern authentication, so instead of a plain password box you get a Microsoft sign-in window - the same one you'd see on the web - where you enter your password and any two-factor code. The old Control Panel Mail applet can't set up these accounts with a typed password alone, so let the sign-in window appear and complete it there. IMAP and POP accounts still use the traditional server settings.
Will my signatures and rules come across to the new profile?
Not reliably. Email signatures and locally-stored rules are tied to the old profile and often don't carry over. Before you switch, copy your signature text from File > Options > Mail > Signatures and note your rules under Manage Rules & Alerts, so you can recreate them in the new profile in a couple of minutes.
Should I delete the old profile straight away?
No - keep it until you've confirmed everything is present in the new profile. Once your mail, folders, contacts and calendar have all synced down and you've re-added signatures and rules, you can remove the old profile from Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles if you wish.
Can you rebuild my Outlook profile for me?
Yes. Call 365 Techies on 01202 775566 and we'll do it remotely, safely, usually within minutes - and we'll check your account type first so nothing is ever at risk. You watch every step with Splashtop, we phone you first, and access ends as soon as it's done. We're Windows specialists in Bournemouth.
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