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Fix Excel 2016 Share to Email Not Working on Remote Desktop
Question details
The user is unable to use the Share to Email function in Excel 2016 on a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) 2016 environment, despite the feature working correctly in Word on the same machine.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 2016
- Device & OS
- Windows Server 2016 (Remote Desktop Services)
- Scenario
- Attempting to share an Excel spreadsheet directly via email using the built-in Share to Email function in an RDS environment.
- Observed behavior
- The Share to Email function fails in Excel 2016, even though it works in Word, Windows/Office are updated, and Office repair has been attempted.
Ensure that your default email client in Windows is explicitly set to Outlook 2016 and that you have administrative privileges on your Remote Desktop Services environment before making system changes.
Check and Resolve Outlook Version Conflicts
Having multiple versions of Outlook or residual registry keys from older versions can break the Share to Email integration in Excel.
Conflicting Outlook clients are a common cause of applications failing to send files via email. Removing older versions ensures Excel communicates with the correct MAPI components.
Open the Windows Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features.
Scroll through the list of installed programs and look for any older versions of Microsoft Outlook or legacy Office suites (such as Office 2013 or 2010).
Right-click any older or redundant Outlook installations and select Uninstall. Make sure to keep only Microsoft Outlook 2016.
Restart the server or log out and back into the RDS session. Open Excel 2016 and test the Share to Email feature again.
Investigate Problematic Security Updates
Certain Office security updates have historically broken the email integration feature. Identifying them can help apply specific Microsoft hotfixes.
Use WPS Office for Seamless Email Integration
If Excel and Outlook integration issues persist on your Remote Desktop environment, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative with built-in features to easily send your spreadsheets as email attachments.
- 1. Open Your File: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your workbook.
- 2. Access the Share Menu: Click the 'Menu' button in the top left corner and select 'Share'.
- 3. Send via Email: Click 'Email' to automatically launch your default mail client with the spreadsheet attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Share to Email work in Word but not in Excel?
Word and Excel handle MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) calls differently. A registry conflict, a specific Excel security update, or multiple installed Outlook versions might disrupt Excel's ability to communicate with the mail client while leaving Word unaffected.
How do I set Outlook 2016 as my default email client for Excel?
Go to Windows Settings > Apps > Default apps, click on the 'Email' section, and select Microsoft Outlook 2016 from the list. This ensures Excel knows which application to launch when sharing files.
Does running an Office Repair fix Outlook integration issues?
While a Quick or Online Repair of Microsoft Office can fix broken file associations or missing core files, it often does not resolve issues caused by conflicting Outlook versions or bugs introduced by recent Windows security updates.
