Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Excessive Character Spacing in Outlook Emails

Amos Gikunda Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where text in Outlook emails is rendered with abnormally wide spacing between characters.

How to Fix Excessive Character Spacing in Outlook Emails

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reading or composing emails within the Microsoft Outlook desktop client.
Observed behavior: Outlook displays unusual and excessive spacing between text characters. This display error happens in normal mode but completely disappears when Outlook is launched in Safe Mode.

Before you start

Before resetting your profile or modifying data files, verify that your computer is fully updated and temporarily back up any locally stored emails or contacts to avoid accidental data loss.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Conflicting Outlook Add-ins

Since the text rendering issue does not occur in Safe Mode, a third-party add-in is highly likely to be causing the layout disruption.

Safe Mode starts Outlook with all add-ins disabled. By manually disabling add-ins in normal mode, you can identify which extension is interfering with character spacing.

Open Add-in Settings

Launch Microsoft Outlook normally. Click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner of the ribbon, select 'Options', and then click on 'Add-ins' in the left-hand menu.

Manage COM Add-ins

At the bottom of the Add-ins window, ensure the 'Manage' dropdown menu is set to 'COM Add-ins' and click the 'Go...' button.

Disable Add-ins

Uncheck the boxes next to all active add-ins to disable them, then click 'OK' to save your changes.

Restart and Test

Restart Outlook. If the character spacing is back to normal, re-enable your add-ins one by one, restarting Outlook each time, to isolate the specific add-in causing the problem.

Tip: You can permanently remove problematic add-ins by selecting them in the COM Add-ins menu and clicking 'Remove'.

Solution 2

Reset Outlook View Settings

Customized or corrupted folder view configurations can sometimes cause text rendering and display anomalies.

Solution 3

Create a New Outlook Profile and Repair Office

If add-ins and view resets do not work, a corrupted Outlook profile or damaged Office installation files may be the root cause.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience a Lightweight and Seamless Office Suite with WPS Office

If you are tired of troubleshooting complex Microsoft Office display glitches and profile corruptions, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, fast, and user-friendly experience for all your document needs without the hassle.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installer for your operating system.
2. Install the Suite: Run the installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions to set up the software.
3. Open Your Files Seamlessly: Launch WPS Office and instantly open your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents with perfect formatting.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, including .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.Lightweight installation that runs smoothly without unexpected display or spacing glitches.All-in-one tabbed interface for managing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs.Free to use with a familiar user interface, making your migration effortless.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Outlook email text look spaced out only on my computer?

This is usually caused by a localized display glitch, a conflicting COM add-in, or corrupted view settings in your specific Outlook profile. It rarely means the sender actually formatted the text with wide spacing.

What does opening Outlook in Safe Mode actually do?

Launching Outlook in Safe Mode bypasses customized toolbar settings, turns off the reading pane, and disables all third-party COM add-ins. If an issue disappears in Safe Mode, it strongly indicates that an add-in or custom setting is causing the problem.

Will running outlook.exe /cleanviews delete my emails?

No, the /cleanviews command only resets the visual layout, column configurations, and sorting customizations of your folders back to default. Your emails, contacts, and calendar data remain completely untouched.

How do I safely clear the Outlook cache?

You can clear the Outlook cache by closing the application, pressing Windows Key + R, typing '%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook', and deleting the contents of the 'RoamCache' folder. Outlook will automatically rebuild these files the next time you open it.

Office App Problems