Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Outlook From Button Not Working on Windows Desktop

Maira Mehtab Oct 16, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to use the From button to switch sending email addresses in the classic Outlook desktop application.

How to Fix Outlook From Button Not Working on Windows Desktop

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: Windows Desktop
Scenario: Attempting to select a different sender address from the From dropdown menu when composing a new email.
Observed behavior: The From dropdown field stops responding or fails to open due to a faulty Outlook build affecting accounts with multiple email addresses.

Before you start

Confirm that you are using the classic Outlook for Windows desktop application and not Outlook on the web, as this specific bug primarily affects the desktop client.

Solution 1Recommended

Roll Back Microsoft Office to an Earlier Build

Reverting your Office installation to an older, stable version bypasses the bug affecting the From dropdown menu.

A known bug in specific recent builds of Microsoft Office causes the From field to stop responding. Rolling back to the previously installed version is the most reliable workaround until Microsoft releases a permanent fix.

Disable Automatic Updates

Open Outlook, navigate to File > Office Account, click on 'Update Options', and select 'Disable Updates'. This ensures Outlook won't immediately reinstall the faulty build.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Press the Windows key, type 'cmd' in the search bar, right-click on 'Command Prompt', and select 'Run as administrator'.

Execute the Rollback Command

Follow Microsoft's documented rollback procedure by typing 'cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun' and then using the 'officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=[Stable Build Number]' command to revert.

Restart Outlook

Once the update rollback is complete, close the command prompt, restart your computer, and open Outlook to verify the From button works again.

Roll Back Microsoft Office to an Earlier Build

Remember to Re-enable Updates Later: Keep automatic updates disabled for a few weeks. Once Microsoft officially patches the bug, you should re-enable updates from the Office Account menu to maintain software security.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the From button missing or greyed out in Outlook?

The From button is typically hidden or disabled if you only have one email account set up in your Outlook profile. It usually appears and becomes clickable once a second email account or a shared mailbox is added.

Does this unresponsive From button issue affect Outlook on the web?

No, this specific bug is isolated to the classic Outlook desktop application on Windows. Users accessing Outlook through a web browser should be able to use the From dropdown without any issues.

Will rolling back my Outlook build delete my emails?

No, rolling back your Microsoft Office build only changes the application version. Your emails, contacts, and account settings are stored safely in your data files and on the email server, so they will not be affected.

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