There are different functions, operations, and settings in MS Outlook to manage and organize emails. ‘Rules’ is one such Outlook feature that helps manage emails by allowing the users to flag, move, and reply to emails automatically. The users can also use the rules to display alerts for new items or shift messages to folders. The rules in MS Outlook are set up based on the default settings.
Sometimes users face issues with rules, such as Outlook rules are not working. This post will discuss some easy techniques to help resolve the Outlook rules that are not working issue and reset the Outlook rules.
Reasons for the Outlook Rules Not Working Issue:
Various reasons may cause the Outlook rule not to work correctly:
- The rules might have exceeded the quota set up for the mailbox data
- There might be corruption in send/receive setting file
- The rules are established for one system only
How to Fix Rules Not Working Problem?
Below, we’ve mentioned the methods to fix the ‘Outlook rules not working’ issue and to reset rules in Outlook.
Method 1: Reduce Space Occupied by the Inbox
In Exchange 2010 and 2007, the default size quota for Outlook Inbox rules is 64 KB, while it is 32 KB in Exchange 2003. If the number of created rules exceeds this limit, you won’t be able to create new ones, and the current ones may also stop working. You can, however, manually increase the size limit (256 KB is the maximum limit).
You can increase the size quota of Outlook rules using the below PowerShell cmdlet:
Set-Mailbox -Identity (MailboxIdentity) -RulesQuota “(NewQuotaSize)” Set-Mailbox -Identity (MailboxIdentity) -RulesQuota “(NewQuotaSize)”
Herein, the (MailboxIdentity) represents the desired mailbox identity, and (NewQuotaSize) means the (incremented) quota size, which can range between 32 KB and 256 KB.
What happens if the quota cap has already been reached?
If the quota limit has already been reached the 256 KB limit, you can reduce the space taken by the rules. The number of conditions in a rule, the length of the rule’s name, and other factors influence the space occupied by Outlook rules. You can reduce the size of the rules by doing the following:
- Remove any restrictions that are no longer in effect
- Renaming rules, having long and complex names, with shorter names
- Merging identical rules
Method 2: Resetting the SRS File
Outlook rules may not work if the send/receive settings file (SRS) is corrupted. To ensure that the rules work properly, you can clear the SRS file. These are the actions to take:
- Navigate to: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook.
- Now, rename the Outlook.srs file to Outlook.srs.old.
- Finally, restart your MS Outlook.
Method 3: Change the Client-Based Rules to Server-Based Rules
Client-based and server-based rules are the two types of Outlook rules. Client-based rules are only effective when the Outlook email client is open. For example, this message appears if you use the Rules Wizard to create a client-based rule:
When a rule is client-based, Outlook may stop operating after receiving emails. The reason could be that the rules are not working in your MS Outlook version. If you want your Outlook rules to work even if Outlook isn’t operating, you should log in to your account using the OWA and then, recreate the rules.
Method 4: Delete and Recreate the Rules
If the above options fail or the rules get corrupted or damaged, you can remove and recreate the rules. Follow these steps to do so:
- Close MS Outlook and then navigate to the Start Menu.
- In the search box, enter exe/cleanrules.
- Hit the Enter key, once your system found the exe/cleanrules command-line switch. All rules in Outlook will be deleted as of a result of this action.
- In Outlook, you will find a Rules Wizard. You can rebuild the rules from there.
If only a few rules aren’t working, you can remove them selectively rather than the entire set and then reset Outlook rules. To do so, follow these steps:
- At first, start the MS Outlook and browse to the File Menu.
- Click Manage Rules & Alerts to bring up the Rules and Alerts dialog box.
- In the Rules & Alerts dialog box, select the rules you want to remove and press the Delete key.
In some cases, corruption in PST files does not allow the Rules or even the entire Outlook to work properly. If the PST file corrupts, you can repair the PST file and then recreate the rules. You can repair your PST file by using a professional PST repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook. This PST repair software can easily repair severely corrupt PST files of any size and is compatible with Outlook 2019, 2013, and earlier versions.
Conclusion:
If you are facing issues with your Outlook rules and want them to be reset instantly, you can try the methods mentioned in this post. You can reduce the Inbox space, reset the SRS file, or delete the rules and rename them. If your PST file is corrupt, you can repair the file by using the Stellar Repair for Outlook software.
Nirmal Sarkar is a Biotechnologist from the city of Joy, Kolkata. He is the founder of this blog and covers a wide range of topics from Gadgets to Software to Latest Offers. You can get in touch with him via nirmal@hitricks.com
