Outlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Outlook 2013 Outlook 2010 Outlook 2007 More...Less
Suggest a new document
Outlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Outlook 2013 Outlook 2010 Outlook 2007 More...Less
Suggest a new documentWhen you use Microsoft Outlook as your primary email application, you might come across a time when you need to delete an Outlook profile. This could be due to the profile becoming corrupt, and you find that you receive errors every time you try to access your account. Sometimes you can correct a corrupt file by adding a different profile with a new name, but otherwise, you can delete it through the Control Panel. Occasionally, you may need to delete Outlook profiles through your computer's registry.
To use the Control Panel to delete Outlook profiles [or delete Office 365 accounts]:
You have now deleted your Outlook profile.
If this method doesn't work and you receive a pop-up informing you that you aren't able to delete the Outlook profile until you remove all other Exchange accounts, you need to go into your computer's registry directly via the Registry Editor and delete it there.
Your PC's registry is a single hub where information on your computer's attached hardware, systems options, memory and application programs are stored. When you use the Control Panel, you can edit the registry indirectly, but by using your computer's Registry Editor, you are able to view and edit the registry directly. You can delete Outlook profiles directly from the registry.
To access the Registry Editor, use the Run command as a shortcut to launch it by going to the Start menu and typing Run into the search bar. In the Run command box, type regedit and click OK to launch the Registry Editor.
Inside the Registry Editor, you encounter a series of cascading folders. Follow these steps to find the file you need to edit to delete your Outlook profile:
Before you delete your profile's Outlook registry key, you should make a backup of it. If you don't, it could potentially corrupt your entire operating system, so it's better to be on the safe side and create a backup.
Before you make any manual edits to the registry via the Registry Editor, create a manual backup of the registry entry of your profile. Here's how:
Now that the backup is saved, right-click on the Outlook registry profile file and click Delete. You are asked to confirm the deletion. Confirm that you want to delete it and all of its keys, and the registry entry is then deleted. Close the Registry Editor.
Even if you had to go all the way into the Registry Editor to delete your account, you should be able to create a new one simply. To create a new Outlook profile, follow these steps:
From there, follow any accompanying steps necessary to add your email account to your Outlook profile, and you should be good to continue using your new Outlook profile without any problems.