Email messages aren't sent when you use a template file in Outlook 2010

Original KB number:   3154038

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario:

  • You use Microsoft Outlook 2010 to connect to a mailbox in Exchange Server 2013 or a later version or to Exchange Online in Microsoft 365.
  • Outlook 2010 is configured in online mode, and it uses a .pst file as the default delivery location.
  • You send email messages by using an OFT (.oft) file.

In this scenario, email messages that you send by using the OFT (.oft) file are not always be received by the recipient. The message appears in your Sent Items folder even if the recipient doesn't receive it.

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Workaround 1: Don't use a .pst file as your default delivery location

Instead of using a .pst as your default delivery location, configure Outlook to use Cached Exchange Mode. By default, Cached Exchange mode uses an OST file as the default delivery location. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. On the File tab in Outlook 2010, click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings.
  2. On the Data Files tab, select the Exchange account for which the location is set to Online.
  3. Click Set as Default.
  4. On the E-mail tab, select your Exchange account, and then click Change Folder.
  5. In the Mail Delivery Location window, click Yes.
  6. Select your Exchange email address, and then click OK.
  7. Click Change.
  8. Select the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box.
  9. Click Next, and then click OK.
  10. Click Finish, click Close, exit and then restart Outlook.

After you follow these steps, your Exchange account will be your default delivery location. All the email data that was stored in the .pst file is still stored in the .pst file and not in your Exchange mailbox. If you want to move all the email data from the .pst file to your Exchange mailbox, follow these steps:

  1. On the File tab in Outlook 2010, click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings.
  2. On the Data Files tab, note the location of the Outlook Data File.
  3. Select the Outlook Data File, and then click Remove. Click Yes to confirm.
  4. Click Close.
  5. On the File tab, click Open.
  6. Click Import.
  7. Select Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
  8. Select Outlook Data File (.pst), and then click Next.
  9. Browse to the location that you noted in step 2, select the .pst file, and then click Open.
  10. Select the option that you prefer, and then click Next.
  11. Click Finish.

Workaround 2: Use a later version of Outlook

Outlook 2016 and Outlook 2013 no longer set the default delivery location to a .pst file. Therefore, these versions of Outlook do not experience this issue.

Workaround 3: Don't use OFT (.oft) files

Instead of using an OFT (.oft) file, copy the text to a new email message.

Status

This is a known issue in Outlook 2010.

More information

To determine whether your Outlook 2010 client is configured in the manner that's described in the "Symptoms" section, follow these steps:

  1. On the File tab in Outlook 2010, click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings.

  2. On the E-mail tab, select your Microsoft Exchange account, and then view the location that's listed under Selected account delivers new messages to the following location. If this location is a .pst file, you may experience the issue.

    Screenshot of the Account Settings dialog box in Outlook 2010. Select the Microsoft Exchange account under the E-mail tab, and find the location listed under Selected account delivers new messages to the following location is a .pst file.

  3. On the Data Files tab, view the location that's listed in the Location field for each file. If the location of your email address is set to Online, and the location of the Outlook data file is a .pst file, you may experience this issue.

    Screenshot of the Account Settings dialog box in Outlook 2010. On the Data Files tab, the location of the email address is set to Online, and the location of the Outlook data file is a .pst file.