Microsoft’s “new” Outlook app has received a ton of criticism as it doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor. Even worse, the new version of Outlook comes bundled on new PCs. Fortunately, Microsoft provides a download link for the “old,” better Outlook app — for now.

There have been multiple Microsoft email clients over the years. I use the excellent Windows Mail, which has ominously warned about transitioning to Outlook sometime in 2024. But there are two versions of Outlook: the older, “classic” version and the newer, “modern” version. (We’ve already written about how to get started with this new Outlook app and what you need to know about it.)

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But for those of you who want nothing to do with the new Outlook, there’s another way: download the classic Outlook app using this link (or visit Microsoft’s help page on the subject in case the link changes). If you’ve ever bothered searching for “how to download the old Outlook app,” you can find numerous threads where users complain about it, but links to the actual app are much harder to find.

The aforementioned download link is handy because, according to Microsoft, new PCs might generate an error message even if the “old” Outlook icon shows up in your Start menu. That error message says: “We couldn’t verify and install this because it is not available in the Microsoft Store. To install, download it from the publisher’s website.”

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

Assuming the download link continues to work, installing the old Outlook app isn’t much of a challenge: you can download the setup app, then the app itself. Enter your email address and any passwords or credentials you need to provide, then Microsoft will download the app and sync your various email folders and contacts.

If you already have the new Outlook app installed, the old app won’t replace it. You’ll have to separately pin the old Outlook app to your taskbar or an appropriate location within the Start menu.

Microsoft makes no guarantee that the classic version of Outlook (or, sadly, Windows Mail) will live on. It’s possible that when Windows 11 24H2 is released this October, Microsoft may quietly make the old Outlook go away. But for now, the link is up and running — and it’s the best way to download the classic Outlook app to your PC.

Further reading: Microsoft Outlook tips everyone should know

Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor, PCWorld

Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers’ News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.

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