New Outlook versus older Mail and Calendar

I've tried the New Outlook that you can toggle for or be switched to without choice from the Mail and Calendar app but I just don't like it. It's cluttered and shows an ad at the top that looks like an email. Plus it's clunky how it starts to load the Mail and Calendar app and then is forwarded to the New Outlook. Plus notifications are not working correctly.

I know that Microsoft is changing the Mail and Calendar app to the New Outlook but I was wondering if there is a way to stop it from updating or from offering the dismiss option until they truly force it as the new Mail app which I've read won't happen until the end of 2024.

I've uninstalled the New Outlook but it keeps redownloading a few days later in the Microsoft store. Can I block it from reinstalling?

Any other things I can do?

I use thunderbird to manage my emails (keep it closed normally) but sometimes I do interact with Mail and Calendar and it works fine and simply and I like that the notifications on it work well. Plus no ads.

Added: I turned off Microsoft Store app updates and I'll just do it manually from time to time and delete the download when it appears.

Hi, like you I guess I groaned when I first saw the info about the Calendar app disappearing (I vowed never to use MS for email after they twice kicked me by ditching Outlook express, then Winmail (Win 7).

The Mail app is no loss- it's (was) terribly restricted in some ways. (E.g. as it took no parameters, Mailto could not work with it).

I don't know of any way to stop that 'upgrade' and still have any form of updating occurring.
When my 'upgrade' to New Outlook occurred I got a failure message (uninterpretable/unknown).
Despite that, clearly my Calendar settings are still active, and I get notifications, but have no control of them other than when they appear.

Thunderbird has a complete calendar feature, but like any such 3rd party program that means you need to leave it running and such programs will not be neatly integrated with the Action Centre as Calendar was.

I'm experimenting with 2 free calendar programs@
Desktop Reminder 3, and me Calendar (a Store app which is quite cute but takes a little getting used to).

Here's how I deal with mail scanning and notifications- I use Pop peeper (free/paid)- sits in the tray, scans all accounts periodically, shows a configurable notification. It uses around 16MB RAM. I can also manually scan for mail or from any single account.

I can click read and delete mail quickly, and click Reply in that- and that is set to launch Tbird.

Both Tbird and Pop peeper are integrated with the same spam filter program.

Pop peeper can also handle imap.

Once the switch to New Outlook happens, neither Calendar nor Mail are available.

Typical Microsoft - If it ain't broke then break it!

tomseys said:

I've tried the New Outlook that you can toggle for or be switched to without choice from the Mail and Calendar app but I just don't like it. It's cluttered and shows an ad at the top that looks like an email. Plus it's clunky how it starts to load the Mail and Calendar app and then is forwarded to the New Outlook. Plus notifications are not working correctly.

Are you taking about Outlook that is part of Office 365 or some other version of Outlook?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...b-ba7822bc7627

Try launching the Calendar app, for example. You should see a banner across the top.. maybe you'll be offered the 'downgrade' to New Outlook,

dalchina said:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...b-ba7822bc7627

Try launching the Calendar app, for example. You should see a banner across the top.. maybe you'll be offered the 'downgrade' to New Outlook,

Once I saw this footnote for 3rd party (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) accounts, I lost all interest.

With limited capabilities

What is Microsoft trying to do here? Create a walled garden?