Outlook 2013 message remains unread even after opening

[PatrickGSR94]

I just built a new office PC with Office 2013 (updated the My System Specs list). I've been using 2010 up until now so it's been taking some getting used to. I've noticed an issue where many times I'll double-click to open a message, but the message remains showing as Unread. I have to close the message, then double click to open it again before it will change to Read status.

I do not use the Reading Pane, I always keep it turned off. I prefer to open the message separately by double-clicking the message. This is mainly an issue on my personal Gmail which is set up as an IMAP account in Outlook. This happened very seldom in 2010, but now in 2013 it seems to be happening much more often, but not all the time.

My work Gmail is set up using Google Apps Sync (a MAPI account according to the list of Outlook data files). This issue may have happened a couple of times on this account, but I'm not sure. It's mainly a problem with the IMAP personal email account.

I have tried Google searching info about this issue, but it seems like all the hits are about MAKING the email remain as unread, where my problem is that it won't change to read after opening, at random times.

 

[Hacb]

perhaps click Mark All as Unread, it should be in the context menu when you right click any e-mail in your inbox.

 

[Ranger4]

Would it be possible for you to utilise the Reading Pane method as it does not seem to have the same problem. I use the Reading Pane & click on each email in turn & read it in the reading pane. You can of course double click on it & read it in it's own windows as well if you prefer to do that.

Not a solution but is a work around.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

I've always been wary of the reading pane I guess from years ago when there was the risk of something malicious in an email automatically opening/running on the computer. I'm sure it's probably not an issue these days with various email and computer security protocols, but it's just one of those habits. Plus I just prefer the way the list of emails looks when the reading pane is off, makes it easier to scroll through and find certain messages.

I never, or almost never, had this issue in 2010 and prior Outlook versions. Seems to only be an issue with 2013.

 

[Ranger4]

The reason is probably that most people use the reading pane method, so they dropped the double click one. Other than that I really can't any other reason.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Ugh still happening, and it's super annoying. Sometimes it seems like nearly half of the messages on my personal email IMAP account do not properly switch to "read" status after opening the message.

And then if it opens while remaining unread, and I click the option to show images in the message, when I close the email it asks me if I want to save changes. Huh? If I click Yes it creates a duplicate of the email message! If I click No it doesn't remember that I chose the option to download images. When the message changes from Unread to Read properly, none of that "save changes?" junk comes up.

It may sound like a minor annoyance, which it is, but when it happens many times a day it gets to be a real time waster.

 

[cyberSAR]

I have developed the same issue on Outlook 2010 for about a couple months. Very random but seems to occur more often if I open an email quickly after starting Outlook. I'm guessing it was caused by one of the past windows / office updates.

 

[Ranger4]

Is there anything in these websites that might help you.

https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...iew-Pane-c788beee-9ee8-416c-9cb2-6d4334fa46aa

https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...iew-Pane-2fd687ed-7fc4-4ae3-8eab-9f9b8c6d53f0

This Youtube video might help as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLxPMDgkGEo

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Thanks, I was not using the Preview Pane at all before. I turned it back on yesterday and it seems to now make all messages change to "read" after I click to another message. It's not ideal for me but I guess it will work for now.