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Some encrypted emails are broken in Microsoft's Classic Outlook, meaning you may be unable to read some of your messages.
Microsoft first confirmed the problems on Jan. 6, when it admitted that a recent update (Current Channel Version 2511 build 19426.20218) broke how "Encrypt Only" emails work on the platform. If you’re impacted, you’ll find that encrypted emails now say, "This message with restricted permission cannot be viewed in the reading pane until you verify your credentials."
Classic Outlook tells you to open the email to "read its contents and verify your credentials," but that doesn't work. Instead you’ll find an attachment titled message_v2.rpmsg and a blank screen.
Microsoft says it's working on a fix, but there’s no clear timeline for when that'll happen. Keep an eye on Microsoft's support forums.
In the meantime, Microsoft provided two workarounds for senders, but they’re not ideal for the average user. If the sender heads to Options > Encrypt, they can select either Encrypt or Do Not Forward which ensures the message is viewable when sent.
The other more complicated option is to revert to a previous build of Classic Outlook so your sent messages are viewable. Microsoft recommends saving all your current projects across Office applications and closing its software before doing this.
The next step is to open an elevated Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key and X at the same time. Then, select Terminal (Admin) in Windows 11 or Command Prompt (Admin) in earlier versions of the software.
You'll need admin access to use this fix. In this box, run the below prompt to revert to an earlier version of the software:
"%programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\officec2rclient.exe" /update user updatetoversion=16.0.19426.20186