Outlook 2016 CTR - Signature Button and Stationery and Fonts Button not working

When you followed that article, did you adjust the path for Office 2016?

Mine is

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE

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Hi Shaun,

Yes, my path is the same as yours:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE

I have that path in both (default)  (REG_SZ) and LocalServer32 (REG_MULTI_SZ) in these keys:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{0006F03A-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\LocalServer32
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{0006F03A-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\LocalServer32

I have also:

Quick Repaired Office
Full Repaired Office
Uninstalled and Reinstalled Office

Of course I restart my PC after everything I try.

The behavior never changes.  My Signatures button highlights, all Office windows lock up for around 30 secs, and then the button goes back to white and the windows respond again - but no signature form appears.

I'm open to paying for live tech help if someone can help me figure this out!

Thanks,
Armen

No other ideas?  I'm resorting to keeping a draft email open so that I can copy and paste my own signature into every new email.  Please save me from this barbaric approach.  :)

Thanks,
Armen

I discovered after I wrote the prior comment that I had another problem- two entries on the start menu for each of the office apps, e.g., two of word, excel, etc.

I should mention that this is a new PC, and I've had issues with Office since day one. Office apps would run by clicking on files, but none were in the Start menu, and office would not uninstall from control panel (I don't remember if it was listed there or not). An MS tech "fixed" this by creating a second admin user and uninstalling then reinstalling office. Unfortunately, I then had duplicate entries for the Office apps. I created a third user, did uninstall, deleted profiiles, reinstalled, and seemed to be ok.(although the install hung and had to be restarted). I deleted the tech's admin user.
Then I discovered this problem with signatures, and tried to fix with this registry fix. No go. After that, I discovered that the duplicate apps were back. I deleted Office again, by going through control panel, then individually deleting the set of office apps still on the start menu. I left the profiles in place. I then deleted the original admin user, leaving only the new admin user I created. I reinstalled Office. Now I don't have duplicate apps, and signature works.

I can't be 100% sure, but it seems like I may have resolved my issues. It appears the root of the problem is that 30 day Office free trial getting registered. As a bolster to this theory, Dell has a long and detailed page on getting rid of Office365 trial.

Hi Nelson,

Interesting!  I also have duplicate Start menu entries for the Office programs.  In each case, one says "New" and the other doesn't.

I've worked for hours with MS tech support, and they never checked that, and I never noticed it (I launch programs just by hitting Windows key and typing the first few letters - I rarely look at the actual list.)

I've been through many cycles of uninstalling and reinstalling Office, and deleting and rebuilding profiles.  I've even once reset to the Lenovo factory image and started over!  My Signatures buttons still don't work, and I've also discovered that I can't edit Contacts - if I try to change an address or phone number, Outlook freezes for about a minute and the change isn't saved.

Do you have instructions of what you would recommend I try at this point?  Or better, would you be willing to look at it with me?  I'm happy to pay for some 1:1 tech help.

Thanks,
Armen

Hi, Armen,
Not as much as you, I still spent a good amount of time with MS. Unfortunately, only one of the several people I talked to seemed to be technical folks, including a couple of supposed Level 2 techs. They all tried hard.

It sounds like you've tried almost everything, the only question being whether you did them in the "right" sequences. And I can't guarantee that what I did (or think I did) is truly the solution.

If all you had was the signatures and contacts problems, I would aim you at a registry fix that's on Diane Poremsky's Slipstick site.

A question- did your PC come with a trial version of Office? Which version?

Nelson

Hi Nelson,

I've confirmed that my Lenovo shows Office 2016 Trial on the invoice.  There's only one version of Office listed in Add/Remove Programs, but when I launch the two Start menu shortcuts into, say, Excel, it shows two different versions!  (1701, which I reverted to and blocked updates, and 1801).

I've already tried the Slipstick tips, no joy.

I'll keep working with MS, or try to eradicate ALL traces of Office and then reinstall.  Sheesh.

Thanks,
Armen

I suspect that I may have had some extra steps in my solution- but I seemed to need them.

I want to second Armen's comment that it appears Microsoft has a problem with the trial installation of Office. Clearly, from my experience and the statements by Microsoft Level Two, it was a known problem. As I recall, the tech didn't even stop to think about what the problem was. But also, the solution provided did not work. I do hope that Microsoft finds, documents, and hopefully soon, fixes this problem.