After some people interfaced with CrowdStrike software, they noticed several cases of their Outlook email behaving problematically. These problems could be in the form of Outlook not sending and receiving emails, losing connection suddenly, or showing error messages. This article will take you through a step-by-step approach to help you fix your issues and have your Outlook email return to normal operation.
Understanding the Problem
CrowdStrike systems can protect your computer from malware, ransomware, and other threats. However, this extensive monitoring and blocking may lead to interference with other software like Outlook. If it misclassifies processes within Outlook as threatening, then this system might block them or limit them, causing functionality issues.
Step 1: Check CrowdStrike Configuration
The first thing is to check the settings of your CrowdStrike application. You can access the CrowdStrike platform using your own user account or that of a system administrator on your computer. Look for any security policies or settings which could have an effect on Outlook. Whitelist Outlook and its related processes in CrowdStrike’s control settings. Doing so will tell CrowdStrike that Outlook is secure and should never be interfered with.
Step 2: Update Software
Outdated versions of either Outlook or CrowdStrike can cause compatibility issues. For both applications, check for updates. Installing new updates can resolve conflicts between the two resulting in the proper functioning of your Outlook. The process of updating Outlook involves going to the ‘File’ menu, then ‘Office Account’, and thereafter ‘Update options’. On the other hand, updating CrowdStrike will depend upon the particular configuration since it is often done by IT professionals.
Step 3: Restart Outlook in Safe Mode
If problems persist, then you should try launching Outlook in safe mode to see whether third-party integrations are at fault. This mode runs Outlook without its add-ins or extensions, thus helping identify whether the problem is with those third-party integrations. Therefore, to open Outlook in safe mode, you should click on the Outlook icon whilst holding the Ctrl key and answer “Yes” when prompted. If it functions well in safe mode, then you should identify one add-in at a time that is causing the trouble.
Step 4: Repair Outlook
Outlook profiles can sometimes be corrupt, leading to problems of their own. To fix this, use the following steps:
- Close Outlook and go to the control panel.
- Select ‘Mail’ and then click on ‘Show Profiles’.
- Choose your profile in Outlook and press ‘Properties’.
- Under ‘Mail Setup’, click ‘Email Accounts’.
- On the data files tab, choose your account and select “Open File Location.”
- Close Account Settings and Mail Setup windows.
- In the file location window, right-click on the Outlook data file (.pst) and choose properties.
- Click Advanced, Run as Administrator.
- Now, open SCANPST.EXE (Microsoft Outlook Inbox repair tool) and follow the instructions provided there to perform repairs on the file.
Step 5: Contact Support
If you have experienced such challenges yet are still stuck somewhere along the way, reach out for help from both the Bigpond Customer Support team as well as the CrowdStrike administrator. There could be further integration issues or specific configurations causing the interference.
Conclusion
The combination of using CrowdStrike alongside Microsoft’s email service can cause these errors which may complicate your email system, but by following these steps one can expect a resolution most of the time. Regular updates, proper configuration, and occasional repairs will be able to maintain seamless operation between cybersecurity measures and essential applications, including Outlook.