KB5002574: Outlook 2016 on Windows 10 /11 gets better via Group Policy (GPO) edit fixes

In the latter part of last month, Microsoft expanded the release of its Moment 5 feature update to more users through the optional KB5035942 update. In addition to this, the company also introduced a standalone update, KB5036567, for the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) in order to improve compatibility. This WinRE update is expected to address common problems, such as system crashes, black desktop screens, and others, that have been reported by users during the upgrade process.

Besides the aforementioned releases, Microsoft also made available an update for Office 2016 a few days after, catering to both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. These can be obtained manually through the Microsoft Download Center website, and the update’s description is rather vague, only mentioning enhancements to stability and performance.

Update for Microsoft Outlook 2016 (KB5002574) 64-Bit / 32-Bit Edition

Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Outlook 2016 64-Bit Edition. This update provides the latest fixes to Microsoft Outlook 2016 64-Bit Edition. Additionally, this update contains stability and performance improvements.

The KB support document, which was published after the release, provides further information about the updates. The new Group Policy included in the update prevents the external card loop feature. Additionally, the bug with the related Group Policy editor (gpedit.msc) loading has been fixed.

The complete changelog for the update (KB5002574) can be found listed below:

Improvements and fixes

• Introduces a new group policy to block the external card loop feature. The following three states are created for the new policy to make sure that Outlook follows the policy setting:
  • Don’t show automatically
  • Only show automatically within tenant
  • Always show automatically
• Fixes an issue in which the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) doesn’t load correctly after you create a new policy for the blocked external card loop.

To manually download the update, visit the Microsoft Download Center website where you can access both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions by clicking on the links for 32-bit and 64-bit, respectively.