Outlook has blacked out displays where email, subject other boxes should be readable

Hi RichHC,

If you are using the Outlook client, please provide us with the following information:

1. The detailed version of your Outlook client. Check it by navigating to File > Office Account > Office Updates. It looks like 16.0.6965.2115.

2. A screenshot about the blacked area as you mentioned.

3. Does the issue happen on the new emails you created or all the emails in your mailbox?

4. Do any other people around you meet the same issue?

In addition, please try the following steps:

1. Use Outlook Web App with your account and confirm whether the issue occurs. This can help us confirm whether this issue is related to the Outlook client or the account.

2. Open your Outlook client in safe mode. This can disable those Outlook add-ins and help us determine whether the issue is related to add-ins. To open Outlook in safe mode: click on Start > in search, type 'outlook /safe' (Note: there is the space but not quotation marks in the command)

Regards,

Barry

Based on older, somewhat related advice I saw, I eliminated a few Add-Ins and rebooted (outlook - Options - Add-Ins - Go - then unchecked several).  The issue went away.  I believe it will happen again - I will book mark this Q&A and come back when/if it does.

Thank you for responding.

Hi RichHC,

Glad to hear the issue is solved by disable add-ins. If you want to find out which add-ins cause this issue, you can enable them one by one and check whether they affect your user experience.

Given the current situation, please monitor Outlook and if the issue occurs again, please feel free to let us know.

Thanks,

Barry

OK, now this "black out" issue is happening in other applications, most notably Word (and Outlook).  Here is a screen shot when I open Word.  I have no idea what it says.  Help!

OK.  Follow-up.  I was at a public place, did not have power (on battery) and what I think the issue is...I did not have my external hard drive plugged into the USB.  My WD 8 Gig stays plugged in as I have old CPU stuff on it that I want to occasionally access.  Now I am rethinking this.

Back at my home office now with power and WD attached and the Word issue is gone.  (Still confusing as I am not storing these Word docs on the WD...)  However the Outlook black out remains.  A picture of what is happening is below.

Hi RichHC,

Thanks for your update.

Please provide the following information for further troubleshooting:

1. The detailed version of your Outlook client.

2. I noticed that this issue was resolved by disabling add-ins before, so did you add some add-ins to your Outlook client later?

3. As the screenshot is about the received email, does this issue occur when you create a new email?

In addition, please try the following steps:

1. Use Outlook online repair to check whether the problem is caused by the Outlook client. You can go to Control panel –> Programs -> Programs and Features -> right click Office 365 and choose change -> choose online repair.

2. Use Office Configuration Analyzer Tool (OffCAT) to analyze your Outlook client. After the analyzation, please provide the report through Private Message for us.

3. If you are using an Office 365 account, please try using Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

Regards,

Barry

I believe the detailed version of my Outllook client is:  Version 1611 (Build 7571.2129)

I did not manually do anything regarding Add-Ins being restored.

The screen shot is a new e-mail.  It happens with both.

I will try the additional steps.  Thank you.

None of the additional steps works.  

- Online repair did not solve the issue.

- Support and recoverty assistant did not work

- As far as the report coming out of the OffCAT tool, this was also blacked out so unreadable.  Pretty frustrating (see picture).   

So please note, this blacked out font/fill issue is throughout my computer systems.  A;most  every menu or pop-up box I look at is unreadable.

Suggestion?

Hi RichHC,

Let us know the updates when you have time.

Thanks,

Barry