Microsoft fixes bug causing Outlook to freeze when copying text

Microsoft has fixed a known issue causing the classic Outlook email client to stop responding when copying text with the CTRL+C keyboard shortcut.

The bug mainly affected Microsoft 365 users on the Current Channel Version 2409 (Build 18025.20096) or higher when using languages with an IME (Input Method Editor).

"When you select text in a classic Outlook email and then use the copy shortcut Ctrl+C, Outlook may hang or freeze," Microsoft said when it first acknowledged the issue in November.

The company now says it has a fix for this bug, which has already been released for users in the Beta Channel who install classic Outlook Version 2501 (Build 18410.15040).

Customers in the Current Channel Preview will have to wait for the fix to roll out later this month, while other channels will get it according to the following schedule:

• Current Channel: Version 2501 (Build 18429.20000), expected to ship around 1/27/25
• Monthly Enterprise Channel: Version 2501 (18429.20000), which will ship on 3/11/25

Until then, Microsoft offers affected Microsoft 365 customers several temporary fixes to work around this known issue.

Users can revert to a previous Input Method Editor version using instructions available on the Revert to a previous version of an IME support page. You can do this by opening the Settings app, searching for "IME settings," selecting their language's IME settings, clicking General, and enabling the "Use previous version of Microsoft IME" option.

Microsoft also advises reverting Outlook to the previous build, which isn't affected by this bug. To do so, search for Command Prompt in the Windows search box, right-click the Command Prompt icon, and click Run as administrator.

Next, you have to paste the following commands in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter after each:

 
cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun 
officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.17928.20156

In August, the company shared temporary workarounds for more known issues, including ones that caused Outlook crashes after opening and triggered Gmail sign-in issues for classic Outlook users.

One month later, Microsoft fixed a bug that crashed Microsoft 365 apps, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and OneNote, when typing or spell-checking a text.