Are you facing ‘Pii codes’ errors with your Outlook account? Well, then, before we begin with the process let us introduce you briefly to Microsoft Outlook and what is ‘Pii codes’ error about. Microsoft Outlook is known to be one of the most efficient as well as convenient email clients today in the world. The users can send and receive emails, schedule meetings, keep track of appointments, create or view tasks and also manage contacts.
Now even though it is one of the best email clients; issues also arise frequently that lead to errors, like the ‘Pii code’ error. This sort of error appears with various codes but it starts with the ‘Pii Suffix’ such as (pii_email_91f9ffb65c3c156df). You should know that this is a critical error as it prevents Outlook users from sending or receiving new emails which leads to performance issues.
What are the Reasons for Pii Codes Error in Outlook?
There are several reasons for the ‘Pii codes’ error, however, the problem with the user’s email account settings or Outlook client are the common issues that users have come across more often. In addition, the issue may also occur due to the following;
- If there is a recent change in your password
- There’s a problem with the mailbox server
- An outdated Outlook software
- A damaged MS Office or Outlook program files
- Or a corrupt or damaged Outlook data file (PST)
What are the Methods to Resolve the Pii Codes Error in Outlook?
The following methods discussed below are to troubleshoot and fix the Pii code errors faced in Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021 versions:
Method 1 – Verify the Email Settings
Follow these to check your email account settings and ensure that they are correct and up to date;
- You would need to open Outlook and then go to ‘File > Account Settings > Account Settings’.
- Next, if you need to change, you should select the email account from the ‘Email’ tab and then click on the ’Change’ button.
Method 2 – Create a New Profile
To be able to fix and overcome the Pii code error you can choose to create a new profile:
- Firstly, you need to close Outlook and then open the ‘Control panel’.
- After that, you need to go to the ‘User Accounts > Mail’ section.
- And then you should click on ‘Show Profiles’.
- You now need then click on the ‘Add’ button type the profile name and click on OK.
- Next, you must enter the account credentials to sign in and add your email account to this new profile.
- After which you should close the ‘Mail setup’ window and then start Outlook.
- You will now have to choose the new profile.
- Lastly, you should check if the Pii code error has been resolved or not.
Method 3 – Updating Outlook
You should know that keeping Outlook updated not only helps to ensure security but also helps in avoiding issues and errors, including ‘Pii code’ errors. Therefore to check and make sure Outlook is up to date you must follow these steps:
- You would need to first open Outlook and go to ‘File > Office Accounts > Update Options > Update Now’.
- However, in some cases, you might not find this option in Outlook. But in this case, you can download and install the Outlook updates from Windows updates.
After you have done the update then you should restart Outlook and check if the ‘Pii code’ error has been fixed.
Method 4 – Disable or remove Add-ins
You must already know that incompatible or faulty add-ins could cause issues and errors in Outlook. Therefore choosing to disable or remove such add-ins can help resolve the errors.
Follow the mentioned steps to disable or remove add-ins:
- First of all, you will need to Open Outlook and go to ‘File > Options > Add-ins’.
- Next, you would need to click on the ‘Go…’ button.
- And now you must uncheck all the add-ins and then click on the OK button.
- After that, you just need to restart your Outlook.
In case this does not help, you should restart Outlook in Safe Mode and then just disable the add-ins.
If you need to start Outlook in ‘Safe Mode’ you will need to press ‘Windows + R, type outlook.exe/safe’, and then just hit on the ‘Enter’ key.
Method 5 – Repairing Outlook
So now in case none of the above-given methods work out then you can try and repair the Outlook or MS Office program; follow these steps to do so:
- You must start by opening the ‘Control Panel’ and then go to ‘Program > Uninstall program’.
- Next, you will need to select Microsoft Office from the list of installed programs and then click on the ‘Change’ button.
- Now in the wizard, you have to choose the ‘Repair’ option and just complete the repair process.
Method 6 – Repairing the Outlook data file
In case nothing else helps in fixing the ‘Pii code’ error, then you can try repairing the ‘PST’ file. This is because Outlook stores your messages and other mail items in the PST file. And when the file becomes too large or gets damaged then this could definitely cause errors in Outlook.
So when you repair the PST file you could possibly have the error resolved. Follow the steps below to repair the PST file in Outlook:
- You will need to first close Outlook and navigate to the C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/Officexx’ folder.
- After doing so, you would need to find the scanst.exe and launch it.
- Next, you should click on the ‘Browse’ button to select the PST file.
- Now, when you have selected the PST, you should click on the ‘Start’ button. Doing this action will start scanning the PST file for errors and inconsistencies.
- At last, when the scanning is done you just need to click on the ‘Repair’ button. The SCANPST.exe will attempt to repair the PST file.
Now after the repair is done you can start Outlook and the error should be resolved.
Nevertheless, if not so, and SCANPST.exe failed to repair your PST file or stopped responding then you can choose to use an advanced Outlook PST repair tool, such as ‘Stellar Repair for Outlook’.
Now unlike SCANPST.exe Stellar Repair for Outlook software can repair severely damaged files of size 50 GB or more with complete precision. It even makes sure to maintain the original folder structure and hierarchy. Moreover, it also helps to save the recovered mail items in a new PST file so that you can import them into your Outlook profile, account or Microsoft 365/live Exchange Server in order to restore the mail items.
Some Tips to Prevent Pii Codes Error
Do you know that by following some best practices you can easily void and prevent the Pii codes error from occurring in the future? Yes, you can definitely do so, and some of these errors you can prevent include the following;
- Keep your Outlook updated: You must make sure that you check and install the latest Outlook updates to prevent Outlook errors, including Pii code errors also.
- Avoid installing third-party add-ins: You must keep in mind not to install add-ins from untrusted or third-party sites as they could be faulty or incompatible. This is because they can lead to Outlook performance issues and various errors.
Conclusion
Now you must be all clear about the Pii codes error in Outlook and how frustrating it can be as it hampers communication, moreover, it prevents you from sending or receiving messages. We therefore hope that the above step-by-step methods help in resolving the issues. But if not so then you need not worry you can just directly contact the eligible technicians who are dedicated to assisting you right away with the needful.
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