The issue is pretty major and increased dramatically CPU usage, which could go all the way up to 50% when just typing in the app. Microsoft notes that the bug shows up when typing on the classic Outlook for Windows, with some users experiencing a CPU spike of 30 to 50%, which also increases the power consumption. You can see this by opening Task Manager while you type.
Surprisingly, this issue has existed since November of last year, but it just now getting acknowledged by Microsoft. Back then, plenty of users went to social media to report their complaints. In Microsoft’s Community forum, a user explains that while they’re typing, CPU usage goes significantly up, and when they stop, it returns quickly to 1%.
Of course, as any of us would do if we’re experiencing the bug, people have tried deactivating add-ins, Graphic acceleration, and even spell-check options. None of it helped, unfortunately. The issue seems to be affecting users in the Current, Monthly Enterprise, or Insider channels, which are running Outlook Version 2406 Build 17726.20126 and later.
Microsoft is now working on a permanent fix for the irritating bug. Meanwhile, the company recommends that the affected users transition to the Semi-Annual Channel release, which remains unaffected by the bug.
On top of that, it seems the bug is showing only to Windows 11 users, which could potentially mean Windows 10 users are spared (although they have other troubles to deal with.)
To switch to the Semi-Annual Channel, you can either use the Office Deployment tool or if you’re more tech-savvy, you can also go for a registry key addition. Both ways are detailed in Microsoft’s support document acknowledging the bug.
To add the registry key, these are the instructions:
- Open a Command Prompt, select Run as administrator
- Paste the command: reg add HKLMSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftoffice16.0commonofficeupdate /v updatebranch /t REG_SZ /d SemiAnnual
- Hit enter
- Then, go to File, then Office Account, then Update Options, and select “Update Now” to switch to the Semi-Annual Channel.
For now, that’s the only workaround available if the bug is affecting you and draining your CPU power. That’s especially annoying if you’re on a laptop, as the subsequent battery drain may be a huge bother if you’re out and about.
