How to Resolve Pii Codes Error in Outlook?

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most efficient and convenient email clients. It allows users to send and receive emails, schedule meetings, keep track of appointments, create or view tasks, and manage contacts.

Though Outlook is a robust email client, it suffers from issues that can lead to errors, such as the Pii code error. This error appears with various codes but starts with the Pii suffix, such as “[pii_email_91e37f9ffb65c3c156df]”. This is a critical error as it prevents Outlook users from sending or receiving new emails and leads to performance issues.

Reasons for Pii Codes Error in Outlook

There could be many reasons behind the Pii error, but problems with the user’s email account settings or Outlook client are the common ones. In addition, it may also occur due to,

• A recent change in the password
• A problem with the mailbox server
• Outdated Outlook software
• Damaged MS Office or Outlook program files
• Corrupt or damaged Outlook data file (PST)

Methods to Resolve the Pii Codes Error in Outlook

Follow the methods discussed below to troubleshoot and fix the Pii code errors in Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Method 1: Verify the Email Settings

Check your email account settings and make sure they are correct and updated. Follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
• If you need to change, select the email account from the Email tab and then click the Change button.

Method 2: Create a New Profile

You can create a new profile to fix and overcome the error. The steps are as follows:

• Close Outlook and open the Control Panel.
• Go to User Accounts > Mail.
• Click Show Profiles.
• Click Add.Type the profile name and click OK.
• Enter the account credentials to sign in and add your email account to this new profile.
• Close the Mail setup window and start Outlook.
• Choose the new profile.
• Now, check if the Pii code error is resolved.

Method 3: Update Outlook

Keeping Outlook updated not only helps you ensure security but also avoids issues and errors in Outlook, including Pii code error. To check and ensure Outlook is updated, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and go to File > Office Accounts > Update Options > Update Now.

• In some cases, you may not find this option in Outlook. In this case, you can download and install the Outlook updates from Windows updates.  

After the update, restart Outlook and check if the Pii code error is resolved.

Method 4: Disable/Remove Add-Ins

Incompatible or faulty add-ins may also lead to issues and errors in Outlook. Disabling or removing such add-ins should fix the errors. To disable or remove add-ins, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
• Click the Go… button.
• Uncheck all the add-ins and click OK.
• Restart Outlook.

If this doesn’t help, restart Outlook in Safe Mode and then disable the add-ins.   

To start Outlook in safe mode, press Windows + R, type outlook.exe /safe, and hit the Enter key.

Method 5: Repair Outlook

If none of the above methods works, you can try to repair the Outlook or MS Office program. For this, follow these steps:

• Open the Control Panel and go to Program > Uninstall a program.
• Select Microsoft Office from the list of installed programs and click Change.
• In the wizard, choose the “Repair” option and complete the repair process.

Method 6: Repair the Outlook Data File

If nothing helped in fixing the Pii code error, you can try to repair the PST file. Outlook stores your messages and other mail items in the PST file. When the file becomes too large or gets damaged, it may cause errors in Outlook.

By repairing the PST file, you may be able to fix the error. The steps are as follows:

• Close Outlook and navigate to the C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/Officexx folder.
• Find the scanpst.exe and launch it.
• Click the Browse button to select the PST file.
• After selecting the PST, click the Start button. This will start scanning the PST file for errors and inconsistencies.

• After the scan, click the Repair button. The SCANPST.exe will attempt to repair the PST file.

After the repair, you can start Outlook. The error should be resolved now.

However, if SCANPST.exe failed to repair your PST file or stopped responding, you can use an advanced Outlook PST repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook to repair the PST file.

Unlike SCANPST, the software can repair severely damaged PST files of size ~50 GB or more with complete integrity and precision, while maintaining the original folder structure and hierarchy. It saves the recovered mail items in a new PST file that you can import into your Outlook profile, account, or Microsoft 365/live Exchange Server to restore the mail items.

Tips to Prevent Pii Codes Error

By following some best practices, Outlook users can easily avoid and prevent the Pii codes error from occurring in the future. These include:

• Keep Outlook Updated
  Make sure to check and install the latest Outlook updates to prevent Outlook errors, including Pii code errors.
• Avoid Installing Third-Party Add-Ins

Never install add-ins from untrusted or third-party sites as they could be faulty or incompatible. They can lead to Outlook performance issues and various errors.

Conclusion

The Pii codes error in Outlook can be frustrating as it hampers communication by preventing you from sending or receiving messages. By following the methods discussed in this guide, you can quickly troubleshoot and fix the Pii code error and other similar Outlook errors. If the Outlook data file (PST) is corrupt, try repairing it using the built-in SCANPST tool. If the tool fails, you can repair the PST with an advanced PST repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook, and recover all your messages, contacts, attachments, etc.

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About The Author

Shelly Bhardwaj

I am a Product Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 8 years. I write about the latest technology tips and provide custom solutions related to Exchange Server, Office 365, MS Outlook, and many other Email Clients & different flavors of OS Servers. Read More