I am using Windows 11 Pro (PC) and have MS 365 and MS Outlook Version 2501 (both with CoPilot)

I have had a hard time setting up Classic Outlook, but have managed to use it. I also have switched to the New Outlook as well to see if I like it. So far I prefer Classic Outlook.

Q1: At some time in the future will the Classic Outlook be phased out and will I have to use the New Outlook?

Q2: For the New Outlook, I can get a printout of Tast List. However, I can not get a printout of say a single Contact or a printout of all the Contacts Listed (89); Like I can with the Classic Outlook (Business Cards, Telephone Listing for example).

Q3: For exporting to Excel (from the Classic Outlook) what extension (file) should I use? Export to Comma Separated Values, then when opening says to Save to Excel File Format. What format? Excel WorkBook? What extension? And not sure how to use Excel to get a printout of Contacts Listed.

Any help will be appreciated,



SyS

The New Outlook is simply a replacement for Windows Mail. It is not meant as a replacement for the desktop version of Outlook that comes with Office 365.

Hello Italophile,
Thank You very much for your reply. Great news that I can continue to use the Basic
Classic Outlook (and ignore the New Version, oriented for Windows email).
Sy S.

A1: To the best of my knowledge, MS have not given a date for replacing Classic Outlook with New Outlook, but at some point I expect it. Currently it seems to be a 'soft' phasing out of the Classic version. For the bigger email providers, who are moving away from password based authentication, I find New Outlook quicker and easier to connect. Of course this is just my opinion based on my experiences - ymmv

A2: Sorry I have no experience of this feature.

A3: Yes, if you want Excel (from Outlook Classic) use CSV (hopefully this will change in 'New' at some point - now that would be a useful feature ).

A CSV file is, as you've said, "Comma Separated Values". You can open a CSV file in Notepad, and you'll see it is just this, sort of a structured list separated by commas (other separators can be used, and are sometimes useful).
When you open a CSV file in Excel, Excel tries to guess what the values are (Text, Number, Date, etc) - these can be controlled if open the file from within Excel can control the import steps.

Once Excel has opened a CSV file, you can treat it as a spreadsheet - if you want to, or you can make adjustments - if you want to. When it comes to saving it, the file-type you save it as depends what you want to do with the file next...

• If you want to Import the file back into Outlook (eg you have created a custom address book), then save it as a CSV.
  (NB Excel has a habit if you save as a CSV, when you close the file it will ask again if you want to save it - this is because a CSV file does not have intelligence the same way an Excel file has.)
• If you have analysed the data (eg it was a diary export for Timesheet purposes), and when you next want to open it, you want to use it as a spreadsheet, then save it as an Excel Workbook.

For a printed contact list, you may want to edit and format the list to your liking - CSV will not save formatting, so use Excel Workbook. If you really want to control your printed list, then import the workbook to Word...

Some additional resources on New vs Classic Outlook.

Use Classic Outlook, not New Outlook

Classic Outlook is NOT Going Away in 2026

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