The error is configured to occur on Outlook 2013, and 2016 as well. After investigating we find out there are many different reasons ranging from MS office corruption. So, before directly jumping to the fixes it is important to understand the common reasons responsible for the occurrence of the error.
What Causes the Error “The Operation Cannot Be Performed because the Message has been Changed”?
MS Office Corruption – There is a possibility that the MS office files get corrupted or damaged during the office installation and this is might be a reason that causes the error. To fix this try repairing the MS office.Conflicting Add-ins – Sometimes the add-ins start causing conflict with the Outlook and block files. Check if you have installed any third-party add-ins then temporarily disable it and see if this works for you.Antivirus/firewall Confliction – If you are running a third-party antivirus program then this might be conflicting with the Outlook client and causes problems. Disabling the antivirus and firewall program may work for you.Enabled Email Scanning – For many users who have enabled email scanning on their system through the antivirus program may work for you. If this case is applicable in your case the disabling the email scanning may solve the error for you.Outlook Settings – Some of your Outlook settings might be stopping the program from performing on your system. Therefore, it is suggested, to tweak the Outlook settings and check if now the error is fixed.
As you are now familiar with the common culprits causing the error, try the possible solutions that worked for several users to get past The Operation Cannot Be Performed error.
Update MS Outlook
Various updates are released by Microsoft for Outlook to optimize its performance, make it more stable and secure as well as fix various errors and issues. So, if you are not running the latest updated version then installing the latest update may help you to solve the error. Microsoft might have fixed the current error in the latest updates. Check for the recent Outlook update, download and install it by following the steps given: It is estimated this works for you to fix the error but if still seeing the error then follow the next possible solution.
Repair MS Office/ Outlook
It might happen while installing the Microsoft Office/Outlook files gets corrupted and causes the error while performing any task. So, here it is suggested to run the MS Office inbuilt tool as this fixed problem with the installation and other issues. Follow the instruction to run the Repair tool:
Leave the Email in the Draft Folder
First, write an email, and save the Email as drafts. Wait for a few minutes and then click on the send button. Sending an email to the recipients after waiting for a few minutes will fix this error OR you can also close the Office and then reopen the office after a couple of minutes. This quick trick worked for many users to solve the problem.
Remove 3rd Party Add-Ins
The add-ins offer great functionality in MS Outlook and allow you to perform tasks correctly from the inbox. Many add-ins allow performing tasks automatically while creating or viewing messages. But in some cases, the add-ins installed start conflicting with the regular Outlook functions. So, here it is a possibility that the add-ins are conflicting and blocking certain outlook operations. And removing the add-ins may work for you to fix the Outlook operation failed error message. Here follow the steps to do so: If in case you are unable to follow the above mentioned steps then it is suggested to disable the COM add-ins following the below-mentioned steps: Hope this worked for you to solve the Outlook saying “operation failed” problem.
Check and Disable the Email Scanning
Many antivirus programs have the option to enable email scanning and if you have enabled this option then might be blocking the outlook from sending the email to the draft folder or sending certain emails. Disabling the scanning option may help you to fix the error in your case. Well, the steps to disable the option may differ as per the antivirus programs. Here follow the steps to disable the option in the Avast antivirus program.
Use the SARA (Support and Recovery Assistant) Tool
Some users recommend downloading the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SARA) tool, as this worked for them to solve the operation cannot be performed because the message has been changed office 365 error. Follow the instructions given: After that, check whether the issue you are facing has been resolved or not.
Remove Conversational Cleanups Options in Outlook
Here it is suggested to uncheck the entire options under the Conversational Cleanups in the Outlook app and save the settings. Disabling all the entries may work for you, so follow the instructions given to do so: Check whether the error you were facing has been resolved or not.
Changes the Outlook Settings
If you have modified certain Outlook settings, then this might be conflicting with operations you were trying to perform in Outlook ad showing the error. Try tweaking certain Outlook settings and check if the error is prevented. Follow the given instructions to do so: Now check to see the error persists or has been resolved, if still encountering the error, then follow the next solution.
Restore Trash to Inbox
In many cases restoring the deleted emails from the trash folder to the outlook inbox solve the problem. Well, there is no valid reason for this but this worked for many users to resolve the Microsoft Outlook error. Follow the simple steps to do so: Now check whether this solution has helped in overcoming the error or not.
Utilize Word or Notepad to Write Mail Content
There is a possibility the message is having some hidden rich text and formatting and this is what prevents the operation from performing. Therefore, copy and paste the mail content to the word document or the Notepad and paste it new email. This will remove the formatting which might be blocking or preventing the Outlook mail from sending.
Disable Antivirus Program
If none of the above-listed solutions worked for you then disabling the antivirus program may work for you. There is a possibility that the antivirus program installed on your system might be conflicting with the MS Outlook and causing the error code. Check for the third-party antivirus application and temporarily disable it by right-clicking the antivirus icon in the taskbar and choosing to disable option. After disabling restart your computer to let the changes take effect and see if the error message “The Operation cannot be performed because the Message has been Changed” in Outlook is resolved. So, these are solutions that are worth giving try to circumvent the MS Outlook error. It is estimated the fixes given works for you to get past the error.
Fix: The Disk Check Could not be Performed Because Windows Cannot Access the…How to Fix ‘The Request could not be Performed because of an I/O Device Error’…FIX: Operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effectSOLVED: Cannot open this item. Outlook has already begun transmitting this…
