SOLVED: Outlook Not Showing Presence Icons From Skype – Lync

If your Outlook is not showing the Presence Icons (Green, Red, Blue… squares beside names) there are several possible issues:

UPDATE March 26 2020: SOLVED: Outlook Not Showing Teams Presence Icons

UPDATE January 18 2017 – If you have Mitel MiCollab make sure you read items 1 & 5.

1 – REGISTRY POINTS TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN SKYPE – LYNC

This was my issue.  I recently installed Mitel MiCollab software had not noticed that the presence icons in Outlook had disappeared about the same time.  The solution is to set the Registry back to looking to Skype – Lync for information:

  1. Open the Registry and expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > IM PROVIDERS
  2. Set DEFAULTIMAPP to LYNC
  3. Restart Outlook

2 – REGISTRY HAS LYNC SET TO UNAVAILABLE

  1. Open the Registry and expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > IM PROVIDERS > LYNC
  2. Set the UPANDRUNNING RegDWord to 2
  3. Open the Registry and expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > IM PROVIDERS > COMMUNICATOR
  4. Set the UPANDRUNNING RegDWord to 0
  5. Restart Outlook

‘O’ = the number zero

A setting of “2” means that Lync / Skype is ready.  Setting COMMUNICATOR to ‘0’ means that it is not available.  See THIS for more details.

3 – SCREEN RESOLUTION STOPS PRESENCE ICONS

  1. Right Click on your desktop wallpaper and select DISPLAY SETTINGS
  2. Set CHANGE SIZE OF TEXT, APPS AND OTHER ITEMS to any of the following: 100% 125% or 150% .
  3. Restart Outlook

See THIS Microsoft article for more details.

4 – REGISTRY or POLICY HAS TURNED OFF PRESENCE

  1. Open the Registry and expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > MICROSOFT > OFFICE > {x.0} > COMMON > IM
  2. Set the TurnOffPresenceIntegration DWord to 0
  3. Set the TurnOffPresenceIntegration DWord to 0
  4. Open the Registry and expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > MICROSOFT > OFFICE > {x.0} > COMMON > PERSONALMENU
  5. Set the Enabled DWord to 1
  6. Restart Outlook

‘O’ = the number zero

See THIS Microsoft article for more details.

5 – Mitel MiCollab Changes the IM Provider Every Time It Starts

If you find that your presence icons in Outlook are missing after you have started up MiCollab, you need to change the following setting in MiCollab

  1. Click your name (top left corner of MiCollab window)
  2. Click CONFIGURATION
  3. Click CLICK TO CALL
  4. Uncheck ENABLE CALL THROUGH MICOLLAB CLIENT

This will stop MiCollab from changing the HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > IM PROVIDERS setting.

Note that if you manually set the following key to zero (0), it will change the next time MiCollab is started and you will get frustrated.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER > SOFTWARE > IM PROVIDERS > MICOLLAB > UPANDRUNNING

If you really want to change the setting without using the MiCollab GUI, you can change the setting in the MiCollab configuration file:

C:\Users\<usersname>\AppData\Roaming\Mitel\UC\<users account – email address>\user.config

… scroll to the very bottom…

<setting name=”OutlookClickToCallEnabled”>
<value>False</value>
</setting>
</userSettings>

View Comments

  • I am facing the same problem, i tried changing the "DefaultIMApp” registry value as Lync, and once i reboot the PC found the value is reverting back to "cisco jabber", as a work around we are uninstalling both jabber and skype and install first jabber than skype, can some one suggest me a permanent fix.

    • Sorry, I have just completely given up on Skype, Jabber and Mitel MiCollab and am now only using TEAMS with my customers. We don't have a more permanent fix than what we documented.

  • Option 5 is close, but Mitel have updated software. In Mitel, go to Settings > General > Chat Options, and turn OFF "Register as default IM Provider". Without this first step, the next step is overwritten on every startup. Next go into the registry and set ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareIM ProvidersDefaultIMApp=Lync. Then restart Outlook. Cheers

    • Sorry, but I no longer have access to the software for testing. I am migrating to MS TEAMS for softphones.

  • what if I want Outlook to use Skype 4 Bussiness app for IM&P, chat; but Jabber for calling - what then? I can't manage to get it working. We use Jabber for Voice calls (as softphone) as well as Remote HW phone control.

    • Jabber is so old now that even my only contract that was still using it has given up and is migrating to TEAMS for everything.

  • Excellent post! Gave all options. I tried options 3 and 4 which was available on the internet. Option 1 actually fixed it but instead of LYNC, I set it to COMMUNICATOR. All good now.

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