Why is my reminder window so small?

A reader is having an email issue: “I use office outlook for my emails and reminder calendar events. Previously, my “reminder box” was of sufficient size to get the info. Now, the reminder message box that is automatically received is so small in size, almost makes it useless.

I tried several attempts with the start button, outlook tools and view, but with no success. Hopefully you can tell me the path to correct the reminder box to a more appropriate size. Thank you for your time and efforts.“

I’m not sure exactly what’s causing your problem, but there are several solutions to try.

Method 1: Resize the Reminder Window Manually

1. Open Outlook: Launch Microsoft Outlook and wait for the reminders window to appear.
2. Resize the Window:
   • When the reminders window pops up, hover your mouse cursor over one of the corners or edges of the reminder window until you see a double-headed arrow.
   • Click and drag to resize the window to your desired size.

Method 2: Reset the Reminder Window Position and Size

Sometimes resetting the window size and position can help. Here’s how to do it:

1. Close Outlook: Make sure Outlook is completely closed.
2. Run Command:
   • Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
   • Type outlook.exe /resetfolders and press Enter.
   • This command will reset the folders and window sizes.

Method 3: Adjust Display Settings

If the reminder window size issue persists, it might be related to your display settings. Adjusting the display settings can sometimes fix these kinds of issues.

1. Open Display Settings:
   • Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings.
2. Adjust Scale and Layout:
   • Under Scale and layout, make sure the scaling is set to 100% or the recommended value. If it’s set too high, it can make windows appear smaller.
   • You can try different scaling options to see if it affects the reminder window size.

Method 4: Check Outlook Add-ins

Sometimes, add-ins can cause issues with window sizes in Outlook. Disable any unnecessary add-ins to see if it resolves the problem.

1. Open Outlook:
   • Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
2. Manage Add-ins:
   • At the bottom, where it says Manage, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
   • Uncheck any add-ins you don’t need and click OK.
   • Restart Outlook and check if the reminder window size issue is resolved.

Method 5: Repair Outlook

If none of the above methods work, repairing Outlook might help.

1. Open Control Panel:
   • Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
2. Repair Microsoft Office:
   • Find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 in the list of installed programs.
   • Click on it and select Change.
   • Choose Quick Repair or Online Repair and follow the instructions.

These steps should help you resize the reminder window in Microsoft Outlook to a more appropriate size. If the problem persists, it might be a specific issue with your Outlook installation or configuration, in which case contacting Microsoft Support could be beneficial.