This problem is most likely related to an inconsistency in the rule engine. Although this can be fixed locally by reloading all the rules enforced by your organizations, you might also need to remove the problematic rule from Outlook.com. If you’re dealing with a glitch affecting the rule engine, you will need to remove all the currently enforced rules before adding them again. However, this problem can also be rooted in some kind of local file corruption. In this case, running the ScanPST.exe tool and resetting the Outlook.SRS file should get the issue fixed. Below you’ll find a collection of confirmed methods that other affected users have successfully used to get to the bottom of this issue and fix the underlying cause.
1. Reset the rule engine
If you have multiple mailboxes in your Outlook profile, the first thing you need to do is reset the rule engine by running the /cleanrules command from a run box before rebuilding the rules on the server again. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:
2. Delete & Re-add all currently enforced rules
The locally stored Outlook rules can also trigger the ‘error reading the rules from the server‘ error message. If you want to avoid running commands from the terminal, one way to fix it is to export the rules to a local file before deleting all the rules and restarting Outlook. Here’s a quick guide:
3. Delete the latest rule from Outlook.com
If you only started to experience this issue after you added a new rule locally to Outlook and you already tried resetting the rule engine, it’s likely that you get this error because a bad rule is still being enforced at a server level. To fix this, you’ll need to login into Outlook.com with your mailbox account and delete the newly created rule. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:
4. Reset the Outlook.SRS file
If you get this error on and off and there are scenarios when Outlook boots up without the “There was an error reading the rules from the server” error, it’s likely that the issue is rooted in the .SRS file. Note: The SRS file contains the send and receives parameters for your active Outlook account. It stores the settings from the Send and Receive dialog, which appears when you press Ctrl+Alt+S. It is essentially the file extension of an Outlook file saved on your PC. This file includes information on email sending and receiving for an Outlook profile. The filename depends on the name of the user’s Outlook profile. You won’t be able to delete this file because it’s likely in use by Outlook and locked, but you can rename it to force the client to ignore it and create a new file automatically the next time you open the email client. Follow the instructions below to fix any underlying send / receive corruption issue that’s causing the error:
5. Run the ScanPST.exe tool
In case the issue is rooted in the personal folder (.pst) that you use for Outlook, resetting your rule engine will not do much to fix the issue. In this particular scenario, other affected users have managed to fix the issue by using the Inbox Repair Tool to automatically repair every logical error and code line inconsistency associated with your personal folder. Note: The ScanPST.exe utility is meant to assist in repairing personal folder (. pst) file-related issues. Depending on your operating system, the Inbox Repair utility is automatically installed with all English-language Microsoft Outlook installation choices. If the issue stems from the personal folder profile, scanning the Outlook data using the ScanPST.exe application should help you to resolve it quickly. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how to repair an Outlook data file using the ScanPST.exe utility:
