Folders, Next button, or Save button may be grayed out in the Salesforce for Outlook wizard

Work through the following causes in order until the issue is resolved.

Cause 1: Outlook Running as Administrator

SFO does not function correctly when Outlook is launched with Administrator privileges. Running Outlook as a standard user resolves this in most cases.

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Right-click the Outlook shortcut and confirm Run as administrator is NOT checked.
3. Launch Outlook normally and retry the SFO wizard.

Cause 2: Missing or Inaccessible Outlook Folders

SFO requires access to the Outlook default folders (Inbox, Contacts, Calendar). If these folders are missing or inaccessible, the wizard cannot continue.

1. In Outlook, confirm that the Inbox, Contacts, and Calendar folders are visible and accessible.
2. If using an Exchange account, confirm the Exchange mailbox is connected and synchronized.

Cause 3: Microsoft Office Installed in Compatibility Mode

Installing or running Microsoft Office in Windows Compatibility Mode can cause SFO wizard buttons to become unresponsive.

1. Right-click the Outlook executable (usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE).
2. Click Properties > Compatibility tab.
3. Uncheck Run this program in compatibility mode.
4. Restart Outlook and retry the SFO wizard.

Cause 4: Corrupted Mapi32.dll File

A corrupted or incorrect Mapi32.dll file can prevent SFO from initializing its folder selection UI.
To resolve a corrupted Mapi32.dll, run Command Prompt as Administrator and perform the following steps:

1. Take ownership of the file: run takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\Mapi32.dll.
2. Once ownership is confirmed, rename the file: ren C:\Windows\System32\Mapi32.dll Mapi32.dll.old.
3. Run fixmapi.exe to regenerate a fresh copy of Mapi32.dll.
4. Restart Outlook and Salesforce for Outlook to verify the fix.

Cause 5: 64-bit Microsoft Office with 32-bit Salesforce for Outlook

SFO 32-bit is not compatible with 64-bit Microsoft Office. Confirm the bitness of your Office installation and match it to the correct SFO installer.
To check your Office bitness, open any Office application, go to File > Account > About [App Name] and look for "32-bit" or "64-bit" in the version string.
Download the matching SFO installer from your Salesforce org and reinstall.