There was an Error Reading the Rules from Server In Outlook

“Error Reading the Rules from server” is a common issue in business workflow where complex Outlook rules become corrupted. This can result in synchronization errors. This, in turn, will disrupt the productivity, workflow continuity, and delays in important email communications, etc. These rules can be resolved in various manual ways. On the other hand, choose the Outlook PST Repair Tool to recover the corrupted data without data loss. Read the full blog till the end to know how one can resolve this issue. But before that, let’s try to understand what exactly this error is and what might have caused this error. 

Understanding Error Reading the Rules from the Server

Outlook users set up rules to automatically handle emails. These rules can be stored locally or on the mail server. The “Error Reading the Rules from server” message occurs when there is a problem syncing your rules from Exchange Server.

Why There was an Error Reading the Rules from the Server?

Before looking at how to fix the problem, let us first try to understand why the problem occurred in the first place. Here are some reasons that explain what might have caused the error to occur:

• A corrupt or damaged rule containing invalid actions may have caused this error.
• Sometimes, setting up multiple rules creates confusion for the server, causing it to conflict. This can lead to such errors.
• Creating multiple rules and thereby exceeding the size limit can potentially cause an error in Outlook.
• If the rules are not in sync with the server-side, errors like these can pop up.
• A corrupt Outlook profile might create issues and act as a roadblock, preventing the rules from loading.
• Often, the unstable connectivity issues may trigger this error.

How to Solve “Error Reading the Rules from Server” Error?

Now that we know the causes of this error, let’s move further and explore the solutions to fix the error.

Delete Corrupted Outlook Rules

1. Open Outlook and navigate to File.
2. Go to Info > Manage Rules and Alerts > choose a rule.
3. Press Delete and Yes to confirm.
4. At last, click on Apply.

Merge Two Rules if There was an Error Reading the Rules from The Server

1. Launch MS Outlook.
2. Navigate to File > Info > Manage Rules and Alerts > Email Rules.
3. Now, try to identify similar rules manually.
4. Select a single similar rule and click Change Rule > Edit Rule Settings.
5. Combine the two rules using the Rules Wizard.
6. Go back to Step 2 and delete the old duplicate rules.
7. Click Apply > Ok.

Reset Outlook Rule Engine

1. Open the Outlook application.
2. Go to Files > Manage Rules & Alerts > Options > Export Rules.
3. Select a location to Save it.
4. Navigate to Task Manager > End all Outlook.exe > End Microsoft Office Click to Run.
5. Type Windows+R and run this command:

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE” /cleanrules

Re-adding Rules after Deleting Them

1. Open Outlook.
2. Navigate to File > Manage Rules & Alerts > Options > Export Rules.
3. Run this command to delete the existing rules:

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE” /cleanrules

4. Now, restart Outlook and import the rules again. 

Resetting Outlook.SRS File if The Format of The Server Rules was Not Recognized

This is an accurate, fast, and low-risk solution for all Outlook users. 

1. First, close Outlook fully.
2. Now, press Windows+E and go to: 

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

3. Browse Outlook.srs, right-click on it and Rename it to Outlook_old.srs.

Running the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST.EXE)

1. Close MS Outlook completely.
2. Locate your SCANPST according to your Outlook version:

Office 365/2016+	C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\
Outlook 2013	C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\
Outlook 2010	C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\
Outlook 2007	C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\

3. Double-click on the SCANPST.exe and run it.
4. Click on the Browse button in the Inbox Repair Tool and go to your PST file.
5. Press Scan and Repair it if any errors are found.
6. Check and verify if the error is resolved or not by restarting Outlook.

Fully Secure Tool to Fix Error Reading the Rules from Server

When experiencing issues with the damaged Outlook PST files, the Outlook PST Repair Tool is a secure and trusted solution. The Error Reading the Rules from Server mostly occurs because of corrupted PST files. This utility helps fix the corruption and also supports the recovery of multiple files in one go. Users can choose between a quick and a deep scan, depending on the severity of the corruption. Moreover, the preview feature enables users to check the recovered emails before saving them. With advanced data security, it is an excellent choice for both individual and business use.

Quick step-by-step procedure to begin repairing a file in Outlook:

1. Download and launch the Outlook PST Repair Tool.
2. Then, go to Open and choose your corrupted PST File.
3. Choose the type of Recovery Mode and click Ok.
4. Once the scanning process is completed, click on Ok.
5. Now, preview the contents of the data.
6. Next, press the Save button to export the repaired file to your desired destination path.
7. Lastly, click on Ok.

Conclusion

To conclude, the error reading the rules from server can be caused due to various issues. This includes damaged Outlook data files, creating multiple rules, synchronization issues, etc. By implementing the above-mentioned solutions, one can successfully fix this error. If the user detects a corrupted PST File, the Outlook PST Repair Tool can recover and restore the corrupted Outlook files. 

Related Post: Fix Outlook Certificate Error.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q- What is Error Reading the Rules from Server?

Ans- This error occurs in Microsoft Outlook when the rules set up by users are not synced properly on the Exchange Server. There can be various factors causing this, such as, corrupt Outlook data file, multiple rules creating confusion, improper synchronization, etc.

Q- How do I fix “there was an error reading the rules from the server”?

Ans- There are multiple ways of resolving the error:

• Merging the rules
• Deleting the corrupted rule
• Resetting the Outlook rule engine
• Re-adding the rules after deleting them, etc.

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