Quick answer
First, make sure the FYI add-in is enabled in Outlook (File → Manage Add-ins / COM Add-ins). If the drawer still won't load, repair Microsoft Edge WebView2 in Control Panel and clear the Office cache. For print-to-FYI, check the FYI Desktop App tray icon — a red circle means you're signed out, so click it and log back in.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Two separate pieces do the work.
Filing emails into FYI happens through the Outlook add-in (the FYI "drawer"), while print-to-FYI and opening/editing documents rely on the FYI Desktop App running on your PC. When the drawer disappears or greys out, Outlook has usually disabled the add-in, or the small web browser it runs inside — Microsoft Edge WebView2 — has become corrupted. When print-to-FYI or document editing fails, it's almost always the Desktop App being closed, out of date, or simply signed out. Knowing which piece is misbehaving points you straight to the fix.
THE FIX
Work through these in order.
- Re-enable the add-in in OutlookIn Outlook go to File → Manage Add-ins (or Options → Add-ins → COM Add-ins). If the FYI add-in is unticked or listed as disabled, switch it back on, then restart Outlook. Outlook sometimes disables add-ins after a slow start-up.
- Fully restart OutlookClose Outlook completely (check it isn't still running in the background), wait a few seconds and reopen. A clean restart reloads the drawer and clears a half-loaded add-in.
- Repair Microsoft Edge WebView2Open Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features, find Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, right-click and choose Change → Repair. Reopen Outlook and check the FYI drawer loads. This resolves most "add-in could not be started" and blank-drawer errors.
- Clear the Office cacheIf the drawer sits on "Loading FYI" or a blank screen, the Office add-in cache may be stale. Clear the Office cache for Outlook (Microsoft has a documented process), then reopen Outlook.
- Sign back in to FYIIf the drawer loads but nothing works, sign out of the FYI add-in and sign back in with your Microsoft 365 or Xero login. An expired token often looks like a broken add-in.
- Check the FYI Desktop App for print-to-FYIPrint-to-FYI and document editing need the Desktop App running. Find its icon in the system tray — a red circle means you're signed out, so click it and log in. If the icon isn't there at all, the app isn't running.
- Reinstall the FYI Desktop AppIf the Desktop App is missing, stuck or won't sign in, uninstall it from Settings → Apps & Features, then reinstall the current version from FYI and sign in again. This is the reliable fix when print-to-FYI has disappeared.
- Check your account healthIf sign-in keeps failing across both the add-in and Desktop App, verify your FYI account status before reinstalling repeatedly — a licensing or user-account issue can't be fixed on the PC.
On a Remote Desktop or Terminal Server, it's different. If your staff run Outlook and FYI through a hosted/remote desktop, WebView2 and the Desktop App behave differently and the fixes above may need to be applied at the server level by whoever manages it. If the drawer is failing for several people at once, that's the more likely cause — and a sign to have your setup reviewed rather than reinstalling on each machine.
