Quick answer
In Outlook go to File → Info → Slow and Disabled COM Add-ins (or click View Disabled Add-ins in the yellow bar), enable the Smokeball add-in and restart. If it's still missing, re-tick it under File → Options → Add-ins → Manage: COM Add-ins → Go. If you're on Microsoft's New Outlook, the classic add-in won't load there — switch back to classic Outlook or install Smokeball's dedicated New Outlook add-in.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Office disabled it — or you're in New Outlook.
Smokeball plugs into Word and Outlook as a COM add-in, which is what lets you save emails and documents straight to a matter and capture your time. If Word or Outlook crashes or loads slowly, Office often disables the add-in to protect itself and shows a yellow bar saying an add-in caused a problem. It can also get unticked after an Office update, or land in the "Disabled Items" list. The other big one right now: the classic Smokeball add-in does not run in Microsoft's "New Outlook", so it looks installed but never appears.
HOW TO FIX IT
Work through these in order.
- Enable it from the disabled add-ins listIn Outlook, go to File → Info → Slow and Disabled COM Add-ins (or click View Disabled Add-ins in the yellow warning bar). Select the Smokeball add-in, choose Options → Enable this add-in → Apply, then close. The add-in should reload within a few seconds.
- Re-tick it in COM Add-insStill missing? Go to File → Options → Add-ins. At the bottom set the Manage dropdown to COM Add-ins and click Go. Tick the Smokeball add-in and click OK, then restart Outlook. The same path works in Word for the Smokeball document toolbar.
- Check the "Disabled Items" listIn the same Manage dropdown, choose Disabled Items → Go. If Smokeball is listed there, select it and click Enable, then restart Outlook once more.
- Update Office and restartAn out-of-date Office build can knock the add-in out. Go to File → Account → Update Options → Update Now, let it finish, then reopen Word and Outlook and check the toolbar is back.
- Confirm the install orderIf Office was installed or reinstalled after Smokeball, the registration can break. In that case, reinstalling Smokeball re-registers the add-in with Office and usually restores it.
- Repair OfficeIn Windows Settings → Installed apps, find Microsoft 365 / Office, choose Modify → Quick Repair (then Online Repair if needed). This resets Office components without removing your data or documents.
- Handle the New Outlook limitationIf you're using New Outlook, the classic add-in won't show. Either flip the New Outlook toggle off (top right of Outlook) to return to classic Outlook — no reinstall needed — or install Smokeball's dedicated New Outlook add-in, which is built for the transition.
A note on timing — Microsoft plans to retire classic Outlook around 2029, so there's no rush to switch everyone at once. If your firm is mid-transition and add-ins are behaving differently machine to machine, it's worth having your IT provider set a consistent approach across all staff rather than fixing it desk by desk.
