Short answer:
If you see the error "The variable signature is not defined", Xink is likely connecting to the wrong Outlook app (Windows via Parallels instead of macOS). Remove the Parallels Outlook shortcut to resolve the issue.
Summary: This error can occur on macOS systems running Parallels, where both Windows and Mac versions of Outlook are present. Xink may attempt to communicate with the Windows version, causing the sync to fail.
You may see the following error when updating signatures:
- "The variable signature is not defined"
Why this happens
If Parallels is installed, your Mac may have two Outlook applications:
- Outlook for macOS
- Outlook for Windows (via Parallels)
Xink may detect the Windows version first and attempt to use it. Since this is not supported in this context, the sync fails and displays the error.
How to fix it
- Open Finder.
- Navigate to:
/Users/<your-username>/Applications (Parallels)/
- Locate the Windows Microsoft Outlook shortcut.
- Delete the shortcut (this does not uninstall Outlook in Windows).
- Restart the Xink app or run Update signatures again.
Troubleshooting
- Still seeing the error? Ensure only the macOS version of Outlook is accessible from your Applications folder.
- Using Parallels actively? Keep Windows Outlook installed, but remove the shortcut so Xink does not detect it.
Next steps
After removing the shortcut, update your signatures again and verify that they appear correctly in Outlook for macOS.
