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on November 6, 2025
If you are still seeing this issue, restart outlook Repair tips and tricks Outlook a couple of times so it can pick up the service change. If creating a new profile solves your issue, you can return to the Show Profiles dialog and delete your old profile. If installing the latest updates didn't resolve your issue, move on to the next step.
If it does, the problem is definitely in your antivirus software. In this case, you can either contact its vendor for assistance or simply choose another protection program. When you install Outlook, an Inbox repair tool (scanpst.exe) is also installed on your PC. The Inbox repair tool can resolve problems by scanning your Outlook data files, and repairing errors. To use the Inbox repair tool, exit Outlook, and then follow the steps in Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost). As your mailbox size increases, more resources are required to open each folder.
To sum up, we explored several methods to fix "Outlook won’t open" errors. Whether it’s a profile issue, a corrupted PST file, or faulty add-ins, the methods above can help you get Outlook running again. When Microsoft Outlook refuses to open, it’s incredibly frustrating. This issue often stems from common culprits like a corrupted user profile, a damaged data file (PST or OST), or even a minor conflict within its settings or add-ins. The good news is that most "Outlook won’t open" errors can be resolved with a few proven troubleshooting steps.
Many of these items can be automatically checked by the Classic Outlook Advanced Diagnostics troubleshooter. Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. There are a number of possible reasons for Outlook to behave this way. We've presented the potential solutions in order from quickest to most time consuming. Ask a question and find solutions from Support Agents, MVPs, Engineers, and Outlook users.
Repairing your Office programs can resolve issues with Outlook not responding or freezing. Errors in Microsoft 365 outlook Repair tips and tricks files are repaired automatically. If installing the latest updates didn't resolve your issue, move on to the next step.
If you get the error "Cannot open the Outlook window" when trying to start Outlook, the error usually indicates that your Folder Pane or Navigation Pane settings holds a corruption. This guide explains all you need to know about that in order to get your Outlook to start without errors again. A lot of times, a user will click on something by accident and change their view and be unsure of how to get it back.
For example, the first time you try to Dismiss All on a list of reminders, Outlook asks you if you're sure you want to do that. If you don't choose an option on that dialog box, Outlook won't let you do anything else. Pressing Alt+Tab will help you switch from window to window and help you see what dialog boxes might be stopping Outlook from responding. Create your account and connect with a world of communities.
To manage your mailbox by using the AutoArchive feature, see AutoArchive settings explained. If Outlook is in use by another process, this information is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. If you try to perform other actions while Outlook is in use, Outlook may not respond. Let the task in process finish its job before you try another action.
If it does and Outlook starts working properly, then most likely the problem is with one of your add-ins, which leads us to the next step. Use the following steps to re-enable the Send immediately when connected option. This problem can occur if the Send immediately when the connected option is not enabled, as shown in the following outlook Repair tips and tricks figure from Outlook 2016. If your antivirus software isn't up-to-date, Outlook may not function correctly.
The first thing we need to do is kill all hanging Outlook processes. To do this, start up the Windows Task Manager either by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del, or by right clicking outlook Repair tips and tricks the taskbar and choosing "Start Task Manager". Then switch to the Processes tab and find all OUTLOOK.EXE items in the list. Click on each OUTLOOK.EXE to select it and hit the "End Process" button. When this problem occurs, the message remains in your Outbox folder until you manually initiate a Send/Receive operation (for example, press F9 or select send or receive). I decided to try and fix it by uninstalling and reinstalling.
We have found a pretty easily solution that most of the time with this error. If Outlook isn't stuck at a screen that says "Processing," or this didn't resolve your issue, continue to the steps below. If the issue is urgent or affecting your work, don’t waste time trying 20 fixes. Our certified Outlook support team is here to resolve the issue remotely. When you install Office, an Inbox Repair Tool (SCANSPST.EXE) is also installed on your PC. The Inbox Repair Tool can resolve issues by scanning your Outlook data files and repairing errors.