If so, wait a short time (usually two or three minutes) to see if Outlook starts working again. Sometimes you’ll open Outlook and then for no apparent reason, it will freeze or steps to fix Outlook not opening shut itself down. There are quite a few different causes for this, but one of the most common is a defective add-in. Here’s how to disable add-ins in Outlook even when it keeps crashing.
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. Do you have another machine you can try to duplicate the problem on, preferably with a configuration that is as close to possible to the machine that has the problem? Identifying patterns helps to diagnose what the problem might be. To update your password in Outlook, see Change or update your email password.
If your Outlook crashes when opening steps to fix Outlook not opening or on startup or even if Outlook stucks at Processing, you can fix it by opening Outlook in Safe Mode. To open Outlook in Safe Mode, follow the instructions below. You can determine if it's corrupted by creating a new profile and changing which profile is used when Outlook starts. If Outlook is NOT able to start in safe mode, then try the next proposed solution below, entitled Create a new Outlook profile. Then, each item in your calendar folder is checked for known problems that can cause unexpected behavior, such as meetings that seem to be missing.
Like any other software, Outlook is also susceptible to bugs and problems, and these problems when they occur are usually frustrating and in most cases stop you in your tracks. One of the most common problems that users often face steps to fix Outlook not opening is the "Outlook keeps not responding" error. This message is commonly displayed when Windows is not able to communicate quickly enough with a program running on your computer. Against this backdrop, a list of possible reasons that might cause Microsoft Outlook freezing or Outlook not responding has been detailed for you below. As your mailbox size increases, more resources are required to open each folder.
However, if you want to change your password with your email provider, you'll need to visit their website or help desk, or contact your email administrator. For example, if you have a Yahoo! account, you first have to change your password at Yahoo.com. Once you've changed your password with your email provider, you can update the password in Outlook. See Change or update your email password for more information.
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, steps to fix Outlook not opening but we recommend moving to Windows 11.
Occasionally, classic Outlook tries to run a process in the background. Auto-archive, sending and receiving a very large attachment, or running some of the other mailbox tools can all be done in the background. Check the status bar at the bottom of the screen to see if another process is running.
Get Help has troubleshooters for classic Outlook for Windows you can run for many common scenarios, steps to fix Outlook not opening such as Outlook startup or profile setup problems. These often help resolve issues without the need to contact support. Get Help has troubleshooters for Microsoft 365 you can run for many common scenarios. If a troubleshooter is available for your issue, select Start to run that troubleshooter. Microsoft has its own tool for automatically scanning and correcting Office when things go awry. You can read about it and then run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant to see if that helps.
You can run the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) to scan your Outlook data files and repair errors. Are you having trouble starting Outlook or receiving "Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window" error messages? We can fix the problem for you, or you can use the troubleshooting steps we're providing below to help resolve these startup issues. If your Outlook is working fine now, it means add-ins are the culprit. But it is important to identify the specific add-in that was causing trouble. To identify that, check the add-ins one at a time and restart Outlook.
Wondering how to fix the Outlook Crashes During Startup error? Don’t worry, in this article we have explained 6 useful methods which will help you to fix this issue. Also, find out how you can repair your corrupted 0utlook data file using effective software like Remo Repair Outlook. If none of the above solutions help you resolve the Outlook crashing error, it means that your Outlook data file has been corrupted. This is caused when the program tries to access the storage file but fails to do so. However, frequent Outlook crashes also result in corruption making your Outlook inaccessible.
You can follow the tips listed below to repair Outlook data file errors. If you have email messages in an email program, you must import your email messages and addresses to the new user profile before you delete the old profile. If everything is working correctly, you can now delete the old profile.