Part of Microsoft 365, Microsoft Outlook is one of the best email clients for Windows. It allows users to manage their email, calendar, contacts, and tasks efficiently. Just like any other software, things may occasionally go wrong with Outlook.
Recently a set of Windows users have reported that Outlook is crashing on their PC. They open Outlook, and the app freezes, displaying the “Microsoft Outlook Not Responding” error message. As you are here, it is safe to assume Outlook is crashing on your PC as well. 😛
In this article, we have explained working methods to help you fix Outlook freezing, not responding or crashing issues on your Windows PC.
Why Does Outlook Keep Crashing?
Before we move to the fixes, let’s quickly understand why Outlook may keep crashing on your PC. There could be several reasons for it, and we have listed the most common ones below.
Compatibility Issue: Outlook may crash if it is not compatible with the Windows version of your PC. Sometimes it may conflict with other software installed on your system.
Unnecessary Add-ins: Microsoft Outlook allows installing a handful of add-ins. These add-ins help bring valuable features to the Outlook app. However, if one of the add-ins gets corrupted, it could lead Outlook to crash.
Problem with PST Files: Personal Storage Table (PST) files store users’ data, such as emails, contacts, and calendars. If there is an issue with PST files, it may cause Outlook to crash.
Virus or Other Infection Issue, etc.: Another reason for Outlook’s frequent crashes could be a virus or malware infection. Often viruses harm essential system files, disrupt the functioning of the software, and compromise the computer’s security.
Fix Outlook Crashing On Windows
Now that you know the reasons for the Outlook crashing issue on your Windows PC, let’s get onto the actual working fixes you can try to fix the issue. In our research, we found seven such fixes, and we have listed all of them below.
Restart Your PC
Restarting your computer is a simple yet effective solution to resolve temporary software issues, like Outlook crashes. By rebooting your computer, you allow the system to refresh and clear any temporary files that may be causing the issue. To restart your PC:
1. Press the Start menu button and click the Power menu icon.
2. From the menu options, select the Restart option.
After the restart, try opening Outlook and see if restarting the PC helped you fix the crashing issue you were facing earlier.
Update the Outlook App
Microsoft regularly pushes updates for the Outlook app. It is highly possible that the Redmond giant is already aware of the Outlook crash. And by the time you read this article, they may already have released an update fixing the issues causing the crash. So, it is worth trying to update the Outlook app. The below steps should help you with the process.
1. Launch the Microsoft store on your desktop.
2. In the left sidebar, tap on Library.
3. Find Outlook for Windows under Updates & downloads (x).
4. Tap on the Update button right to Outlook for Windows.
Depending on your Internet speed, the system will take a few minutes to complete the update. When you have updated the Outlook app, try using it; hopefully, it will not crash now.
Run Outlook in Safe Mode
Safe mode is a diagnostic mode in Windows that helps pinpoint the issues with specific programs. So next, we recommend running Outlook in Safe mode. When you do this, Outlook will open with minimal configuration and certain add-ins and customizations disabled.
If you are able to use Outlook in Safe mode, it is most likely that certain add-ins are causing the issue. Then you can remove the culprit add-in. Follow the below steps to Run Outlook in Safe Mode.
1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run Dialog Box.
2. Type in Outlook.exe /Safe and hit OK.
If you did this correctly, Outlook should now open with the words “Safe Mode.” Now try using Outlook. If you are able to use it without issues, it is a confirmation that one of the add-ins is causing the issues. You can follow the steps in the next fix to remove unnecessary add-ins from the Outlook app.
Remove Unnecessary Add-ins
We often install multiple add-ins and only end up using a few of them while keeping the unnecessary ones as it is. It is possible that one of those add-ins is poorly designed and causing Outlook to crash. When multiple add-ins try to perform the same task, they can interfere with each other and lead to sudden crashes.
Also, over time, add-ins may become outdated and not fully compatible with Outlook’s latest version. To get out of all these situations, it is better to remove unnecessary add-ins. If you don’t know how to remove add-ins in the Outlook app, follow the below steps.
1. Launch the Outlook Desktop app.
2. Click File under the File Menu bar.
3. Tap Options under the left panel.
4. Tap on Add-ins.
5. Make sure that the Manage option is set to COM Add-ins. Tap on Go.
6. Uncheck the box previous to unnecessary Outlook add-ins you want to disable, then click Remove.
Repair Microsoft 365 Programs
If removing unnecessary add-ins didn’t help you fix the issue, the next potential solution is to repair your Microsoft 365 programs. Microsoft 365 features a built-in troubleshooting tool called Quick Repair. It can fix common problems and repair corrupted files within the office apps. Here is how you can repair your office programs:
1. Launch the Control Panel on your PC.
2. Click Uninstall a program under Programs.
3. Find and right-click Microsoft Office 365 and then tap on Change. Alternatively, tap Microsoft Office 365 and tap Change.
4. You will now receive a prompt. Tap Yes.
5. As soon as you tap Yes, a new window will pop up and fill the circle previous to Quick Repair.
6. Tap Repair.
The repair process may take several minutes, depending on the size of your Office installation. Once the process completes, restart your computer and open Outlook again. Hopefully, the Outlook crashing issue should be a thing of the past now.
Create a New Outlook Profile
Tried repairing Office programs, but Outlook is still crashing on your PC? The next fix we have for you is creating a new Outlook profile. It is possible that your current profile is corrupted, causing Outlook to crash. Creating a new Outlook profile will give it a fresh start and should fix the issue. The steps below should help you create a new Outlook profile on your PC.
1. Open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, change the view by Large icons using the View by drop-down menu.
3. Click on the Mail (Microsoft Outlook) option.
4. Under Profiles, select the Show Profiles option.
5. Click the Add button, enter your new profile name, and click OK.
6. In the Add Account window, enter your account details and hit Next.
7. Once the profile is created, set it as the default profile by selecting it under When starting Microsoft Outlook, use this profile: and then click Apply.
Now try using Outlook, and with a new profile, it should work flawlessly without any issues.
Reinstall Microsoft 365
If none of the above fixes work for you, then your best bet now is reinstalling Office 365. A fresh Office 365 will replace any damaged or missing files causing Outlook to crash. Here’s how you can reinstall Microsoft 365 on your Windows PC.
1. Launch the Control Panel.
2. Click Uninstall a program.
3. Right-click Microsoft Office 365 and then tap on Uninstall.
4. Now, you will receive a prompt; tap Yes.
5. A new window will pop up asking to Uninstall. Tap on it.
6. To install Microsoft 365 again, open Microsoft Store.
7. Search Microsoft 365 and tap Get.
Depending on your Internet speed, your PC will take a few minutes to install Microsoft 365 on your PC. When it is done, try opening it, and Outlook should no longer crash.
Conclusion
Microsoft Outlook is a popular email client among Windows users. For most users, their Outlook email is provided by their work organizations. Any issues with the Outlook app mean missing out on important emails.
Unfortunately, Outlook keeps crashing for several Windows users. If you are also facing the issue, the fixes outlined above should help you get out of this situation.
You may also look at these Microsoft 365 Alternatives.
