how do i fix microsoft outlook not responding.
Microsoft Outlook crashes intermittently when you open an application on a Windows computer? Does the application freeze from time to time and display a “Microsoft Outlook not responding” warning at random intervals?
In this guide, you will learn why Microsoft Outlook is not responding on Windows and eight possible fixes.
1. Force Close and Reopen Outlook
Shutting down Outlook in Windows Task Manager can restore order.
Right-click the Start Menu icon, or press Windows Key + X and select Task Manager from the shortcut menu.
Advice. The Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut is a faster way to launch Windows Task Manager.
Go to the Processes tab, select Microsoft Outlook and click End Task in the lower right corner.
If you don’t find Outlook in the Processes tab, go to the Details tab, select OUTLOOK.EXE and click End Task.
Select End Process in the confirmation request.
Open Microsoft Outlook again and check if the application works without freezing or crashing.
2. Run Outlook in Safe Mode
As mentioned earlier, Microsoft Outlook may not respond if some preinstalled or third-party add-ons affect its performance. Starting Outlook in Safe Mode will disable all add-ins and other settings when the application starts. This will help you determine if a faulty or conflicting add-in is causing Outlook to be unresponsive.
Press Windows Key + R to open Run. Type or paste Outlook.exe / safe into the dialog and select OK or press Enter.
If Windows cannot start Outlook in Safe Mode through the Run box, use the keyboard shortcut instead. Press and hold the Ctrl key and select the Outlook application icon on the desktop, taskbar, or start menu.
You will be prompted to confirm that you want to open Outlook in Safe Mode. Select Yes to continue.
Select Outlook from the Profile Name drop-down menu and click OK.
If Outlook is working correctly in Safe Mode, this indicates that the add-in is responsible for the “Microsoft Outlook (not responding)” error. The next thing to do is disable all add-ins and restart Outlook.
Select “File” from the menu bar.
Select Options (or More> Options) at the bottom of the left sidebar.
Go to the Add-Ins page, select COM Add-ins from the Manage drop-down menu and select Go.
Uncheck all add-ons under Available Add-ons and click OK.
Close and reopen Outlook, re-enable the disabled add-ins one by one to determine the faulty / non-working add-in responsible for the Outlook crash.
Return to the Outlook Add-ins page (see step 7), check the add-in you want to enable, and click OK.
Close and reopen Outlook and repeat step # 8 for any built-in or third-party add-ins in the list. If Outlook hangs and displays a “Microsoft Outlook not responding” warning after you enable the add-in, this indicates the source of the problem. Open Outlook again in Safe Mode, disable the add-in, and then restart Outlook.
3. Update Outlook
Outlook can sometimes stop responding on your computer if the version installed on your computer is out of date or contains errors. Connect your computer to the Internet and do the following:
Open Outlook and select “File” from the menu bar.
Select “Office Account” in the sidebar.
Click the Update Options dropdown button.
Select Update Now.
This will launch the Microsoft Office Click-to-Run client. The tool will update Outlook if there is a new version of the application. Otherwise, it will display “You know!” alert if you have the latest version of Outlook installed on your computer.
Close the update client and try the next troubleshooting solution if the “Microsoft Outlook not responding” problem persists.
4. Run the Outlook Advanced Diagnostics Tool
Microsoft has an automated diagnostic tool that fixes problems with Outlook and other Office or Windows applications. Download the setup file, install the tool on your computer and follow these steps. One more thing: make sure your computer is connected to the Internet.
Open the Start menu, type Microsoft Support in the search bar, and select Run as administrator from the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant menu.
1- Select Outlook and click Next.
2-Select the problems that best describe the problem with Outlook on your PC: Outlook won’t start, Outlook stops responding or freezes, Outlook keeps crashing with the message “Microsoft Outlook has stopped working.” Click Next to continue.
3 – Select Yes and click Next if you are using the diagnostic tool on the affected computer.
4 – select your Microsoft account or select Use a different account to sign in with a different account.
Wait for the tool to diagnose Outlook on your computer and follow the recommendations. Try the other troubleshooting steps below if Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant does not resolve the issue.
5. Reduce Outlook’s Data File
Your Outlook inbox (and data) gets bigger as you send and receive more emails. Outlook will take longer to open emails and perform other tasks if its data file becomes corrupted or too large. Outlook may even crash or sometimes not respond while in use.
Interestingly, Microsoft allows users to manually shrink or shrink their Outlook data file without deleting messages and folders.
Open Outlook, select File from the menu bar, select the Account Settings drop-down list and select Account Settings.
Go to the Data Files tab, select the data file you want to shrink / compress and select Settings.
Click the Advanced tab and select Outlook Data File Settings.
Select Compress Now and click OK when Outlook has finished compressing the data file.
Close and reopen Outlook and monitor the performance of the application. Repair Outlook if this does not resolve the “Microsoft Outlook not responding” error.
6. Repair Outlook
Repairing Outlook can fix issues that cause the application to stop working when sending or reading emails in your Inbox. You can restore Outlook from Windows Settings or Control Panel.
Go to Settings> Apps> Apps & Features, click the menu icon next to Microsoft Outlook and select Edit.
To repair Outlook from Control Panel, open Control Panel> Programs> Programs and Features, select Microsoft Outlook and select Change from the menu bar.
Choose how you want to repair Outlook and click Recover.
Quick Repair is a self-healing process that scans files for damage and replaces any damaged file with fresh copies available locally on your computer. It’s fast and doesn’t require an internet connection.
Online Repair, on the other hand, removes Outlook from your PC and reinstalls a fresh copy from Microsoft servers. The operation requires an internet connection. It also takes longer to complete.
We recommend running Quick Repair first. If the problem persists, reopen the recovery tool and choose the online recovery option instead.
7. Restart Your Computer
This will update Windows, close programs that interfere with Outlook, and fix other issues that are causing Outlook to crash. Make sure you close all applications before restarting your computer to avoid losing unsaved work.
Press the Windows key or the Start menu icon, select the power icon and select Restart.
8. Update Your Computer
Windows Updates sometimes come with updates for Microsoft Outlook and other Office applications. These updates resolve issues that prevent Outlook from opening or working properly on Windows.
If you have a Windows 11 computer, open the Settings app, select Windows Updates in the sidebar, and install or resume an available update.
To install Windows updates on Windows 10, go to Settings> Update & Security> Windows Update and select Check for Updates.
Stabilize Outlook in Windows
Some reports suggest that third-party antivirus software may interfere with Outlook on Windows. If Outlook still crashes after trying these fixes, disable or uninstall your antivirus tool. Contact Microsoft Office Support if the issue persists.
how do i fix microsoft outlook not responding
how do i fix microsoft outlook not responding