Outlook Not Opening? Resolve the Issue with Efficient Fixes

Outlook is a dynamic and feature-rich email client that comes from Microsoft. This email client helps people seamlessly manage their emails. But there may also be numerous times when people experience problems like Outlook not opening. This problem can seem frustrating and annoying for people who are using it to view, send, or receive an urgent email. There are several troubleshooting solutions that you can use to enable your Outlook to run smoothly as before. But the fix you use will depend on what you are experiencing and the MS Outlook version you are using. In this article, you’ll read about some of the common fixes that are effective in getting rid of this problem.

Why Do You Find Outlook Not Opening?

There is not one but many causes behind this problem. If you are wondering why won’t Outlook open, these causes may be behind it.

• Damaged files.
• Issues with add-ins.
• Problems with the navigation pane.
• A damaged or corrupted profile.

Fixes for Outlook Not Opening Problem

There’s no need to worry about finding that Outlook won’t open. There are several troubleshooting steps you can take and fix this issue.

1. Open MS Outlook in Safe Mode

It is the first step you can take whenever you face problems opening the Outlook application. If you find it open in the Safe Mode, it means the problem lies with an add-on or a toolbar extension. You can open the application in Safe Mode by using a command prompt. Follow these steps.

• Launch the ‘Run’ dialog box through the keyboard shortcut ‘Win + R.’ Now enter ‘run’ in the search box and press enter.

• Enter the following command: outlook.exe/safe on the ‘Run’ and then choose ‘OK.’

• In the window of ‘Choose Profile’ choose the option of ‘Default Outlook’ and then select ‘OK.’

• Outlook will now begin in the Safe Mode.

2. Use the Windows Task Manager

Another effective method is to launch the Windows Task Manager. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot MS Outlook through this method.

• Press the keys of ‘Alt, Del, and Ctrl’ at a single time to open the Task Manager.
• When its window appears, choose the ‘Processes’ tab.
• Now, you can begin to end the invisible background procedures that Outlook has left running on the system. They are why your Outlook is not opening.
• Search for a process called ‘OUTLOOK.EXE’ and tap on it.
• Tap on the button ‘End Process.’ You can find it at the bottom right corner of the Task Manager window.
• Perform steps 3 to 6 for every procedure that Outlook has left running.
• If you see a warning dialog box after you complete these steps, tap ‘Yes’ on it.

3. Disable add-ins

If you’ve tried the methods above, but they have not yielded results, you may still ask why my Outlook won’t open. Defective add-ins in Safe Mode can be the culprit behind the problem. Add-ins are integrated into Outlook. They can be obsolete or defective and hinder Outlook from opening. The add-ins can be conflicting with this desktop client. You need to disable every add-in and check if this application is opening as usual.

• Choose ‘File’ followed by ‘Options’.

• And then tap ‘Add-ins.’

• In the section ‘Manage,’ choose ‘Go.’

• Clear all the checkboxes beside the add-ins you wish to disable. Now choose ‘OK.’

4. Reset the navigation panel

This step entails resetting the navigation pane with the outlook.exe/resetnavpanel command. You can find the navigation pane on the left edge of the Outlook window. It has the folder list and items like ‘Contacts’, ‘Notes’, ‘Tasks’, ‘Email’, and ‘Calendar.’ You can adjust this area as per your preferences. However, the individualizations can cause severe errors that may result in Outlook not opening on Windows 10. The resolution for it is to revert the navigation pane to the default setting. Implement the following steps.

• Tap ‘Run’ on the ‘Start’ menu. You can also press the Windows and R keys at the same time to open this dialog box.
• Now fill in the command: outlook.exe /resetnavpanel in the text field. Confirm it by hitting ‘OK.’

• Now launch your Outlook application.

5. Repair a defective Outlook profile

Are you still wondering why is Outlook not opening? It may be that your personal folders file (.pst file) is faulty. A .pst file has every calendar entry, email, notes, task, and content that are related to your Outlook profile. An Outlook.pst is made the first time that you start this Microsoft application. But you can also create. PST files by yourself. If you feel that the problem is being caused by a faulty Outlook profile, follow the steps below.

• Navigate to ‘Control Panel’ and tap ‘Mail.’

• Upon the opening of the ‘Mail Setup – Outlook’ dialog box, tap ‘Show Profiles.’

• Tap ‘Add.’

• Adhere to the guidelines to create a new profile and tap ‘Finish.’

• Select the option of ‘Prompt for a profile to be used’ and tap ‘OK.’
• Now launch Outlook.

6. Repair MS Outlook

If you find Outlook not opening on your device, it’s highly possible that the application is damaged. You can repair the application by using the in-built Microsoft Office Repair Utility. To repair the Outlook application, follow these steps:

• Exit all Office apps.
• Navigate to ‘Start.’ From there, go to ‘Control Panel.’
• Choose ‘Category View.’
• In the section of ‘Programs’ choose ‘Uninstall a Program.’
• Next, right-tap ‘Microsoft Office’ and then choose ‘Change.’
• Choose ‘Online Repair.’ After that, select ‘Yes’ if you notice a user account control prompt appearing.
• After this process finishes, restart the Outlook application.

7. Update MS Outlook

Although the Outlook application installs the updates automatically, you can also manually enable or disable those updates through your Office account settings. It’s important to check and install the latest update on your system for enabling automatic updates for Outlook. Adhere to the following points:

• Choose ‘File’ and then ‘Office Account.’

• Choose ‘Update Options.’ After that, choose ‘Enable Updates’ in the drop-down.

• To check and apply updates manually to the application, choose ‘File.’ Then, choose ‘Office Account.’ Its present in the navigation pane.

• Choose ‘Update Options’ and then select ‘Update Now.’

• If you want to update Outlook on a Mac device, choose ‘Help’ from the menu bar. Then choose ‘Check for Updates.’

• Choose ‘Update’ for downloading and installing all the available ones.

8. Check the mail server settings of Outlook.

Incorrect mail server settings can also cause Outlook to not open. If you are not aware of the correct settings and are facing this problem, you may wonder how I fix Outlook not opening an issue on your device. Follow the points below to check the Outlook mail server settings.

• Choose ‘File’ followed by ‘Account Settings.’
• Tap on the ‘Account Settings’ option.
• Now, choose your ‘E-mail’ and select ‘Change.’
• If you use an email address that ends with outlook.com, you will not be able to modify the settings directly. In this case, your settings are managed by Windows.

9. See whether your MS Outlook runs in the compatibility mode

The compatibility mode makes it seamless for users to run various programs on old operating systems. If your Outlook runs on compatibility mode, you may wonder why won’t Outlook open. In this case, disable it and then see whether the application works properly. Note that Outlook 2016 does not have a Compatibility tab. So, only the Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013 versions users can use this method to resolve the application not opening issue.

Here are the steps you should follow:

• Locate the file outlook.exe on your system. To find it, follow this path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 14\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office 14\ on Outlook 2010. Outlook 2013 users should follow this path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 15\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office 15\. After that, right-tap the file and then choose ‘Properties.’ Next, navigate to the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
• Uncheck all boxes that you have checked on the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
• Choose ‘Apply’ and then choose ‘OK.’
• Lastly, restart the Outlook application. Find if it opens properly or not.

10. Rebuild the MS Outlook Database

If you are a Mac user and find Outlook not opening on your device, rebuilding its database through the MS Database utility can resolve the problem. But before you begin the process to rebuild the database, ensure that you have 20 MB of disc space. It’s required to rebuild the database.

• Launch Outlook and choose ‘Outlook’ followed by ‘Turn Off Office Reminders.’
• Exit every MS Office app.
• Close Outlook. Hold down ‘Option.’ Then choose the Outlook icon for launching the ‘Microsoft Database Utility.’
• Choose the identity of that database you wish to rebuild and select ‘Rebuild.’
• After the process ends, restart Outlook.

Final Words

People using different versions of Outlook may find different techniques working for them. But you can be confident that one of the methods will certainly resolve the Outlook not opening problem. However, if you still cannot resolve this issue, it’s best to seek professional Outlook support services. The technical experts will diagnose and fix all kinds of glitches and errors in your MS applications.

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