Microsoft Outlook Keeps Crashing when Opening? Fix It Now

Microsoft Outlook downtime is business downtime. When the Outlook application crashes, it creates a domino effect across teams, SLAs, and client commitments. This technical article presents a comprehensive diagnostic framework that addresses every possible failure. We will also explain the different crashes and their causes to better understand the problem. Furthermore, in the following section, we’ll look at the possible solutions to rectify the error “Outlook Keeps Crashing”. Let’s begin with the article now.

Microsoft Outlook keeps crashing due to corrupted OST/PST files, faulty add-ins, outdated software, and more. To fix it, open Outlook in safe mode, update the software, create a new profile, or use a professional repair tool.

Understanding Why Microsoft Outlook Keeps Crashing

Users should first identify the true root cause of why Outlook keeps crashing. Based on that, they should choose which solution will rectify it.

Crash	Symptom	Possible Cause
Crash right at the Start	Immediate Shutdown	Profile or File Corruption
When loading the Mail	Freezes during mailbox sync	Data File Corruption (OST/PST)
While doing Specific Tasks	Action-Based or Functional Trigger	Specific Add-in Conflicts
Post-Update Crash	Worked yesterday; fails today	Version Incompatibility
Randomly	No clear pattern or trigger	Resource Exhaustion or Security Software
On just one PC	Everyone else is working fine	A local Windows error

Different Solutions to Fix Outlook Keeps Crashing

In the following section, we’ll look at different manual solutions that can resolve the Outlook getting shut down issue. Moreover, we’ll also look at a professional tool that provides reliable and error-free results.

Solution 01: Run Microsoft Outlook in Safe Mode

Opening the Outlook application in safe mode disables the add-ins, custom toolbars, and certain settings. 

Look at the steps to begin the process:

1. First, close the Outlook application completely.
2. Then, open the Run dialog box and type: outlook.exe /safe. Press Ok.
3. After that, choose the profile and click Ok. See if the Outlook opens up without crashing.
4. If yes, then navigate to File > Options > Add-ins.
5. In the Manage drop-down list, select COM Add-ins and hit Go.
6. Uncheck all the enabled Add-ins, restart the application, and re-add the add-ins.

Limitations: If the MS Outlook application still crashes, the likely cause will be a corrupted OST/PST file. Also, the safe mode identifies only the cause; it does not fix the problem.  

Solution 02: Create a New Mail Profile for MS Outlook

If the MS Outlook profile gets corrupted, Outlook crashes when opening, or it may crash or freeze. The user can create a new profile without reinstalling the Outlook application. 

The following are the steps to initiate the process:

1. Close Microsoft Outlook completely and then open the Control Panel.
2. Now, go to Mail > Show Profiles and select the current Outlook profile.
3. After that, click on Add to create a new profile and click on Ok.
4. Next, enter the email account credentials and click Next > Finish.
5. Again, go to the Mail setup window, and choose “Always use this profile” and select the new Outlook profile. 

Solution 03: Repair the Microsoft Outlook Application

The damaged Office files may cause Outlook to crash. Users can use the built-in Office repair features: Quick repair and Online repair. 

Use the following instructions to start the process:

1. First, close all the Microsoft Outlook applications.
2. Then, open the Control Panel from the Windows search bar.
3. After that, go to Programs > Programs and Features and locate Microsoft Office.
4. Right-click on it, choose Change, and select between Quick Repair or Online Repair.
5. Click on Repair and follow the on-screen instructions, and restart your system.
6. Now, open the Outlook application and check if the error gets resolved. 

Solution 04: Update Microsoft Windows and MS Office 

Outlook keeps shutting down if the user is using outdated or old versions of MS Office and Windows. Microsoft regularly releases updates to fix these issues. Make sure to update both Windows and MS Office to their latest versions. 

Let’s look at the following steps to start updating them:

1. Launch the Outlook application and go to File > Office Account.
2. Under the Product Information, press Update Options > Update Now.
3. Once it gets updated, restart the application. 
4. Similarly, press Windows+I and select Windows Update.
5. After that, click on Check for updates, download, and install it.
6. In the end, restart the computer and open the Outlook application. 

Solution 05: A Professional Tool to Stop Outlook from Crashing

The Cigati Outlook PST Repair Tool is a trusted solution to fix or repair the corrupted Outlook PST data file. When this data file gets corrupted, it can cause Microsoft Outlook to crash or freeze when opening. This tool recovers or retrieves all the Outlook PST file data without losing any critical information. The user can recover PST files of any size and save them in different formats as well. Also, it offers different repair modes: Standard, Advanced, and Deep.

Quick and simple steps to resolve why Outlook keeps crashing:

1. First, run the repair tool on your local machine.
2. Then, upload the corrupted PST file that you wish to repair.
3. After that, pick the desired recovery option: Standard, Advanced, or Deep.
4. Once the scan is completed, preview the recoverable mailbox items.
5. Next, choose PST as the target output format and save it at your preferred location.

Conclusion

In an enterprise, it becomes crucial to fix the error, “Outlook keeps crashing,” for workflow continuity. We have mentioned all the solutions that can help fix this error. The manual solutions listed in this article can fix minor issues. The major cause is the data file corruption that can be fixed using a professional tool, the Cigati Outlook PST Repair Tool.

You May Also Read: Outlook Emails Stuck in Outbox

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