Outlook is one of the most popular email clients on the market, but it can be frustrating when it fails to respond in Windows. This tutorial will explain the problem and eight potential fixes. ..

1. Force Close and Reopen Outlook

If you’re using Outlook on a Windows computer, terminating it might restore some order to your tasks.

If you’re having trouble launching the Windows Task Manager, try using the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut. ..

If you don’t find Outlook in the “Processes” tab, go to the “Details” tab, select OUTLOOK.EXE, and select End task.

If Outlook is not working properly, open it up and check if the app crashes or freezes.

2. Run Outlook in Safe Mode

If you’re having trouble using Outlook, try disabling any add-ins that may be causing problems. Safe mode will disable all add-ins, so you can pinpoint which one is causing the issue. ..

If Outlook fails to launch in Safe Mode, use the keyboard shortcut instead. Press and hold the Ctrl key and select the Outlook app icon on the Desktop, Taskbar, or Start menu.

If Outlook works properly in safe mode, it means that the add-in is responsible for the “Microsoft Outlook (Not Responding) error.” The next thing to do is to disable all add-ins and restart Outlook.

Close Outlook and reopen it. Check the add-ins that are disabled and see if any of them are causing the Outlook crash. If so, re-enable them one by one to determine which add-in is causing the issue.

Close and reopen Outlook and repeat the steps in order:

  1. Disable any third-party add-ins that you don’t use.
  2. Open Outlook in safe mode, if it’s not already open.
  3. Repeat step #8 for all built-in or third-party add-ins on the list. If Outlook freezes and displays the “Microsoft Outlook Not Responding” alert after enabling an add-in, that tells you the source of the problem. Reopen Outlook in safe mode, if it’s not already open.

3. Update Outlook

  1. Open the Control Panel and select System and Security.
  2. Click on the Update button.
  3. Click on the Check for Updates button.
  4. Click on the Install button to install the latest version of your PC’s software.

That’ll launch the Microsoft Office Click-to-Run Client. The tool will update Outlook if there’s a new version of the app. Otherwise, it’ll display a “You’re up to date!” alert if you have the latest Outlook version installed on your PC.

If the “Microsoft Outlook Not Responding” issue persists, close the update client and try the next troubleshooting solution if the problem is not resolved by following these steps:

  1. If you are using an earlier version of Microsoft Outlook, open a new instance of Outlook and try to reopen any old messages.
  2. If you are using a later version of Microsoft Outlook, open a new instance of Outlook and try to reopen any messages that have been deleted or have been moved to another account.
  3. If you are not using an earlier or later version of Microsoft Outlook, follow these steps:
  4. Try refreshing your browser cache if you have not done so recently. This can help improve your experience when trying to access some of the content in Microsoft Outlook.
  5. Try opening a new instance of Microsoft Outlook if the “Microsoft Outlook Not Responding” issue persists after following step 1 or 2.

4. Run the Outlook Advanced Diagnostics Tool

If you’re experiencing problems with your Outlook or other Office applications, Microsoft has a tool that can help. Download the setup file and install it on your computer. Then follow the steps below to get started. One more thing: make sure your computer is connected to the internet. ..

If you are having trouble with your Outlook email, try the following steps: -Wait for Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant to scan your computer for Outlook problems. -If Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant doesn’t find a solution, try the following troubleshooting steps: -Check your internet connection and make sure that you have the latest updates for your computer. -Try restarting your computer. -Try uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook. ..

5. Reduce Outlook’s Data File

Your Outlook inbox (and data) grows larger as you send and receive more emails. If your Outlook data file becomes corrupt or too large, it may take longer for Outlook to open emails and execute other tasks. Additionally, Outlook may crash or occasionally fail to respond during usage.

Manually compressing or reducing the size of Outlook data files can be helpful for users who want to save space on their computer. ..

If you’re having trouble opening Microsoft Outlook and experiencing “Microsoft Outlook Not Responding,” close and reopen the app. If that doesn’t fix the issue, repair it.

6. Repair Outlook

If you’re having trouble with Outlook, repairing it may help. You can do this from the Windows Settings app or by using the Control Panel. ..

In the Modify dialog, select the “Outlook” app and then select “Customize.” In the Customize dialog, under “Outlook,” select “New Folder.” In the New Folder dialog, enter a name for your new folder and then click OK.

To repair Outlook from the Control Panel, open the Control Panel and select Microsoft Outlook. On the menu bar, select Change.

If you are having trouble with Outlook, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the issue. The first step is to choose how you want to repair Outlook. You can either try repairing it automatically or manually. After that, select Repair to start the process. ..

Quick Repair is a self-repair process that scans for file corruption and replaces any damaged file with fresh copies available locally on your computer. It’s fast and requires no internet connection.

Online repair is a faster and more reliable way to uninstall Outlook from your PC and reinstall a fresh copy from Microsoft servers. The operation requires an internet connection, but it also takes less time to complete. ..

Quick Repair: If the problem persists, re-open the repair tool and select the Online Repair option instead.

7. Restart Your Computer

This will fix problems with Outlook and other programs that are conflicting with it. Make sure you close all programs before restarting your PC so you don’t lose any work you’ve already done.

Press the Windows key or Start menu icon, select the Power icon, and select Restart.

8. Update Your Computer

Microsoft Outlook is a popular email client and it can be difficult to find updates for it that fix issues that prevent it from opening or running correctly. Sometimes, Microsoft updates ship with updates for other Office apps, such as Outlook, that fix these same issues. If you’re using Outlook, you should always check for these updates and install them if they’re available.

If you have a Windows 11 computer, open the Settings app and select the Update & Security category. Under Windows Updates, you will see a list of updates available for your computer. If there are any updates available, install them. ..

If you’re not sure whether you need to install updates, you can check for them by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and selecting Check for updates on the left.

Stabilize Outlook in Windows

Some reports suggest that third-party antivirus software can interfere with Outlook’s performance in Windows. If Outlook still crashes after trying these fixes, disable or uninstall your antivirus tool. Contact Microsoft Office Support if the problem persists.