How to Fix the Error Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook Set Of Folders Cannot Be Opened?

When you click on the Outlook icon, Outlook takes a long time to respond and displays an error “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook”.

Another instance might be when the navigation pane settings file -profilename.xml is corrupted, where “profile name” is the name of your Outlook profile. If the file is corrupted, the file size is shown as 0 kb. The corruption in the XML file can be observed in any Outlook version including Outlook 2019.

Based on the versions of Outlook you use, you might encounter, errors.

Error 1: Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Error 2: Cannot open your default email folders. The information store could not be opened. Incorrect Outlook profile settings or corrupted Outlook profile.

Error 3: Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. cannot start Microsoft Outlook invalid XML, the view cannot be loaded.

The main cause of the error in Microsoft Outlook is corruption in xml file in Navigation Pane settings. The Navigation Pane is present on the left side of the Outlook window and helps in switching between different areas of Outlook such as mail, contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes. In addition, it also displays the folders when working within a view.

Other causes that lead to Cannot start Microsoft Outlook are:

• Damaged or corrupted Outlook data files (PST or OST files).
• Using Outlook in compatibility mode can also lead to errors.
• Improper re-installation and uninstallation can cause problems in Outlook.

How To Fix Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook The Set of Folders Cannot Be Opened?

The methods used to fix the error cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Set of folders cannot be opened. The fixing methods listed below can be applied to all Outlook versions, including the latest Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, and Outlook 2013.

Turn off the Compatibility Mode

Start Outlook in safe mode

Recover the navigation pane setting file

Repair Outlook using the Inbox repair tool

Create a new Outlook profile and import the old data

Method 1: Turn off Compatibility Mode to Fix Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook Error

As mentioned earlier, if you use Outlook in compatibility mode, you cannot stop the issue of Outlook not opening. Therefore, turn off the compatibility mode and verify if the solutions worked.

1. Type “exe” in search box >> right click on Outlook.exe >> Select Properties
2. A dialog box will open, click on the Compatibility
3. Uncheck the option Run this program in compatibility for. Click on OK to confirm the actions.

Try opening Outlook now and check if it was able to open without displaying any error.

Method 2: Open Outlook in Safe Mode

The advantage of opening Outlook in safe mode is that Outlook starts without loading the add-ins. Therefore, if the trouble is due to faulty add-ins, this method can fix the issue. To run Outlook in the safe mode, follow this process:

1. Type exe /safe in the search box >> Enter
2. A message user wants to start Outlook in safe mode will appear. Click Yes.

Or can make use of outlook.exe

3. Right-click on exe /safe and click on Open.

Note: While processing if it asks for account credentials, enter your password and choose “Accept.”

If Outlook works without receiving an error cannot open Microsoft Outlook in safe mode, it’s understood that there is a problem with the add-ins. If you again encounter the issue while starting Outlook. You need to disable the add-ins.

Disable faulty add-ins

1. Open Outlook, File >> Option >> add-ins
2. Select COM Add-ins in the Manage box, at the bottom of the window. Hit on Go button
3. A list of the Add-ins working with Outlook is displayed. Deselect all of them and click OK

Now restart the Outlook. If you still face the problem of Microsoft Windows not opening, try out other methods given below.

Method 3: Fix Cannot start Microsoft Outlook By Recovering Old Navigation Pane Settings

If the trouble is due to corruption in the navigation pane setting file, recovering the setting will help you fix the error.

1. Go to Start menu >> Run Command >> Type exe /resetnavpane
2. Enter OK >> Restart Computer

Outlook automatically opens; check if the “Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook” error is displayed. If you encounter the error again try deleting the XML file that stores the navigation pane settings by executing the below steps:

1. Enter %appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook in the search field on Windows
2. Select Outlook >> Find and delete the xml file

If this method does not work for you, then search PST and select restore previous versions.

Restoring Previous PST file version

Previous versions are copies of files and folders created by Windows Backup that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point.

1. Type exe in the Windows search field.
2. Right-click on exe >> Click on Restore previous versions.

This method only works if you have created a Restore point. If you have no backup created, then restoring the previous version won’t be helpful. All you can do is Repair Outlook data files with the help of an inbox repair tool.

Method 4: Use the Inbox Repair Tool to Fix Unable to Open MS Outlook

Scanpst.exe or the Inbox Repair tool analyzes and recognizes problems in PST files. ScanPST examines the personal folder files to determine whether the data is corrupted.

Locate and run the inbox repair tool. Next, browse or enter the folder path where you saved the PST file.

Folder path- C:\Program Files (x86) \Microsoft Office\root\Office19

Quick Note: The above path applies to Office 2019 and Office 365. If you’re using Outlook 2016, use the path: C:\Program Files (x86) \Microsoft Office\Office16. In case of running an older version of the application, change Outlook versions.

1. Close the Outlook application if it’s currently open and double-click to launch it
2. Click the Browse button to navigate to the folder path where you saved the PST file.
3. Click Start to initiate the scan process and repair the Outlook PST file
4. Finally, click on the Repair button to fix the issue Microsoft Outlook doesn’t start.

If a corrupt PST file causes the problem, this method should fix it. However, the tool has a few shortcomings.

The main disadvantage of Scanpst.exe is that it works on the original copy of the PST file, therefore the chances of damaging the PST file is higher than repairing it. Therefore, use a safe and secure Outlook PST Repair tool to fix the corruption in the PST file and resolve the “Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook” issue by repairing the Outlook PST file.

Method 5: Create a New Outlook Profile and Import the Data

If none of the above methods worked for you, try creating a new profile in Outlook. You do not need to worry about the data, you can easily import the Outlook data from the old profile to the newly created profile.

1. Go to Setting>> Control Panel >> Mail >> Data Files >> Add and create the profile
2. Now, keep the new profile as the default profile. To make it default, once you add the profile, the “Set to Default” option becomes enabled. Go to Account setting >> data files >> select your profile and set as default
3. Once you create the profile, verify if Outlook cannot start the problem or not. If your profile is free from error, import your old data to the new profile.
4. Go to the File option and click on Open >> Import. Choose Import from another program or file >> Next
5. Now, select Outlook Data File (.pst) >> Next >> Browse >> select your old .pst file >> Next >> Finish

This method should help you fix the error and get your old data from the previous profile. What if you still encounter the error due to severe corruption in Outlook Data Files? Do not worry, we got your back.

Fix Corruption in PST File that leads to Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook

SFWare PST Repair Tool is a tool that fixes severe corruption on PST files. Also, it works on the copy of the data files, therefore, the data remains intact. Along with repairing the file, the tool recovers all the attributes attached to Outlook like emails, calendars, and more. Download the software now and fix the PST file issue in a minute.

To fix the corruption on the PST file that makes your Outlook unable to start, download the SFWare PST repair tool, and launch the application.

Step 1: The main screen displays three options, select the one as per need:

Open PST File: If you know the path to open PST file, select the option

Find PST File: If you are not aware of PST file, the tool easily finds that for you

Select Outlook Profile: Select the profile in which you need to repair the Outlook files.

Step 2: Select Normal Scan or Smart Scan from the next screen.

Normal Scan: This scan is suitable for repairing minor corruptions in PST files.

Smart Scan: If you want to repair a severely corrupted PST file, click on Smart Scan.

Step 3: Click on the Repair option to fix cannot start Microsoft Outlook error.

After completion of the repair process, you can preview the repaired PST file in Outlook styled browser. Give the desired location to save the repaired PST file.

Conclusion

Most of the Outlook errors including cannot to start Microsoft Outlook are due to some minor technical issues which can easily fixed with the help of the above-mentioned manual solutions. If the issue damages or corrupts your PST file, use the SFWare PST repair tool to quickly fix all problems with the damaged or corrupted PST file.