If Outlook keeps crashing midway, productivity takes a hit. Frequent Outlook crashes usually point towards an underlying issue which we will try to fix in this article.
Why Does Outlook Keep Crashing?
Outlook crashes can be caused by several factors, the most common of which are listed below:
1. Damaged Outlook profile
A corrupted Outlook profile could take the form of several symptoms, including frequent crashes. You will have to fix the corrupt Outlook profile to stop Outlook from crashing
2. Conflicting Add-Ins
Conflicting can easily cause your Outlook to crash when you open it or if you perform a particular task on Outlook.
3. Oversized OST or PST file
Oversized Outlook data files can get corrupted or become unreadable if they store too much data. It could result in Outlook crashing if you are not too careful.
4. Network issues
Network issues can cause Outlook to freeze or crash midway while sending or receiving mail. You can also face issues when Outlook downloads data or tries to update itself. Usually, network issues can easily be spotted, and rectifying the internet connection or server issues usually fixes it.
Is It Possible To Fix Outlook Crashes?
Yes, it is possible to fix Outlook crashes if you take the right steps. I recommend that you take action as soon as possible. Frequent crashes may worsen over time leaving you unable to open Outlook.
In the next section let’s explore a few methods that worked out for me when I experienced similar issues.
Why does Outlook keep closing and reopening?
Usually this is a crash-restart loop, not a glitch. Outlook crashes, Windows Error Reporting catches it, and because of how the Office Click-to-Run service is configured, it silently relaunches the app. You see a flash of the window closing and a new one opening a second or two later.
Check the Windows Event Viewer under Windows Logs > Application for an Event ID 1000 tied to OUTLOOK.EXE. The faulting module listed there tells you what is actually crashing it, often a DLL belonging to an add-in rather than Outlook itself.
If you right-click an email or a contact and Outlook crashes right then, the add-in context menu handler is almost always the cause. This is a known pattern separate from a general Outlook keeps crashing when I right-click complaint, and disabling COM add-ins (covered above) usually resolves it faster than anything else on this page.
How to Fix Outlook Crashing?
1. Update Outlook
If Outlook is not updated regularly, it could result in compatibility issues, try updating Outlook to see if it helps.
1. Open Outlook.
2. Click on File to access the File menu.
3. Access the Office Account Tab.
4. Click on Update Options and select Update Now.
2. Update Windows
Updating your Operating system is important as most applications need to function smoothly. You can update Windows by following the steps below.
1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Access the Windows Updates tab On the left.
3. Click on Check For Updates or Update Now.
3. Disable Conflicting Add-Ins
If add-ins are the cause, we shall first have to open Outlook in Safe Mode, this will open Outlook without all the existing add-ins.
Part 1: Open Outlook In Safe Mode
1. Access the Run dialogue box using the Windows + R shortcut.
2. Type in Outlook.exe /safe and click OK to open Outlook in safe mode.
After Opening Outlook in safe mode, Outlook won’t crash if it were caused by add-ins, removing faulty add-ins will help rectify the issue.
Part 2: Disable conflicting Add-ins
1. After opening Outlook in Safe Mode, click on File.
2. Click on Options to access the Outlook Options window.
3. Access the Add-ins Tab.4. In the “Manage” section, select COM-addins and click on GO.
5. Uncheck or Remove all the unnecessary or problematic add-ins and click on OK.
6. Verify the results.
4. Repair MS Office
If the Outlook application is damaged or corrupted, you may experience frequent Outlook crashes. However, you can conduct a simple quick repair by following the given instructions.
1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Click on Apps in the left column.
3. Click on Installed Apps.
4. Locate the MS Office application.
5. Click the 3 dots next to MS Office and select Modify from the drop-down options.
6. Select Quick Repair and click on Repair.
7. After the repair process, verify the results.
5. Repairing Outlook Data Files:
PART A: Resolve Outlook Crashes Using SCANPST
ScanPST is an inbuilt Inbox Repair Tool that you can use to fix corrupted PST files for free. While locating the tool can be a bit tricky, it is easy to use. You can refer to the steps below and give it a try.
1. Locate Scanpst.exe. You should be able to find it using the given file locations-
32-bit Version: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office19
64-bit Version: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office19
2. Open the ScanPST.exe.
3. Use the Browse Option to Import the corrupted PST file and click Start to begin scanning.
4. After the Scanning process, Scan PST states if there are any errors that it can repair.
5. Select the box for creating a backup of the corrupt PST file, select a destination location, and click on Repair.
6: Verify Results.
PART B: Resolve Outlook Crashing Using SFWARE PST Repair
SFWare PST Repair is a professional repair tool that you can use to stop Outlook crashes. Equipped with an advanced algorithm and a simplified interface, SFWare PST Recovery can repair extremely corrupt PST data files to rectify the issue. You can try it for yourself by downloading SFWare PST Repair now!
1. Download, Install, and open theSFWare PST Repair Tool.
2. Select and import the problematic PST file using one of the given options.
- Open PST File – Opens PST file from the default location.
- Find PST File – You can browse to manually locate and select your PST file.
- Select Outlook Profile – The software displays a list of all the PST files in your system from which you can choose.
3. Select Normal Scan, select a save location for the repaired PST file, and click on Repair.
4. Verify to see if the issue has been resolved.
How do I clear my Outlook cache?
Outlook keeps a local cache of your mailbox in an OST file, and when that cache gets bloated or corrupted, crashes follow. You cannot just delete the cache folder while Outlook is running, so close Outlook completely first, including any background process in Task Manager.
Go to Control Panel, open Mail, then Show Profiles. Select your profile, click Properties, then Email Accounts, double-click your account, and click More Settings. Under the Advanced tab you will see Outlook Data File Settings, where you can clear the offline items by disabling cached mode briefly and re-enabling it. This forces Outlook to rebuild the OST from scratch.
On larger mailboxes, expect the rebuild to take a while. I have seen a 20 GB mailbox take over two hours to re-sync on a slow connection. Do not interrupt it. If Outlook crashes during the rebuild itself, the OST file is probably damaged beyond a simple cache clear, and you are better off deleting the OST file (Outlook recreates it automatically) rather than repairing it.
To Conclude
I hope that this article helped you resolve the Outlook crashing issue easily. This is a common Outlook issue and it shouldn’t take much to fix it. If the issue persists after trying all the provided solutions, try reinstalling Outlook, scanning your device for malware and viruses, or consulting with a professional service. If you have any related queries or feedback, please feel free to reach out.
