Outlook Keeps Crashing After Opening – Resolved [2025]

Most businesses and organizations rely on Outlook for daily communication and scheduling. But what if Outlook keeps crashing? Well, this can be incredibly frustrating. This issue can disrupt your workflow and lead to data loss if not addressed promptly. Therefore, to help you out with this issue, here is a comprehensive guide with some effective troubleshooting solutions. However, often these situations lead to PST file corruption. For that, we have suggested a reliable PST Recovery Tool.

Why My Outlook is Closing Automatically?

‘Microsoft Outlook crashes when opening’ is a common issue every Outlook user faces, whether using an older or the latest version. Before knowing the solutions to fix it, it is important to figure out its causes. Mentioned below are some of the common reasons:

• An oversized mailbox can slow down Outlook and lead to crashes.
• Virus or Malware can also corrupt files and disrupt Outlook’s functionality.
• Moreover, certain incompatible add-ins might be causing instability.
• Sometimes, damaged PST or OST files can cause Microsoft Outlook keep closing.
• Running an outdated version of Outlook can lead to compatibility issues and bugs.

Now, let us move into the solutions to fix the issue of MS Outlook.

Solutions to Resolve the Outlook Keeps Crashing Issue

You can follow some troubleshooting steps to fix this Outlook crash. Each of them is discussed thoroughly further.

#1. Restart Your System and Outlook

The simplest solution often resolves many software-related issues. Similarly, restarting your computer can clear temporary glitches and refresh your system’s resources. Here’s how to do it.

Here are steps to properly restart your system:

1. Save all your work and close applications that are running.
2. Then, click on the Start menu.
3. Select the Power button.
4. Click on Restart.

After the restart, try opening Outlook again to see if the Outlook keeps shutting down issue is resolved. If not, try another solution.

#2. Update Outlook to the Latest Version

Running the latest version of Outlook ensures you have the most recent fixes and updates. An outdated version can also be a cause of why Outlook keeps crashing unexpectedly.

Follow the steps below to update Outlook:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to File and click Office Account.
3. Now, select Update Options.
4. Click on Update Now.

After that, Outlook will check for and install any available updates. Once the Outlook update process is complete, reopen the Outlook application. Again, check if Microsoft Outlook crashes when opening. If not, the cause of the error is something else.

#3. Repair Your MS Outlook Account

Sometimes, the issue might be with your Outlook account settings. In that case, repairing your account can fix the issue.

Go for the steps below to repair your Outlook Account:

1. Open Outlook. Go to File.
2. Click on Account Settings > again, Account Settings.
3. Select your preferred email account and click on Repair.
4. Further, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.

After your account has been repaired, restart Outlook. Check if the problems causing ‘my Outlook keeps shutting down’ persist.

#4. Run Outlook in Safe Mode and Remove Faulty Add-ins

We often install Add-ins in Outlook to enhance Outlook’s functionality. However, some might be incompatible with your Outlook version and thus, cause conflicts leading to crashes. Therefore, you can try disabling unnecessary add-ins to stabilize Outlook and its workflow. For that, we first need to find out which is the faulty add-in by running Outlook in Safe mode. This means Outlook will run with limited features and without any add-ins enabled.

Do as the steps directed below to disable faulty Add-Ins in Outlook:

1. First of all, properly close the Outlook application.
2. Now, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on the Outlook icon. This will open your Outlook in Safe Mode.
3. Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
4. Select COM Add-ins (at the bottom), and click Go.
5. Uncheck the add-ins you suspect might be causing issues.
6. Click OK and restart Outlook normally.

Test if Outlook is functioning correctly after disabling the add-ins. If not, it means still Outlook keeps crashing. Let us try another solution to get this issue fixed soon.

#5. Rebuild Outlook Data File

Corrupt data files (OST or PST) can also cause this Outlook crashing issue. However, rebuilding the data file can resolve corruption issues.

So, here are the steps to rebuild the Data File:

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open the Control Panel and select Mail.
3. Click on Data Files.
4. Here. choose your account > click on Open File Location.
5. Rename the existing .pst or .ost file (e.g., add .old to the file name).
6. Restart Outlook. A new data file will be created automatically.

After rebuilding the data file, check if Outlook is stable.

#6. Create a New Outlook Profile

If your Outlook profile is corrupt or damaged, it might cause Outlook to crash. Creating a new profile can help solve this issue Microsoft Outlook crashes when opening. Here’s how you can do it:

Wondering, how to create a new Outlook profile? Here are the steps:

1. Go to Start, type Control Panel in the search bar, and open it.
2. In the Control Panel, click on the Mail option that appears.
3. Then, click on Show Profiles in the Mail Setup window.
4. Click on Add. Now, enter a name for your new Outlook profile, and click OK.
5. Follow the prompts to set up the new profile using your existing email address.
6. Once the setup is complete, click Finish.
7. Close and restart Outlook to use the new profile.

This should resolve the issue of ‘Outlook keeps crashing’. If not, you can try reinstalling Office 365 or repairing it.

However, we came across many users who are still struggling with this Outlook issue. They still wonder ‘Why is Outlook constantly not responding?’ So, it is possible that your PST file will get corrupted and you can lose all important data. Or, if the problem is itself due to oversized PST getting corrupt, you need to recover PST data as soon as possible. But, not through the manual process. Let us switch to professional suggested software.

#7. Use Professional Tool to Stop Microsoft Outlook Keeps Closing

Additionally, you can try the free trial tool to learn all about its functionalities and workings as well. Nevertheless, you cannot save the recovered data when using the demo tool. For that, purchase the premium version of the software.

Conclusion

Hopefully, now you understand why Outlook keeps crashing and how to fix it. We have mentioned all manual troubleshooting solutions that you can try one by one. However, before that, you must figure out the real cause of the issue. Later, go for the best solution that suits the cause of the Outlook issue. Additionally, if the issue causes PST file corruption, use the suggested software for better results.

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