Are you having trouble opening your Outlook application or receiving “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window” error messages in Windows 10 PC?
Undoubtedly, encountering ‘Outlook won’t open’ issue when you’re in the middle of completing a task can be frustrating. However, getting Outlook back to work again is not hard, but it requires you to have specific knowledge about how Outlook works internally.
This article will outline plausible causes resulting in ‘Outlook won’t open in Windows 10’ problem. It will also highlight solutions to troubleshoot the issue.
What causes the ‘Outlook not opening’ issue, and its solutions?
NOTE: Before proceeding further, try restarting your PC and check if it helps in resolving the problem. If not, continue with the solutions below:
The following are some of the causes of ‘Outlook won’t open in Windows 10’ issue, along with the solutions:
NOTE: The solutions listed below apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013 and 2010.
- Apr 08, 2021 If you’re using Outlook on a Mac and the app won’t open, rebuild the Outlook database using the Microsoft Database Utility to fix the problem. Before rebuilding the database, check whether the problem is caused by a fragmented or damaged hard disk and then run the Apple Disk Utility to diagnose and repair hard disk problems.
- Outlook 2016 won't open - Microsoft Community. Education Details: Feb 24, 2018 1.Ensure Outlook is not running in the compatibility mode. Locate Outlook.exe Right-click Outlook.exe, and then click Properties On the Compatibility tab, click to clear the Run this program in compatibility mode for check box Click OK Try to start Outlook.
- For Outlook 2010, you can find this file in C: Program Files Microsoft Office Office 14 or C: Program Files (x86) Microsoft Office Office 14 Right-click the Outlook.exe file, choose Properties, and then choose the Compatibility tab.
Cause 1 – Add-ins Conflict
One or more add-in may interfere with Outlook and prevent it from starting. Try opening Outlook in safe mode. If it opens, it’s very likely that add-in is preventing Outlook from starting normally.
Solution – Disable add-ins
Disable the add-ins and re-enable them one by one to identify which one is causing the issue. Follow these steps to disable add-ins:
Step 1: If your Microsoft Outlook will not open, the first step is to open Windows Task Manager. There are a couple of options to do this, but the most efficient way to open Task Manager is to press the Ctrl, Alt & Delete buttons at the same time. Step 2: When the Windows Task Manager window appears, select the Processes tab – the second tab.
Step 1: Click Start, type ‘outlook.exe /safe’, and then press Enter
Step 2: Click File, and then click Options
Step 3: In the ‘Outlook Options’ dialog box, click Add-ins
Step 4: At the bottom of the Outlook Options window, select COM Add-ins in the Manage box
Step 5: Click Go
Step 6: In the COM Add-ins dialog box, uncheck all the selected checkboxes
Step 7: Click OK to save changes
Now try opening Outlook in normal mode, and verify if the issue has been resolved.
Cause 2 – Issue in Navigation Pane Settings
The Outlook Navigation Pane, also called the Folder Pane, makes it easy to switch between different views like Mail, Calendar, Tasks, and other mail folders. You can customize the Navigation Pane to gain flexibility with different views and options. However, customizations to the Outlook navigation pane can also prevent Outlook from starting correctly.
Solution – Remove Customizations to Navigation Pane
Undo all the customizations by running the ‘/resetnavpane’ command as follows:
Step 1: Click ‘Windows’ and ‘R’ keys together
Step 2: In the Run dialog box, click Outlook.exe /resetnavpane, and then click OK.
Cause 3 – Corrupt or Damaged PST File
A corrupt or damaged Outlook data file (.pst) may cause an ‘Outlook not opening’ issue.
Solution – Repair Outlook PST File
NOTE: This solution does not apply to Microsoft Outlook 2013 and later versions, except for the accounts supported by IMAP.
Outlook’s built-in repair utility- Inbox Repair Tool or SCANPST.exe, helps repair corrupt or damaged PST file. Follow these steps to use the built-in repair tool:
Step 1: Navigate to the location of your Outlook PST file:
Outlook 2019: C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficerootOffice16
Outlook 2016: C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficerootOffice16
Outlook 2013: C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice15
Outlook 2010: C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice14
Step 2: Scroll down to locate SCANPST.EXE
Step 3: Double-click SCANPST.EXE
Step 4: Browse the PST file you want to scan
Step 5: Click Start to initiate the scanning progress
Step 6: Click Repair to fix any errors (if found)
Once the repair process is complete, start Outlook to determine if the issue is resolved.
Limitation of Inbox Repair Tool
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While the Inbox Repair Tool helps in repairing corrupt PST file, the built-in repair utility has certain limitations:
- It usually fails to repair a severely corrupt PST file
- Using the tool can be time-consuming, as it needs to be run several times to repair a corrupt PST file.
Use Stellar Repair for Outlook software to overcome limitations of the Inbox Repair Tool and here’s how:
Step 1: Select corrupt PST file
Step 2: Repair PST file
Step 3: Preview and save the repaired file
Conclusion
Conflicting add-ins, issues in navigation pane settings, and corrupt Outlook PST files, etc. are some reasons that may prevent your Outlook application from opening in Windows 10 PC.
To fix the issue, you can try disabling the add-ins, remove customizations to the navigation pane and run Outlook built-in ‘Inbox Repair Tool’ to repair the PST file.
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But, when it comes to fixing severely damaged (or corrupt) PST files, you can easily repair the files by using Outlook PST Recovery Software. The software serves as a fast, reliable and convenient solution to fix ‘Windows won’t open in Windows 10’ issue.