Outlook won't start - I receive a message "Something went wrong." How can I open Outlook?

Question

Outlook won't start - I receive message "Something went wrong."

Answer 1

If you're experiencing issues with Outlook and receiving a "Something went wrong" error message, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the problem. Here are some suggestions:

Restart your computer: Sometimes, a simple restart can fix temporary glitches or conflicts that may be preventing Outlook from starting properly. Try restarting your computer and then launch Outlook again.

Check for updates: Make sure that Outlook is up to date with the latest software updates. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that can resolve issues. Open Microsoft Office Update or the Microsoft Store (depending on your version of Outlook) and check for any available updates.

Repair Office installation: Outlook may have encountered an error during installation or become corrupted. You can try repairing the Office installation to fix any underlying issues. The steps may vary slightly depending on your version of Office, but generally, you can go to the Control Panel (or Settings on Windows 10) > Programs > Programs and Features. Find Microsoft Office in the list, select it, and choose the "Change" or "Modify" option. From there, you should see a repair option to fix the installation.

Disable add-ins: Add-ins are additional programs or features that integrate with Outlook. Sometimes, a problematic add-in can cause Outlook to fail at startup. To troubleshoot this, you can try starting Outlook in Safe Mode, which disables all add-ins. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, then type "outlook.exe /safe" (without quotes) and press Enter. If Outlook starts successfully in Safe Mode, you can go to the add-ins settings and disable or remove any suspicious or unnecessary add-ins.

Create a new Outlook profile: It's possible that your Outlook profile has become corrupted. You can create a new profile and see if that resolves the issue. To do this, go to the Control Panel (or Settings on Windows 10) > Mail (or Mail and Accounts) > Show Profiles. Click on "Add" to create a new profile, follow the prompts, and set the new profile as the default. Then, try launching Outlook with the new profile.

Reinstall Outlook: If none of the above steps work, you may need to reinstall Outlook. Uninstall Microsoft Office from your computer and then reinstall it using your original installation media or by downloading it from the Microsoft website. Remember to backup any important data or settings before reinstalling.

If the problem persists after trying these troubleshooting steps, it may be helpful to contact Microsoft Support or consult the Outlook community forums for further assistance.