Outlook keeps freezing, requires restart to send an email, cannot move emails to folders

Question

Outlook keeps freezing, requires restart to send an email, cannot move emails to folders. Have run the SCANPST.exe, and have disabled all add-ins.

Answer 1

Dear @Joni G,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

Thank you for reporting the issue where Outlook becomes unresponsive constantly. Below are detailed troubleshooting steps to help identify and resolve the problem. Please follow them in order (the Q&A Assists also mentioned it):

1.Start Outlook in Safe Mode:

Launching in Safe Mode loads Outlook without add‑ins or custom settings. This helps determine whether third‑party add‑ins are causing the freeze. If Outlook works normally in Safe Mode, disable add-ins one by one to identify the problematic one.

• Right-click the Start button, and click Run.
• Type Outlook.exe /safe and click OK.

Tip: If Windows can't find Outlook.exe /safe, try using the full path to Outlook (for example C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeXX, where XX is your version number).

Reference: Open Outlook in safe mode

2.Repair the Office installation:

Corrupted or missing Office components are a common cause of “Not Responding” issues. Running a repair helps restore Outlook functionality.

• Quick Repair: Fast and does not require internet.
• Online Repair: More thorough; reinstalls Office components.

Please see details in here: Repair an Office application

3.Create a New Outlook profile:

• Profile corruption can lead to frequent freezing or failure to load Outlook. Creating a new profile helps isolate whether the issue is connected to the existing profile. After creating a new profile, add the email account again and test Outlook.
• Please go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles, then create a new profile and try adding your account again. Reference: Create an Outlook profile

4.If the issue still persists after testing with a new Outlook profile, your Windows profile may be corrupted. So, you should create a New Windows User Profile. A new Windows profile provides a clean environment to test Outlook.

• Go to Settings > Accounts. 
• Click on the Family & other users option. 
• Click on Add account button. 
• There are two options: 
  • Microsoft account: Log in your Microsoft account. 
    • Offline account: Create a new local account (Fill in username, password, and password hint) 
    • You can set up role for the new profile (Administrator or Standard User) 
    • Then you can try signing into Outlook again. 

Besides that, I found this article that may be helpful to your case, you can consult it as well: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/outlook-stopped-working-not-responding-freezes-hangs

Please note that our support is limited to providing guidance based on official Microsoft documentation. Any third-party resources or references shared are intended solely for informational or consultative purposes. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or continued availability of third-party content, and we recommend exercising discretion when referring to such materials. 

I hope this information can help you and please feel free to update to me in comment section. Wish you a good day!

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Answer 2

If Outlook is freezing and requires a restart to send emails or move emails to folders, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Repair Office Programs: Exit all running Office programs, then open Control Panel and navigate to Programs and Features. Right-click on your version of Microsoft Office and select Repair to fix any issues with the installation.
2. Repair Outlook Data Files: Use the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) that is installed with Outlook. This tool can scan and repair issues with your Outlook data files. Make sure to exit Outlook before running the tool.
3. Check Antivirus Software: Ensure that your antivirus software is up-to-date, as outdated software can cause Outlook to malfunction. Additionally, check if your antivirus has any integration with Outlook that could be causing performance issues. You may need to disable this integration or any related add-ins in Outlook.
4. Create a New User Profile: If the problem continues, creating a new Outlook profile may resolve the issue. You can do this by going to Control Panel > User Accounts > Mail > Show Profiles, and then adding a new profile.
5. Perform a Selective Startup: To identify if other applications are interfering with Outlook, you can perform a clean boot. This involves disabling all non-Microsoft services and startup items to see if the issue persists.

These steps should help in resolving the freezing issue you are experiencing with Outlook.