Outlook keeps crashing

Question

Outlook keeps freezing and crashing especially when I try to opena subfolder, and when I restart it won't open until I use Task Manager to remove the process

Answer 1

See if you have new update available, particularly KB5078127  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/january-24-2026-kb5078127-os-builds-26200-7628-and-26100-7628-out-of-band-cf5777f6-bb4e-4adb-b9cd-2b64df577491

If not, go to Windows Settings > Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall Updates Look for KB5074109 and uninstall it for now. Restart the computer and then see if it improves.

Answer 2

If Outlook keeps freezing and crashing, especially when trying to open a subfolder, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take:

1. Create a New Outlook Profile: Sometimes, issues with the current profile can cause Outlook to crash. You can create a new profile by going to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles, then select Add to create a new profile.
2. Repair Office Programs: You can repair your Office installation, which may resolve any corrupted files causing the crashes. To do this, exit all Office programs, go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, right-click on Microsoft Office, and select Repair.
3. Use the Inbox Repair Tool: This tool can help fix issues with your Outlook data files. You can find it by searching for scanpst.exe on your computer and following the prompts to repair your data files.
4. Check for Conflicting Software: Sometimes, antivirus software can conflict with Outlook. Ensure your antivirus is up-to-date and consider temporarily disabling it to see if it resolves the issue.
5. Run the Classic Outlook Advanced Diagnostics Troubleshooter: This tool can help diagnose and fix issues with Outlook. Make sure you are running it on the same device where Outlook is installed.
6. Selective Startup: Use the Selective Startup option in System Configuration to identify if any services or startup programs are causing the issue. You can do this by running msconfig and adjusting the settings under the General tab.

These steps should help you troubleshoot the crashing issue with Outlook.