Why does my Outlook keep freezing up?

Question

My outlook freezes up, especially when I go into Calander or Contacts. And if I can get into it at all, it sometimes lets me enter a new appointment but does not save the appointment if the system freezes and does not let me close the program normally?

Answer 1

Hi,

There were previous reports that Classic Outlook POP account profiles hang or freeze after installing the Windows 11 update KB5074109.

Microsoft has already released a fix for this issue. Please check if you have the KB5078127 out-of-band update installed by going to Settings > Windows Update > Update history. Installing this update should resolve the problem.

If you do not have this update yet, you can download and install it from the Microsoft Update Catalog: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5078127

Answer 2

Outlook freezing, especially when accessing the Calendar or Contacts, can be caused by several factors. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Repair Office Programs: You can automatically repair your Office program files. Exit any running Microsoft Office programs, open Control Panel, navigate to Programs and Features, right-click on your version of Microsoft Office, and select Repair.
2. Repair Outlook Data Files: Use the Inbox repair tool (scanpst.exe) to scan and repair your Outlook data files. This tool is installed with Outlook and can fix issues related to data corruption.
3. Check Antivirus Software: Ensure that your antivirus software is up-to-date. Sometimes, antivirus programs can conflict with Outlook, causing it to freeze. You might want to disable any Outlook integration within your antivirus software temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
4. Create a New User Profile: If the issue persists, consider creating a new Outlook profile. This can help if your current profile is corrupted. You can do this by going to Control Panel, selecting Mail, and then managing your profiles.
5. Perform a Selective Startup: This advanced troubleshooting step involves starting Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It can help identify if background applications are causing the conflict with Outlook.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be worth checking for specific updates or patches related to Outlook that could address known bugs.

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References:

• Outlook not responding error or Outlook freezes when you open a file or send mail
• How to troubleshoot issues that cause Outlook to crash or stop responding when used with Microsoft 365