MS Outlook not working.

Question

MS Outlook will not open my email. Instead, I get this message: "Sorry, we're having trouble opening this item. This could be temporary, but if you see it again you might want to restart Outlook."

Answer 1

Hi,

Please check if you have no problem with other email accounts in Outlook. If this only happens with a specific email, please try logging out of that account and closing the Outlook app. Log in again.

You may also have an option to create a new profile. It might be that your current profile on that account is corrupted. Create a new Outlook profile and sign in to the affected account.

To create a new profile account, please follow the steps in the article below.

Create an Outlook profile

If you need more assistance, please let me know.

Stay Safe!

Answer 2

The error message appears when Outlook runs out of memory or system resources, often after many items are opened at once.

Use these steps:

1. Close extra open items
   • In Outlook, close all open email windows and other Outlook windows.
   • Avoid opening more than about 60 emails at the same time. Keeping many message windows open can trigger the error and cause Outlook to crash.
2. Restart Outlook
   • Fully close Outlook (make sure it is not running in the taskbar or system tray), then start it again.
3. Check for conflicting add-ins
   • Start Outlook in safe mode so add-ins do not load:
     1. Press Windows key + R.
     2. Type Outlook /safe and select OK.
     3. If Outlook works normally in safe mode, disable add-ins:
        • Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
        • At the bottom, ensure Manage: COM Add-ins is selected, then choose Go.
        • Clear all check boxes to disable all add-ins, then choose OK.
        • Close Outlook and start it normally.
        • Re-enable add-ins one at a time, restarting Outlook after each, until the problem returns. The last add-in enabled is the cause; leave it disabled.
4. Reduce external content loading
   • If the error appears mainly on messages with many images or external content:
     • Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Automatic Download.
     • Select:
       • Don’t download pictures or other content automatically in HTML e-mail.
       • Warn me before downloading content when editing, forwarding, or replying e-mail.
5. Keep mailbox and data healthy
   • Large mailboxes and corrupted data files can contribute to performance and “not responding” issues. If problems continue, follow the guidance in the Outlook performance article to check mailbox size, repair Office, and repair Outlook data files.

If Outlook still crashes or shows the same error after these steps, avoid opening many emails at once and consider checking Windows resource usage (memory/CPU) while Outlook is running.

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References:

• Classic Outlook errors opening more than sixty emails at the same time
• Outlook not responding error or Outlook freezes when you open a file or send mail
• I can’t start Microsoft Outlook or receive the error “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window”