how to fix Outlook not starting up on my Lenovo laptop only 1 year old

Question

Outlook suddenly will not open. have tried to restart, push on open under menu bar and the app, but nothing works.

I have subscription for 365 and Word and other programs work.

Answer 1

Try these steps in order for classic Outlook on Windows:

1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode.
   • Press Windows key + R.
   • Type Outlook /safe and select OK.
   • In Choose Profiles, accept the default Outlook profile and select OK.
   • If prompted, enter the password.
   If Outlook opens in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely causing the problem.
2. Disable Outlook add-ins.
   • In Outlook, go to File > Options > Add-ins.
   • At the bottom, confirm Manage shows COM Add-ins, then select Go.
   • Record the selected add-ins or take a screenshot.
   • Clear all selected check boxes, then select OK.
   • Important: disable the add-ins only. Do not select Remove, because that can delete the add-in if administrator rights are available.
   • Close Outlook with File > Exit.
3. Restart Outlook normally.
   • Press Windows key + R.
   • Type Outlook and open it.
   • If it opens, re-enable add-ins one at a time from File > Options > Add-ins to find the one causing the startup failure.
4. Reset the Navigation Pane.
   • Close Outlook.
   • Press Windows key + R.
   • Type Outlook.exe /resetnavpane and select OK.
5. Create a new Outlook profile if Safe Mode does not work.
   • A corrupted Outlook profile can prevent Outlook from starting.
   • Use the steps in Create an Outlook profile, then restart Outlook.
   • In Choose Profile, select the new profile and choose OK.
   • If Outlook starts normally, the old profile was the problem.
   • Warning: if removing an old profile later, back up the data files first. Offline cached content is deleted when Remove is used.
6. Repair Outlook data files.
   • Exit Outlook.
   • Run the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) using the instructions in Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost).
7. Run the Microsoft troubleshooter.
   • For Microsoft 365, the classic Outlook startup troubleshooter can diagnose and fix several common Outlook startup issues.
   • It requires Windows 10 or higher and must be run on the same Windows PC as classic Outlook.
8. If Outlook still does not open, repair Office.
   • Try a Quick Repair first, then Online Repair if needed.
9. Check Windows updates.
   • Older device drivers can cause Office startup problems.
   • On Windows 11: Start > type settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
   • On Windows 10: Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Check online for updates from Microsoft Update.

If Word and the other Microsoft 365 apps still work, the most likely first checks are Safe Mode, disabling add-ins, and resetting the navigation pane.

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References:

• I can’t start Microsoft Outlook or receive the error “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window”
• I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC