1 5 Common Outlook Issues and Troubleshooting Tips
Nora Benavidez edited this page 2 weeks ago

Learn how to check the version of Outlook you are using and update your Outlook. This is intended as a general guide to some common errors and I may not be able to troubleshoot through this. Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.

Outlook users at times encounter issues and errors when working with the application. By understanding the common Outlook issues, users can swiftly troubleshoot and resolve most of these errors. If there is corruption in the Outlook data file (PST), troubleshooting Outlook startup issues the solution is to repair the file using the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST), which comes pre-installed with Outlook. However, if the tool freezes or fails to repair the PST file, the best solution is to use Stellar Repair for Outlook.

For more information about working with calendars in Outlook.com, go to Using the calendar in Outlook.com. Select More to see additional actions—for example, an option to print a message. If you want to learn about printing, see Print attachments received in email messages. You might need to set Windows Update to automatically download and install recommended updates. Installing any important, recommended, and optional updates can often correct problems by replacing out-of-date files and fixing vulnerabilities. To install the latest Windows and Office updates, click the link below.

Follow these steps to let Outlook diagnose and fix errors in your Outlook mail profile that might be causing the issue. You can create a new Outlook Data File and drag the items in the Lost and Found folder into the new data file. After you've moved all the items, you can remove the Recovered Personal Folders (.pst) file, including the Lost and Found folder. To create a new Outlook Data File, go to Create an Outlook Data File. The steps to access the repair tool vary depending on your operating system. If you can't open Outlook, or Outlook disappears or crashes, one of your add-ins may be to blame or you may need to update Outlook.

To import contacts from other email services, export contacts, or clean up duplicate contacts, select an option from the Manage contacts menu. Add a contact to your Favorites by selecting a contact in the list, and then selecting Add to favorites. When you add someone as a favorite in People, they'll also show up under Favorites in Mail, and the other way around, provided that the contact has an email address. There might also be a visual alert that a message is unread, has an attachment, or is flagged. This is a lightweight app designed to handle multiple accounts and fairly moderate email use. Having trouble connecting to your email from Outlook on your desktop?

Use the classic Outlook calendar check troubleshooter to identify classic Outlook calendar issues. Use the classic Outlook profile setup troubleshooter to set up Microsoft 365 email in classic Outlook. TrustedTech delivers unbeatable customer service, with experts in licensing and high-level technicians always on-call to answer your tech issues in-depth. TrustedTech is dedicated to being a reliable resource for all software and technology support needs.

To learn more about managing contacts in Outlook.com, go to Create, view, and edit contacts and contact lists in Outlook.com. Each message also has a mini toolbar when you open the message in a new window. For each message, you can delete it, mark it as unread, flag the message, or pin it to keep it at the top of your folder. Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. We have multiple tools to help you automatically diagnose an issue, troubleshoot, and fix problems with Outlook.

If you can open the original Outlook Data File, you might be able to recover additional items. The Inbox Repair tool creates a backup file with the same name as the original, but with a .bak extension, and saves it in the same folder. There may be items in the backup file that you might be able to recover that the Inbox Repair tool couldn't.

Start classic Outlook in safe modeIn Windows 10, click Start.Type Outlook /safe, in the Search programs and files and then click OK.Close and re-open Outlook.If the issue is resolved, you can keep working, or if you have time, take the following steps to find out what COM Add-in is causing the problem.

This at least allowed me to see if it was a plugin issue. You could try going into Mail (Microsoft Outlook) (32 bit) app in Control Panel and delete the Outlook profile then open Outlook and allow it to create a new one. TrustedTech delivers unbeatable customer service, with experts troubleshooting Outlook startup issues in licensing and high-level technicians always on-call to answer your tech issues in-depth. The instructions given in the error will seldom actually fix this issue as the issue is more likely to be caused by the add-in itself, rather then by an Outlook installation issue.

Occasionally, classic Outlook tries to run a process in the background. Auto-archive, sending and receiving a very large attachment, or running some of the other mailbox tools can all be done in the background. Check the status bar at the bottom of the screen to see if another process is running. If so, wait a short time (usually two or three minutes) to see if Outlook starts working again. If you can't choose any of the menu options, type inside an email message, calendar event, or contact, Outlook may have troubleshooting Outlook startup issues frozen.