Outlook not opening on your Windows PC? 6 Ways to Fix This Problem

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6 Ways to Fix the Problem When Outlook Won’t Launch

Key takeaways

To fix this issue when Outlook won’t open on your PC, you can remove suspicious add-ins, run a full antivirus scan, clear Outlook cache, repair the application using the repair tool built-in Office or update your Outlook application.
If the application still doesn’t open, you can try resetting your display settings in Outlook by putting “Outlook.exe /cleanviews” in the Run box.

Are you having trouble launching Outlook on your PC? This is not uncommon and you can easily open Microsoft’s Mail and Calendar app with a few simple fixes. We’ll show you what to do on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.

Why isn’t Outlook opening?

Outlook won’t open on your PC for several reasons. You may have installed an add-in that is causing problems with the application. Or, your PC may be infected with a virus or malware, preventing your application from launching.

In most cases, Outlook doesn’t tell you why it isn’t opening, leaving you guessing as to what’s causing the problem.

6 Ways to Fix the Problem When Outlook Won’t Launch

Since several different issues can prevent Outlook from opening, you may need to try several fixes before your problem is resolved. Here, we list fixes for possible causes, starting with the most likely culprit. Proceed in order so you have the best chance of getting back to your inbox as quickly as possible.

Remove faulty add-ins from Outlook

One of the reasons Outlook fails to launch is because you have installed faulty add-ins in the application. These add-ins may not work properly, preventing the application from launching.

In this case, open Outlook in Safe Mode where your add-ins are not loaded and remove any suspicious add-ins.

To do this, open the Windows Run dialog box by pressing Windows+R. In this box, type the following command and press Enter:

outlook.exe /safe

If Outlook opens, your installed add-ins are probably the culprit. In this case, remove these add-ins by going to File > Options > Add-ins, selecting “Go” beside the “Manage” drop-down menu, choosing all the add-ins in the list and selecting the “Withdraw” option.

When your add-ins are deleted, close and relaunch Outlook. Your problem should now be resolved.

Run an antivirus scan on your PC

If your PC is infected with a virus or malware, this might be the reason why Outlook won’t launch. In this case, run a full antivirus scan on your PC to find and remove any threats.

To do this, launch your PC’s Windows Security application. In this app, go to Virus & Threat Protection > Scanning Options. Here, activate the “Full scan” option and choose “Scan now.”

Wait for the antivirus to scan your system, detect viruses and remove these items. Next, restart your PC and launch Outlook.

Clear your Outlook cache

Outlook caches various files to speed up your application experience. When you are having issues with the app, it is likely that the cached files of the app are corrupted. In this case, you will need to clear your app cache to resolve your issue.

Fortunately, you can delete Outlook cache files without affecting your stored data like emails and contacts. Your application will rebuild these files as you send and receive emails and use other application features.

To do this, open the Run dialog box using Windows+R. In the box, type the following path and press Enter:

%localappdata%MicrosoftOutlook

In the open folder, navigate to the “RoamCache” case. Here, select all files by pressing Ctrl+A. Then right-click on a selected file and choose “DELETE” (a trash can icon).

When your cache files are deleted, launch Outlook and the application should open without problems.

Repair your Outlook application

When a Microsoft Office application, like Outlook, stops working, use Office’s built-in repair tool to repair your application. Microsoft includes this tool with all Office installations, and you can use it to find and fix problems with all your Office applications.

To access the tool, open Control Panel and select “Uninstall a program.”

Select your Microsoft Office installation from the list and choose “Change” at the top.

Select the Microsoft Office installation and choose

In the “User Account Control” prompt, select “Yes.”

You will see the Office Repair tool on your screen. Here, activate the “Quick repair” option and choose “Repair.”

Wait for the tool to resolve your Outlook problem.

If your problem with Outlook persists, use the repair tool “Online repair” option to troubleshoot your application. This option takes longer than the first and requires an active Internet connection to troubleshoot your app. Once you’ve used this app, launch your Outlook app and it should work as expected.

Update Outlook on your computer

If your version of Outlook is outdated, that may be why you can’t open it. Older versions of apps often have many issues, and these issues are usually fixed in newer versions. You can update your Outlook app to resolve your launch issue.

Since your app isn’t opening, you’ll need to use another Office app on your PC to trigger the update. This is because when you update an Office application, it automatically updates all other Office applications on your PC.

To do this, launch a non-Outlook Office application on your PC. We will use the Word application. In the left sidebar of the app, select “Account.”