Outlook Won’t Open? Fix With 5 Simple Solutions

Outlook applications provide a vast range of email-related feature to its users. However, in certain conditions, the Outlook applications give out different types of error and the ‘application not opening’ is one of them.

The Outlook won’t open issue is mainly occurs due to setting misconfigurations and corrupted Database. However, many users have encountered this issue because of damaged Outlook application and improper internet settings.

Now, if you are one of those users who is facing this issue on their system and need to know ‘why my Outlook won’t open?’ then follow this article till the end. 

Ways to Resolve If Outlook Won’t Open 

There are many ways by which you can resolve the Outlook won’t open issue. But, you need to apply them in a proper way to get a positive result. 

In this section of the article, we have provided the most effective solutions to this issue. Have a look at them and try to execute them as instructed.

Use the Support and Recovery Assistant

If you are facing this issue in the Outlook office 365 application, then you can use the ‘Support and Recovery Assistant’ tool in order to diagnose and fix it. 

Now, to run this tool on your system, follow the given steps.

1. First, visit Microsoft’s official website and download the ‘Support and Recovery Assistant installation’ file. 
2. After it gets downloaded, install the tool on the system and then run it. Accept the license agreement in order to complete the installation process.
3. In the ‘Support and Recovery Assistant’ window, select the Outlook and then click on the  Next option.
4. Then, click on the ‘Outlook Won’t Start’ option and hit the Next button. 
5. Now, you need to click on the Yes button and then hit the Next button. 
6. In the next window, you need to type the email address and password of Office 365 (the version you are using) and then click on the Next button.

Now, the ‘Support and Recovery Assistant’ tool will diagnose all the issues present in the Outlook application and will try to fix it. If the tool is unable to fix the issue then try the next solutions given in this article. 

Disable the Add-ins

Another factor that may cause this issue within the Outlook application is the conflicting Add-ins. Now, to verify that, enter into the Safe Mode of Windows OS and launch the application. 

If the Outlook application opens up in the Safe mode then follow the given steps in order to perform the rest of the method.

1. In the Outlook main window, click on the File option and then select the Options.
2. Inside the Options window, click on the Add-ins option in order to open up its window.
3. There you need to check and make sure that the COM Add-ins option is select. And if it is, then click on the Go button.
4. Now, note down the list of the add-ins present in your Outlook application before you disable them.
5. After doing that, clear out all the checkboxes present in the COM Add-ins list and then click on the Remove button.
6. Once you have done that, click on the File option and select the Exit option.

Now, go back to the Normal mode of the Windows OS and try to launch the Outlook application in order to verify the status of the error.

Repair the Outlook Application

Now, it is quite possible that the Outlook application that you are using on the system is corrupted or damaged due to any major OS update glitch or fault within the application installation. 

Now, to repair the application you need to use the Microsoft Office Repair utility. In order to launch the tool on your system, follow the given steps.

1. Close all the Microsoft Office related applications and then click on the Start icon.
2. This will launch the  Windows search box. In that box, type ‘Apps & Features’. 
3. Now, in the result section, you will get a shortcut option. Click on it. The ‘Apps & Features’ window will open up on the screen. 
4. In that window, look for the Microsoft Office option in the installed application list and then click on it. 
5. A menu will appear on the screen. On that menu, click on the Modify option. 
6. Now, a permission box will come up on the screen asking you “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?”. 
7. In that box, click on the Yes button to continue the process. 
8. Instantly, a new window will come up on the screen. On that window, select the Online Repair option and then hit the Repair button.

The repair process will take some time, therefore you need to wait until it gets completed. Once it does, relaunch the Outlook application to verify the status of the error. 

How to Repair Outlook? Alternative method

Now, if you don’t want to use the above-given method for the application repairing process then here is an alternative method that you can use for this task.

1. Click on the Start icon and then type ‘Control Panel’ in the Windows search box. After that, click on the first shortcut option which appears in the result section.
2. This will open up the Control Panel window on the screen. In that window, you need to click on the ‘Uninstall a Program’ option in order to enter into its window. You will get that option under the Programs section.
3. In the ‘Uninstall a Program’ window, you will get a list of all those applications which are installed on the system. 
4. Form that list, look for the Microsoft Office option and then right-click on it. 
5. A pop-up menu will appear. In that menu, click on the Change option and then select the  Online Repair option if it is available.
6. After this, click on the Repair button and then hit the Yes option if the User Account Control window comes up on the screen.

Now, the Repair tool will start its job and that will take some time. Once that tool, complete its task, relaunch the Outlook application and verify the existence of the issue.

Repair the Outlook Data Files

Sometimes, this issue indicates about the corruption of Outlook Data Files (PST). And it is quite possible the same problem is affecting the system you are using. 

Now, to fix such problems Microsoft has provided an inbuilt tool know as “SCANPST.EXE”. In order to use that tool on the system, follow the given steps.

1. First, navigate to the below-given file location that corresponds with the version of the Outlook application that you are using.

Outlook 2019: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Outlook 2016: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Outlook 2013: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15

Outlook 2010: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14

1. Now, in that folder location, you will get the  SCANPST.EXE.file. Double click on that file in order to launch it.
2. A box will appear on the screen. There you need to make sure that the Outlook data file is listed for the scanning process. 

Note: However, if it is not then, click on the Browse button and navigate to your data files.

1. After that, click on the Start option to launch the scanning process. And if the SCANPST.EXE tool finds out any type of problem in the Outlook Data Files (.PST) then hit the Repair button. 

Now, the SCANPST.EXE tool will start its repairing task and it will take quite some time. Once the tool gives out a completion message, close all the windows and start the Outlook application in order to look for the error. 

Rebuild the Outlook Database: For macOS Based System

If you are using the Outlook application in a macOS based system and encountering this issue in it, then you need to rebuild the Outlook Database. 

Now, to perform that task on a macOS based system you need to use the Microsoft utility. In order to use that tool, follow the given instructions.

1. First, quite all the Microsoft Office related applications which are running on the system.
2. Then, hold the Option key and click on the Outlook icon present in the Dock. This will launch the Microsoft Database Utility.
3. Now, you need to select the identity of that database which you want to rebuild. After that selection, click on the  Rebuild option.

The database rebuilding process will start on the system. After it gets completed, restart the Outlook application and check whether the Outlook still refuses to open up. 

We hope that our article is able to provide you enough information on the Outlook won’t open issue. However, if you have more queries regarding this Outlook issue, then post about it in the comment sections.