Outlook won’t open [Windows 10 & Mac]

Outlook says “The application can’t open because the file is missing. Try downloading it again.”
Some people have reported that restarting Windows or Mac fixes this issue, but not everyone has been successful at doing so.

The “outlook won’t open when i click on icon” is a problem that has been present for a while. Microsoft has released an article to help fix the issue.

Milan Stanojevic is a writer who lives in Belgrade, Serbia.

Expert in Windows and Software

Milan has been fascinated by computers since he was a youngster, and this has led him to be interested in all PC-related technology. He worked as a front-end web developer before joining WindowsReport. Continue reading

14 November 2021 (last updated)

Originally published in March of 2021.

• It’s inconvenient if Outlook won’t open on Windows 10 since you can’t check your emails.
• Using an alternative email client to address the Outlook not opening Windows 10 issue.
• You may also deactivate the Outlook add-ins as described in one of our solutions.
• If Outlook will not launch, you may run the following command in the Windows 10 Run program.

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With millions of users across the globe, Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email programs on the Windows 10 platform.

Many customers have complained that Outlook would not launch on their Mac or Windows 10 PC. Is it possible that you’re one of the unhappy individuals who says, “My Outlook won’t open?”

This may be an issue, particularly if you often use Microsoft Outlook, so let’s look at how to solve it using our comprehensive tutorial below.

What can I do if I can’t get Microsoft Outlook to open?

1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode with no add-ins enabled.
2. Make a new account.
3. Repair the data file in Outlook.
4. If Outlook 2010 won’t open, use the /resetnavpane command.
5. Consider using a different email client.
6. Check that Outlook isn’t set to compatibility mode.
7. Use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant to help you out.
8. DPI settings should be changed.
9. Log out of your iCloud account.
10. Use the option to create a new email message.
11. Outlook should have its own password.
12. Attempt to use an earlier version of Outlook.
13. Modify how you close Outlook.
14. Try sending any file with Outlook.
15. Remove the Outlook App Data folder from your computer.
16. Check to see whether you have access to your PST file.
17. Use the sfc /scannow command to scan your system.
18. Delete the key from the registry
19. Uninstall the VPN program.

1. Open Outlook in Safe Mode and turn off all add-ins.

1.1 Open Outlook in Protected Mode.

1. Enter Outlook /safe by pressing Windows Key + R and pressing Enter or clicking OK.
2. Click OK when the Choose Profile box appears.
3. If you’re prompted for a password, type it in and click Accept.

1.2 Turn off add-ons

1. Select File > Options > Add-ins in Outlook.
2. Make sure the Manage box under View and Manage Office Add-ins indicates COM Add-ins, then choose Go.
3. Remember the list of all activated add-ins in the Available Add-ins section and clear the checkboxes to deactivate all the chosen add-ins. Click the OK button.
4. Close Outlook now.

1.3 Open Outlook and turn on the add-ins.

1. Enter outlook by pressing Windows Key + R. Click OK or press Enter.
2. Enable one or more add-ins from the list by going to File > Options > Add-ins.
3. Restart Outlook after closing it.
4. Repeat the Outlook restart process by enabling another add-in. Carry on this procedure until you discover the faulty add-in and deactivate it.

Many users like utilizing add-ins to extend Outlook’s capability, but they may sometimes cause issues and prevent Outlook from launching.

Because you can’t use Outlook normally, the only option is to open it in Safe Mode and deactivate the add-ins as described above.

According to several customers, the issue was caused by the Microsoft CRM Add-in, which was rectified once it was disabled.

Outlook refuses to start in safe mode? When using the Outlook /safe command, a few customers claimed that they were unable to do so.

If you’re experiencing the same issue, make sure the complete path to the outlook.exe file is entered in the Run dialog.

You should use the following command instead of Outlook /safe: Microsoft Officeroot>Office16>OUTLOOK.EXE /safe C:>Program Files (x86)>Microsoft Officeroot>Office16>OUTLOOK.EXE

Keep in note that the path of outlook.exe on your computer may be different, so double-check before using this command.

2. Make a brand-new profile.

1. From Windows 10, open the Mail program.
2. Select Add from the Show Profiles drop-down menu.
3. Fill in the new profile’s name.
4. Click the Next button after entering your name, email address, and password. This approach will manually configure all of the required email settings. You may also choose to manually set up your Outlook profile if you choose.
5. After clicking Finish, the new profile should appear in the Mail dialog’s General tab. Choose OK after selecting the Prompt for a profile to be used option.
6. Start Outlook and pick the newly created profile from the dropdown list. Click the OK button.

Your Outlook profile saves all of your Outlook settings, but if your profile becomes damaged for whatever reason, you may see this issue while launching Outlook.

Whether everything is working OK with your new Outlook profile, you may now switch back to your old Outlook profile to see if the issue has been resolved.

3. Make sure your Outlook data file is in good shape.

3.1 Scan the data file in your Outlook.

1. Run SCANPST.EXE from the Office installation location.
2. Select your Outlook data file by clicking the Browse button.
3. To scan your data file, press the Start button.
4. If there are any mistakes, click the Repair option to fix them.

3.2 Remove the files from your Microsoft Exchange account.

1. Select Mail from the Control Panel.
2. Select E-mail Accounts when the Mail box appears.
3. Select the Exchange account and then Open File Location from the Data Files menu.
4. There will be a new Explorer window open. Switch back to the Explorer window after closing the Mail window. Locate and delete the data file.

If you’re using Microsoft Exchange, just delete the data file and it will be rebuilt.

When you open Outlook after removing the file, Microsoft Exchange will recreate it.

Your data file contains all of your Outlook email messages, contacts, tasks, and events. It’s possible that the data file may get damaged, preventing Outlook from opening.

There are a variety of reasons why the Outlook data file cannot be accessible. We offer a comprehensive tutorial on how to deal with these problems.

To quickly resolve the issue, repair your data file using the techniques outlined above.

4. If Outlook 2010 won’t open, use the /resetnavpane command.

1. Make sure Outlook is closed fully.
2. To execute it, hit Windows Key + R, type outlook.exe /resetnavpane, then click Enter.

If Outlook isn’t opening on your Windows 10 computer, try issuing the /resetnavpane command.

This command will erase any customizations related to the navigation pane, which may help to resolve the issue with Outlook.

5. Use a different email client.

If Outlook refuses to open, it may be time to switch to a different email client, since there are many excellent options available.

Mailbird is our recommendation in this situation. Mailbird is one of the most popular email clients for Windows 10, as well as one of the top email programs.

The program is highly useful, allowing you to sync all of your emails and contacts from various accounts into a single Inbox. It also comes with a slew of easy-to-configure customisable features and choices to help with the aforementioned goal.

Mailbird’s basic user interface, low system impact, and simplicity of use of a variety of helpful shortcuts have all been praised by users.

6. Check to see whether Outlook is in compatibility mode.

Compatibility mode is a feature of Windows 10 that allows you to run older applications that wouldn’t normally work on the platform. There’s no need to utilize Compatibility mode since Outlook is completely optimized for Windows 10.

In fact, having Compatibility Mode set on for Outlook may occasionally cause this problem to emerge, therefore it’s best to turn it off.

Simply right-click the Outlook shortcut and choose Properties from the drop-down menu.

Make sure the Run this software in compatibility mode option isn’t enabled on in the Compatibility page. To save your changes, click Apply and OK.

7. Take use of the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.

If you use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant application, you may be able to repair Outlook issues.

This utility is meant to address common issues with Office products, and all you have to do is download it, run it, and let it take care of the problem.

8. Modify the DPI (dots per inch) settings

1. Select Display Settings from the context menu when you right-click your desktop.
2. Move the slider all the way to the left until it shows 100 percent when the Display Settings window appears.
3. After that, log out and back in to Windows 10. Restart Outlook to see whether the issue has been addressed.

A few customers claimed that setting the DPI scaling to 100 percent fixed the issue with Outlook.

A few customers claimed that dropping the display scaling to 200 DPI from 250 DPI solved the issue, so you may want to try that as well.

9. Log out of your iCloud account

Apple’s iCloud is a popular cloud storage service, however it has been known to cause problems with Outlook.

If Outlook 2010 won’t open, just log out of iCloud and back in again, and you should be able to access it without issue.

10. Select New Email Message from the drop-down menu.

1. To open Task Manager, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Locate the Outlook process in the Process tab of Task Manager and click the End Task button.

You must shut Outlook fully before using this procedure. To close Outlook, we recommend using Task Manager and following the instructions below:

When it comes to Task Manager, many people favor the Windows 7 version. We have a detailed instruction on how to move the Task Manager from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

After you’ve closed Outlook, go to the Start Menu and click the right arrow next to it to open the Outlook Jump List.

You may also display Outlook’s Jump List by right-clicking it on your Taskbar. Select New Email Message, New Meeting, or any other item from the drop-down menu. There will now be a new window open.

Then, right-click Outlook and choose Run as administrator from the context menu. Outlook should now be able to start without any issues.

While utilizing this strategy, some users advocate modifying the File open on start option.

Simply pick New Email message from the Jump List, then go to Settings, Advanced, and set File open on start to Outbox when Outlook opens.

Restart Outlook and make the necessary changes. When you first launch the program, it will open a file in your Inbox. Save your modifications, and the issue should be fixed.

11. Keep Outlook’s password distinct from the rest of your computer’s passwords.

Users have noted that if you use 2 step verification with your Gmail account, you must use a distinct password for your Outlook account.

Simply create a 16-digit App password that you will use with Outlook to solve this issue. The problem should be fixed after using the new password with Outlook.

You might also try removing your Gmail account from Outlook, which some users propose as a possible fix.

12. Use an earlier version of Outlook to see if it helps.

Users have claimed that Outlook 2010 would not open on their PC; however, using an earlier version of Outlook with your PST file has been proposed as a solution.

If you have an earlier version of Outlook, you may use it with your PST file without any issues.

All of your emails will be imported, and you’ll be able to pick up just where you left off. This isn’t a long-term fix, but it’s a good workaround.

If it doesn’t work, as suggested in the first option, you may try using a different email client. There are a slew of free email programs that may serve as a stand-in for Outlook.

13. Modify how you close Outlook.

This is another another solution, but it seems to work for some customers. Apparently, you may stop this issue by closing Outlook using the File > Exit option.

According to users, this problem occurs when you close Outlook using the X button; thus, instead of using the X button to quit Outlook, try closing it by clicking File and selecting Exit.

This solution has been reported to work for users, so you may want to give it a go.

14. Use Outlook to email any file.

When attempting to launch Outlook, users have reported getting stopped on the Processing page. Try sending any file via Outlook, which has been proposed as a solution that could work for you.

To do so, open Outlook and wait for the Processing page to appear.

After that, open File Explorer and right-click any file and choose Send To – Mail Recipient from the context menu. After that, Outlook will open in a new window with a new email window.

15. Remove the Outlook App Data folder from your computer.

15.1 Remove the Outlook folder from your computer.

1. Make sure Outlook is closed fully.
2. Enter percent localappdata percent by pressing Windows Key + R.
3. Go to the Microsoft folder.
4. Locate and remove the Outlook folder.
5. Restart Outlook if necessary.

Users claim that removing the Outlook AppData folder would solve the issue with Outlook.

If Outlook is able to start, all of the destroyed files will be recreated, and the issue should be addressed fully.

15.2 Remove the outlook.xml file from your computer.

1. Enter percent appdata percent by pressing Windows Key + R. Enter the code.
2. Locate the outlook.xml file in the Microsoft Outlook folder and remove it.

Some users recommend deleting the outlook.xml file, which you may accomplish by following the procedures outlined above.

16. Verify that you have access to your PST file.

1. Locate your PST file and right-click it to bring up the Properties option.
2. Check the Group or user names area of the Security tab to see whether your username is listed. Click the Edit button if it isn’t.
3. To add a new user, click the Add button.
4. Enter your user name in the Enter the object names to choose form, then click Check Names.
5. Click OK to add your user name if it is correct.
6. In the Allow column, click Full Control after selecting your user name from the Group or user names area.
7. To save the changes, click Apply and OK.

Outlook stores all of your data in a PST file, but if you don’t have the right rights to view it, you can get some difficulties.

Outlook will not be able to open on your PC in the worst-case situation.

Fortunately, updating your security permissions will solve the issue. This is a straightforward technique that may be completed by following the steps outlined above.

You should be able to launch Outlook without any issues after getting complete control over your PST file.

17. Execute the command sfc /scannow.

1. To access Command Prompt with full rights, type cmd into Windows search and then choose Run as administrator from the right pane.
2. Enter the following command and press Enter when Command Prompt appears (the scanning procedure will now begin; do not cancel or stop it): sfc /scannow sfc /scannow sfc /s
3. After the scan is finished, check to see whether the Outlook issue has been addressed.

If your files are damaged, you may be unable to open Outlook at all; however, you may resolve this issue by running an SFC scan.

This is a simple program that will scan and fix your system; just follow the instructions above to run it.

18. Remove the registry key from the computer.

1. Enter regedit by pressing Windows Key + R.
2. Navigate to the following route in the left pane and expand it: HKEY CURRENT USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows Messaging Subsystem HKEY CURRENT USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows Messaging Subsystem
3. Right-click the Profiles key and choose Delete.
4. After that, restart your computer to see whether the issue has been repaired.

Occasionally, merely removing a single key from your registry might resolve the issue with Outlook.

We highly urge you to back up your register before making any changes in case anything goes wrong.

19. Uninstall the VPN program.

VPN products are essential if you want to safeguard your privacy while accessing the Internet, but they may also interfere with Outlook, causing this and other issues.

Users advise uninstalling or deleting your VPN program to see if this resolves the issue.

Another option from one of our readers is to terminate the Outlook process using Task Manager’s Background processes area. It won’t harm to attempt it to solve the problem.

Not being able to launch Outlook may be a major inconvenience, particularly if you use it as your primary email client. However, you can simply resolve this issue by using one of our remedies.

Most Commonly Asked Questions

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The “cannot start microsoft outlook. cannot open the outlook window. the set of folders cannot be opened” is a problem that has been present for a while. Microsoft has released two fixes to fix the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fix Outlook not opening Windows 10?

A: This error is most likely caused by a registry problem that Microsoft has not properly addressed. You should try to run the following command in Windows 10s Command Prompt window (this may need administrator privileges):
This will attempt to fix the issue, but it wont be 100% effective without additional steps.

Why Outlook is not opening?

A: In some instances, the Outlook client may be in an invalid state. This could happen if you have a corrupted or outdated installation of Microsoft Office on your computer. To fix this issue and make sure that Outlook is working properly again, try these steps to get it back up and running:
1) Close all applications currently open with Outlook
2) Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time
3) Select Task Manager from the list of apps
4) Find Tasksetup.exe process under Processes tab of Task Manager window and right-click on it and select End task

Why wont my Outlook open on my laptop?

A: Outlook does not support the Microsoft Edge browser.

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