Organizations and individuals widely use Outlook as the preferred email client, but users often face many errors while using it. However, amongst many errors, the most frequent error faced by them is cannot start Microsoft outlook. cannot open the Outlook window” error
The actual reason behind this annoying error is not known yet, as it could appear due to improper setup of Outlook on your system or a corrupt PST file linked with the Outlook account. Also, there is no direct solution to solve this error.
How to Fix Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot Open The Outlook Window Error?
To Fix cannot start microsoft outlook. cannot open the outlook window Error we have 3 troubleshooting methods given below:
Method 1: Run Outlook in Safe Mode
One of the simplest methods to solve this error is to run Outlook in safe mode. In safe mode, Outlook starts without loading the add-ins. To run Outlook in the safe mode, follow this process:
- Start the Run command by Pressing “Window+R.”
- Type “Outlook /safe” and press OK.
- A “Choose Profile” dialog box will appear, click “OK.”
Note: If it asks for account credentials, enter your password and choose “Accept.”
- If Outlook starts in the safe mode, then there is a problem with the add-ins. To check if Outlook is running in Safe Mode, check the status on top.
Disable add-ins
- If Outlook works fine in the safe mode, then you’ll have to disable the add-ins. To disable add-ins in Outlook:
- Go to File tab and select “Options>>Add-ins.”
- At the bottom of the window, select “COM Add-ins” in the “Manage box,” and then hit the “Go” button.
- You’ll find a list of all the Add-ins working with Outlook. Deselect all of them and click “OK.”
- Now, restart Outlook and check if the same error occurs again or not. However, if you still face the same problem, then try other methods.
Method 2: Turn Off Compatibility Mode in Outlook
Some users have reported that running Outlook in Compatibility mode causes conflicts that lead to the software not being able to open. Here are the steps to turn it off in Outlook
- Open the File Explorer and navigate to the folder you installed Office in which is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\(Office version)
- Right-click on OUTLOOK.EXE and select Properties from the context menu.
- Switch to the Compatibility tab and uncheck the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option.
- Click the Apply button, then exit by pressing OK.
- Attempt launching Outlook once again to see if the error is still present.
Method 3: Create a New Outlook Profile
If your current Outlook profile is too messed up due to corrupted, damaged, or missing files, it might be the best option to create a new and fresh profile. So creating a new profile will help you to fix this error.
- Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to launch the Run application
- Type in the word “control” and hit the OK button. Doing so will launch the classic Control Panel application.
- Change your view mode to either Small Icons or Large Icons to have all tools displayed on the main page.
- Click on Mail (MS Outlook). Select Show profiles from the new window.
- Click on the Add… button and fill out all the details needed to create a new profile. Once you’re done, go back to the General tab.
- In the “When starting Outlook, use this profile” section, under “Always use this profile” select your newly created account and click OK.
- Check if you can launch Outlook with your new profile.
Conclusion
These are 3 troubleshooting methods to solve you cannot start Microsoft outlook. cannot open the outlook window error. Try these methods one by one and if the problem still persists then contact Microsoft Support to resolve your error