Outlook Not Responding Error: Here’s How to Fix It Quickly

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When using Outlook, you may have encountered frustrating issues like unresponsiveness, processing delays, or complete stoppages. These problems can be exasperating for users and detrimental to organizations. In this article, we explore the root causes of these issues and offer effective solutions.

Microsoft identifies several potential reasons behind these problems, and we’ll discuss them in detail.

• You haven’t installed the latest updates
• MS Outlook is trying to add an attachment to a user’s mail
• MS Outlook is in use by some other process or a program
• A recently installed add-in is interfering with Outlook (see snippet below)
• Your mailbox has reached the maximum capacity
• Your Outlook data files are either damaged or have become corrupt
• Interference due to an antivirus program
• Your user profile has become corrupt
• A conflict between Outlook and another program

Effective Solutions for Resolving MS Outlook Issues

• Safe termination of Outlook in case of software hang
  At times, when attempting to close Outlook, it may Outlook not responding on the first try, leading to multiple attempts and potential program hang-ups. In such situations, you can resolve the issue by accessing the ‘Task Manager,’ selecting ‘Outlook,’ and choosing ‘End process.’
• Opening Outlook in safe mode
  There’s a strong possibility that Add-ins may be responsible for Outlook’s abnormal behavior. To address this, it’s advisable to run Outlook in Safe Mode. You can access Safe Mode by holding down the CTRL key and left-clicking the Outlook icon. In Safe Mode, you’ll notice ‘Safe Mode’ mentioned in the title bar within parentheses (as shown below).
• Disable your Outlook Add-ins
  While running Outlook in Safe Mode can resolve hang issues, it does disable all Add-ins simultaneously. To identify the problematic Add-in, you may need to disable them one by one. This method allows you to pinpoint the specific Add-in responsible for the issues you’re experiencing. Click File > Options. This will open the Outlook Options Dialog box. In Manage, click Add-ins > Go. When you follow these steps, a dialog box will appear containing a list of all the Add-ins. You can then selectively uncheck or check the Add-ins one by one to determine which one is causing the issue.
• Close all other memory-intensive programs

Among all applications, MS Outlook is known for its complexity and memory-intensive nature, which can occasionally lead to freezing or hanging. To mitigate this, it’s recommended to close other memory-intensive programs before running Outlook on your computer. You can efficiently terminate these programs through the Task Manager, as previously explained.

Read Also: Fix “The Set of Folders Cannot be Opened” Error in Outlook 2016
• Repair Outlook data files

Outlook includes a built-in repair tool known as Scanpst.exe, designed to mend damaged Outlook data files (.PST or .OST). To utilize this tool, ensure Outlook is closed before proceeding. For Office 365, Outlook 2019, and 2016, you can locate Scanpst.exe here-

(Any version) C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\office16\

For Outlook 2019 and 2016, it can be found here-

• (32 bit) C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\
• (64 bit) C:\Program Files (x86) \Microsoft Office\Office15\

After launching the Scanpst.exe application, you will be asked to choose the Outlook data file which needs to be repaired.

Next, a popup box will show you the status of the repair process.

• Disable your anti-virus program

Frequent freezes or hangs in Outlook are often attributed to conflicts between anti-virus programs and add-ins. You can attempt to resolve this issue by updating your anti-virus software. If the problem persists, consider disabling the anti-virus program temporarily to check if Outlook functions smoothly without interruptions.

• Repair your MS office suite
  If you tried all the above methods with no luck, then you should consider this method. In Control panel, click Programs and Features. Select the MS Office suite and click Change.

Clicking on Change will open a Dialog box. Choose the appropriate option accordingly.



• Kernel for Outlook PST Repair

If you’ve exhausted all the aforementioned methods without success, as a final option, you may want to explore the use of a dependable third-party software solution like Kernel for Outlook PST Repair. It can repair large sized PST files as it not limited by file size. You can later save the retrieved PST files in various formats such as DBX, MBOX, etc. User can also Export the recovered PST files to Office 365, web-enabled email services, and Exchange Server. Moreover, it can also recover deleted Outlook folder and meta properties of emails such as To, Cc, Bcc, From, Subject, Date, Time, Contacts, Tasks, Calendars, and Journals.

Conclusion

In our discussion, we’ve explored several techniques to address ‘Freeze and Hang’ issues in Outlook. In cases where conventional methods may not yield results, it’s advisable to consider utilizing PST repair tools like Microsoft’s Scanpst.exe or a trusted third-party solution such as Kernel for Outlook PST Repair. Notably, Kernel for Outlook PST Repair offers several advantages over Scanpst.exe.

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