You are working on an important email and suddenly Outlook stuck on not responding. Does this frustrating situation sound familiar? Of course, for most Windows users, it is a common problem. Well, don’t worry, in this post, we’ll discuss all the possible reasons for the issue and provide different solutions to mitigate the same.

Outlook is a popular email client used by nearly a million business users around the world. If Outlook users are facing some issue with this platform then it’s a subject worth discussing. Because this email client is mostly used for business operations and if this stops responding then it could bring down many businesses.

So, let’s have a look at some of the reasons for Outlook not responding.

Why Do You Get Outlook Not Responding Error?

Sometimes when you open a file or send an email in Outlook, it tends to freeze or forcefully shuts down the application. And, it may happen for one or more reasons and they are listed below.

• You might not have installed the latest updates on Outlook.
• The Outlook may be already in use by another process.
• The Outlook may be occupied with loading external content, such as images in an email message.
• If there is a previously installed add-in that might be interfering with Outlook.
• Your mailboxes are too large in size.
• You have Office programs that need to be repaired.
• Outlook data files might have become corrupted or damaged.
• Your installed antivirus software is not updated, or it conflicts with Outlook.
• In the worst scenario, your user profile itself has become corrupted.

So, if the ‘Outlook stuck on not responding’ issue persists then what could be its consequence(s)?

Impact of Outlook Not Responding Issue

In business, every second counts. Suppose you are in the middle of a conversation with an important client and your Outlook freezes. As a result, you could lose a potential client and could have to face a great deal of loss.

And, the feeling of frustration that comes afterward is quite intense.

Anyway, now that you know the possible root causes of the issue with Outlook and the consequences, let’s put some light on the solutions to mitigate those issues.

Various Fixes For The ‘Outlook Stuck On Not Responding’ Problem

On a lighter note, when Outlook stops working and you get the screen saying ‘Processing’, then you can start Outlook on safe mode to ease the issue.

On the other hand, if the problem is serious then you can try applying the below fixes.

Technique-1: Close Outlook and Other Related Process Through Task Manager

Sometimes Outlook gets stuck if there are more than outlook.exe processes running in the background. So, whenever you try to open another outlook.exe process, it conflicts with the already running outlook.exe process.

In this case, you need to quit all the ongoing processes from Task Manager to stop getting the Outlook not responding error. To do so, follow the below steps;

• Right-click on the taskbar, then click on “Task Manager” or you can use the shortcut keys  Ctrl + Alt + Del to directly open the Task Manager.
• Next, go to the Processes tab and search for all the processes with the word Outlook in their name.
• For each process you find, click on it once and then press the ‘End Process’ button present at the bottom right corner of the Task Manager window.

If the issue still continues even after applying the above then try the next technique.

Technique-2: Deactivate AntiVirus Program

AntiVirus programs are designed to detect and block any suspicious-looking files incoming/outgoing. So, oftentimes, the antivirus loaded on your computer force stops the Outlook application from running which directly impacts the smooth functioning of Outlook.

In such a case, go directly to Control Panel and deactivate your antivirus program(however, at your own risk). Then, Restart Outlook and check whether it’s working fine or not. 

If there is a minor problem then the Outlook stuck on not responding issue will get resolved by this method. In case it still persists, try the next method.

Technique-3: Compress the Outlook Data File Size

When there are too many items or folders in your mailbox then it’s natural that its size increases. Further, if you have a large number of items in a single folder then it’s going to impact the overall performance of Outlook.

So, either divide the items among different folders or reduce the size of the Outlook data file. If you want to carry out the latter one then you can use the in-built ‘Compact now’ feature.

Anyway, in the worst case, you will get the Outlook not responding error even though you have tried the above techniques. What’s the situation? Let’s find out.

Technique-4: Try Updating and Repairing Your Office Programs

Every application works best when it’s up to date. So, it’s recommended to update your Outlook. Keep yourself updated with releases of new features, bug fixes, and performance enhancements regularly.

For different versions of Windows, the install updates are different. So, make sure you choose the right update option for your Windows.

In case, installing doesn’t help with the issue, you can try repairing the Office programs by following the below steps.

1. Open Control Panel and find MS Office in the installed programs
2. Right-click on the installed program and select Change
3. After that, Click on Repair and then Continue

If the problem still persists even after following the above steps, then try applying the next technique.

Technique-5: Repair Outlook Data Files

To repair Outlook data files, you can use the in-house tool i.e. scanpst.exe. There are some steps you have to follow, though. Here are the steps:

1. Locate the Inbox Repair Tool on your computer as the location varies for different Outlook versions. For instance,

For, Outlook 2019: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\

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

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

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

And, finally for, Outlook 2007: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12

2. Once you locate the tool, open and run it on your computer.
3. After that, click on the Browse button. Next, select the corrupt PST file that you wish to repair.
4. Finally, click on Start. 

After following the above steps, the Inbox Repair Tool will start scanning for corrupt files and try to repair them.

Biggest Limitation of the Above Approach: Microsoft itself says that the inbox repair tool(scanpst.exe) can not repair every problem that is detected. The files that are beyond its scope to repair fall under the same.

However, the good news is that you can overcome all the limitations of the in-built tool through the Tried and Tested Outlook Recovery Software. The software supports not only repairing the Outlook data files but also fixing virus-infected files, highly corrupted files, and more. And, the best part is the complete process is automated and easy to do.

Hopefully, by this point, the ‘Outlook stuck on not responding’ issue might be resolved. But, in rare cases, if the problem still continues then follow the below technique.

Technique-6: Create a New Outlook Profile

 The last thing you can try to resolve the issue by creating a new Outlook profile and importing all your email account data to the newly created folders.

To create a new profile in Outlook, follow the below steps;

1. The process is different for different Windows versions so choose one of the following;

• In Windows 10, click on Start, Type Control Panel, and press Enter. After that, it will go like this: User Accounts >> Mail >> Show Profiles.
• In Windows 8, open the Apps menu, and then follow the flow: Control Panel >> Mail >> Show Profiles.
• In Windows 7, click on Start Menu >> Control Panel >> Mail >> Show Profiles.

2. Click on Add, and then in the Profile Name box, enter a profile name, and then click OK.
3. Type an email address and a password for the primary email account that you use in Outlook and then proceed with the steps to create the profile.
4. Once you successfully create a profile, on the Show Profiles dialog, choose Prompt for a profile that is to be used.
5. Open Outlook and start using your new profile.

Conclusion

Dealing with the ‘Outlook stuck on not responding’ issue can be quite frustrating and challenging at the same time. Because you don’t know what’s causing the problem. So, here we’ve stated various reasons and potential solutions to overcome the common Outlook not responding error.

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