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How to Fix Outlook Closing Automatically After Opening?

  author
Jamie Kaler   Contribution
Rollins Duke
Rollins Duke  Approved By
Published On September 27th, 2024 • 6 min read

Are you tired of Outlook automatically closing right after opening? It is frustrating and causes lumps in productivity and workflow. Most users face this issue and can’t find the right solution to resolve it entirely. Therefore, here we are to give elaborated advice on understanding the problem that arises, effective troubleshooting steps and preventive measures so that this issue does not occur again.

Table of Content 

Why does the “Outlook Closing Automatically” Issue Occur?

Here are some of the major causes which Outlook abruptly closes while starting.

  • Corrupted Outlook data files: Having damaged PST or OST files may cause instability and crash the application prematurely. This could cause Outlook to crash while opening.
  • Add-ins Conflicts: Add-ins are small software-like features within the Outlook application. The old add-ins might conflict with your Outlook or may not be compatible with the new Outlook.
  • Profile Settings: If something is wrong with the Outlook profile – it has become corrupted or misconfigured in some way, this application will hang.
  • Low System Resources: Available memory or processing power is insufficient, and the application is not running optimally, for this reason, Outlook will close sometimes without any apparent cause.
  • Virus or Malware Infections: Malware can infect Outlook files or slow down its performance.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix the Issue

We will now go through different procedures to fix the issue of Outlook closing after opening or minimising etc. Check each of the steps to understand what is causing the crashing of the application.

1) Check for Updates

Ensure that Outlook and OS are up-to-date to maintain the security and optimal performance of the email client.

Outlook Updates:

  • Launch the Outlook application.
  • For MS Office: Go to Help>Check for Updates.

Other Versions:

  • Check the Help or “check for updates
  • Go to the “Preferences or Setting.

macOS Updates

  • Click on the Apple Logo and select System Preferences.
  • Find and click on the “Software Update” icon.

2) Disable Add-ins if Outlook Closing Automatically after Opening

As we discussed before Add-ins are external applications or programs that extend the functionality of Outlook. At some point, it could cause conflicts or performance issues such as Outlook closing automatically. To check if the Add-ins are causing the issue you can temporarily disable them.

  • Launch the Outlook.
  • For MS 365: Go to Tools> Manage Add-ins.

Other Outlook versions

  • Look for “Add-ins” or “COM Add-ins” under Tools or Options.
  • Uncheck all the boxes next to the listed Add-ins.
  • Close and restart Outlook to apply the changes.

3) Repair Outlook Data Files

PST file carries data from emails to the contacts and calendars and tasks stored in Outlook. Therefore, if a PST file gets corrupted, it can eventually cause loss of data or sometimes cannot access those.

Note: The below steps are for the Windows OS.

We can use the scanpst.exe, a built-in Outlook tool to repair any minor corruption in the PST files. Follow the below steps:

  • Go to the MS Office location C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX and locate the scanpst.exe.
  • Double-click on the file.
  • Enter the path and name of the file you want to scan.
    repair outlook data file
  • Click on the start button and scan the file.
    press repair button
  • Once the scanning is completed, it will display any error it detects.
  • Then, press the Repair.
    outlook repair

4) Recreate the Profile

Even after you repair the PST file the issue persists, create a new Outlook profile. This will resolve any existing conflicts or corruptions that may not have been addressed by the repair process.

For Windows:

  • Ensure the Outlook is closed.
  • Go to the Control Panel on the system.
  • Search for the Mail.
  • Click on the Show Profiles
  • Select the current Outlook profile.
  • Click the “Remove
  • Now, click on Add.
  • Enter a name for the new profile.
  • Enter all the required details to configure the new profile.

For Mac OS

  • Go the Finder>Applications> Microsoft Outlook.
    recreate outlook profile
  • Right-click on Microsoft Outlook and select Show Package Content.
  • Open Content>Share Supports and double-click on Outlook Profile Manager.fix outlook closing automatically by creating new profile
  • Delete the current Outlook profile using the minus button.
  • To add a new profile use the Plus tab and enter all necessary details.
  • Then, set the new profile as the default profile.

5) Check System Resources

Like any other software application, Outlook also requires sufficient system resources to run smoothly. If the system does not have enough memory or processing power, then Outlook could lead to frequent closing of Outlook applications.

How to Check System Resources:

  • Go to the Task Manager:
  • For Windows: Press Clrt+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
  • For Mac: Click on the Apple Logo and Select “Force Quit“. From that tab, click on “More Info” to view all the information about the running applications.
  • Check for the CPU column. If Outlook is using a high percentage of CPU usage, it must be straining the system’s resources.
  • Now check the memory column or tab. If Outlook is using a significant amount of memory, it could be causing performance issues.

6) Scan for Viruses and Malware

Malware can infect the system and cause various problems including data loss, frequent application crashes and identity theft. So, keeping your system and data safe is dependent upon regular antivirus scanning. Use reliable antivirus software to scan your system for malware.

7) What can We do Originally if the Issue “Outlook Closing Automatically” Happens Again?

Outlook’s Built-in Backup Feature

The built-in feature is the one with which we can export the emails from the account to the local system. Follow the steps below:

  • Start the Outlook Application.
  • Navigate to the Import/Export option in the menu.
  • Now, choose the “Export to a File” option.
  • Choose “Outlook Data Files (.pst)” and select Next button.
  • Select the folder and again press Next.
  • Choose a location and name for the backup file and select Finish.
  • Enter a password if you don’t want anyone to access the file. Select the Ok button.

Expertise Backup Option

Use Email Backup Software to extract the important data from the Outlook account. It has different options to get the emails from the account. Get the software as per the requirement from the below links:

Conclusion

The issue with Outlook closing automatically after opening can be frustrating, but with the right troubleshooting steps and preventive measures, you can efficiently resolve it. We have outlined all the major causes which might lead to the closing of the Outlook application automatically. Check each of the steps and resolve the issue. However, you should try the backup option to avoid getting hold to the vital Outlook data if any such issue occurs in the future.