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on December 31, 2025
When you install Outlook, an Inbox repair tool (scanpst.exe) is also installed on your PC. The Inbox repair tool can resolve problems by scanning your Outlook data files, and repairing errors. To use the Inbox repair tool, exit Outlook, and then follow the steps in Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost). As your mailbox size increases, more resources are required ways to fix Outlook data file errors to open each folder.
See Working with message folders in Outlook.com to learn more about available folders. A vast community of Microsoft Office365 users that are working together to support the product and others. You don't have permission to create an entry in this folder. Right-click the folder, and then click Properties to check your permissions for the folder. See the folder owner or your administrator to change ways to fix Outlook data file errors your permissions. To access the filtering options faster, add them to your Quick Access Toolbar.
Read on to find out how to fix common Outlook problems below. When built-in tools fall short, professional solutions pick up the slack. If you're curious to get started, we recommend downloading our free trial.
Sometimes, Outlook fails to open when it can’t load your view settings in the app. In this case, you can reset your view settings before opening the app. Select your Microsoft Office installation on the list and choose "Change" at the top. In this case, open Outlook in safe mode where your add-ins aren’t loaded and remove any suspicious add-ins. Due to underlying system or PST issues, Outlook may crash, freeze, or not function properly.
If you need to update your email's POP or IMAP account settings, please go to POP and IMAP account settings for more information. Update the account information with the one you received from your email provider or from the POP and IMAP server name reference topic. See and manage the tasks in the selected list from this window. Right-click a task for a list of options, or select a task to see and manage its details. To import contacts from other email services, export contacts, or clean up duplicate contacts, select an option from the Manage contacts menu.
There is currently no option to revert to the prior behavior, but we would love to hear your feedback to help us with future designs. To learn more about how to send us feedback, please see How do I give feedback on Microsoft Office. Another options is to use the Filter Email button on the ribbon. You may notice that All, Unread , Mentioned and other sort and filtering options, such as By date, and Newest are missing in Outlook above your email list.
Rohan Wiese is a Technical Content Writer at Aryson Technologies, specializing in databases, e-mail recovery, and e-mail migration solutions. Corrupted or badly set-up Outlook profiles can often cause start-up problems. The app might refuse to launch or crash at the splash screen. Sometimes, antivirus real-time scanning can slow Outlook down. Configure your antivirus software to exclude Outlook files or processes from real-time scans to avoid interference. The good news is that Outlook has a built-in tool to scan for corrupted files.
When a Microsoft Office app, like Outlook, stops working, use Office’s built-in repair tool to fix your app. Microsoft includes this tool with all Office installations, and you can use it to find and resolve problems with all your Office applications. Wait for the antivirus to scan your system, find any viruses, and remove those items. If none of the ways to fix Outlook data file errors above methods fixes the ‘Outlook not responding’ problem, then there are chances that the Outlook PST in your Outlook profile is corrupt. In such scenarios, you need to repair the corrupt PST files. Check if the Outlook Will Not Open in Windows 10 error is now gone, by launching Outlook 2016.
You should see the Microsoft account, click on it and disconnect it. To manage your mailbox by reducing the size of the Outlook data file, see Reduce the size of Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost). Corrupt navigation panel settings can block Outlook from loading profiles. Resetting this component restores default navigation settings.
If the check box is cleared, ways to fix Outlook data file errors the service or startup program doesn't run when you restart the computer. If none of the above suggestions helped, try to repair your Office programs, as the last resort. Close all Office applications and open Control Panel. Select Change, then choose Repair and click the Continue button. From time to time Microsoft Outlook adopts quite an annoying habit to hang around even if the user persistently attempts to shut it down. This problem existed in earlier versions and it may occur with recent Outlook 2013 and 2010.
While built-in tools like ScanPST offer a basic Safety net, they often fall short when it comes to rectifying deeper ways to fix Outlook data file errors file damage. Outlook slows down, crashes randomly, or fails to load entirely. Users often turn to Microsoft’s ScanPST tool, but it struggles with large files and doesn’t always finish the job. Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used email clients globally, especially in professional and business environments.