I can't open Microsoft Outlook (Classic) mailbox

Robert Murray 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T06:15:45.9866667+00:00

I click on the Microsoft Outlook app at the bottom of my home page, and the blue circle just keeps turning around and around and then stops. The mailbox does not open, as if there is a connection problem.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows
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  1. DaveM121 948.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-13T06:47:09.6766667+00:00

    Hi Robert,

    There's currently a world-wide outage affecting some Microsoft services, including Outlook, Hotmail, Microsoft 365, Copilot, OneDrive... etc. It is a server-side issue that Microsoft is working to correct.

    You can monitor their progress on this link https://status.cloud.microsoft/ or on the Microsoft Twitter page: https://x.com/MSFT365Status/status/2120938282204688468

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-13T06:16:09.6566667+00:00

    Try these steps in order for classic Outlook on Windows:

    1. Check whether Outlook is still running in the background.
      • Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and open Task Manager.
      • Look for any Outlook or other Office processes.
      • End those tasks, then try opening Outlook again.
    2. Wait a few minutes if Outlook may be busy.
      • Outlook can appear stuck while doing background work such as auto-archive or processing large items.
      • If Outlook opens partially, check the status bar at the bottom and wait two or three minutes.
    3. Start Outlook in safe mode.
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Type outlook.exe /safe and select OK.
      • If prompted with Choose Profile, accept the default and select OK.
      • If Outlook opens in safe mode, an add-in is likely causing the problem.
    4. Disable COM add-ins if safe mode works.
      • In Outlook, go to File > Options > Add-ins.
      • Select COM Add-ins and then Go.
      • Clear the selected add-ins and select OK.
      • Close Outlook and start it normally.
      • Re-enable add-ins one at a time to find the one causing the issue.
      • Do not use Remove for troubleshooting; disable the add-in instead.
    5. Install the latest Windows and Microsoft 365/Office updates.
      • Updates can fix startup problems caused by outdated files.
    6. Repair Office.
      • Close all Microsoft 365 apps.
      • Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
      • Right-click Microsoft Office 2016 and select Change.
      • Run the repair option.
    7. Create a new Outlook profile.
      • A corrupted profile can prevent Outlook from opening.
      • Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
      • Select Add, create a new profile, then choose Prompt for a profile to be used.
      • Start Outlook and select the new profile.
      • If Outlook opens normally, the old profile was likely corrupted.
      • Warning: if removing an old profile later, back up data files first. Offline cached content is deleted when Remove is used.
    8. Repair Outlook data files.
      • Exit Outlook.
      • Run the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) using the steps in Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost).
    9. If Outlook still will not start, run the classic Outlook startup troubleshooter.
      • The troubleshooter is available through Get Help and can diagnose common startup issues.
      • It requires Windows 10 or higher and must be run on the same PC as classic Outlook.

    References:

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