# Outlook freezes 30-60 seconds when opening or dragging attachments — NordVPN Threat Protection is the cause

The Problem

Outlook freezes/hangs for 30-60 seconds whenever you:

• Open any attachment (PDF, image, Word doc, etc.)
• Drag an attachment to the desktop
• Preview an email with image attachments

The same files open instantly when accessed outside of Outlook (e.g., from the desktop or File Explorer).

Environment

• Microsoft Outlook (any recent version)
• NordVPN installed on Windows
• Issue occurs even when the VPN is disconnected

What I tried (didn't work)

• Uninstalling antivirus (Bitdefender)
• Running Outlook in Safe Mode
• Disabling Outlook COM Add-ins
• Clearing Outlook temp folder (%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook)
• Uninstalling Windows update KB5077181 (this fixed the preview freeze but not the attachment freeze)

The Solution

NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro has a Malware Scanner (Scanner malware) that runs in the background even when the VPN is off. This scanner intercepts every file Outlook tries to extract or open, causing the 30-60 second freeze.

How to fix it:

1. Open the NordVPN application
2. Click the shield icon on the left sidebar (Threat Protection)
3. Turn off Scanner malware (Malware Scanner)
4. Restart Outlook
5. Test opening an attachment — it should now open instantly

You can leave the other Threat Protection features (Vulnerability Scanner, Browsing Protection) enabled — only the Malware Scanner causes the Outlook freeze.

Important note

Make sure Windows Defender (Windows Security) is active as your primary antivirus protection after disabling NordVPN's malware scanner.

Keywords for search

Outlook hangs, Outlook freezes opening attachment, Outlook slow attachment, Outlook 30 seconds freeze, NordVPN Outlook, Threat Protection Outlook, NordVPN malware scanner Outlook