Outlook stops working and I have to restart computer

If Outlook stops working and requires a computer restart to function again, it may be due to various issues such as conflicting services or startup programs. You can try the following steps to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Selective Startup: Use the Selective Startup option in System Configuration to turn services and startup programs on or off individually. This can help identify if a specific service or startup item is causing the issue.
   • Open System Configuration from Control Panel under System and Security > Administrative Tools.
   • On the General tab, select Selective startup and clear the Load system services and Load startup items check boxes.
   • Restart your computer and see if the issue persists.
2. Check Services: If the problem continues, go to the Services tab in System Configuration, disable all services, and then enable them one by one to identify the problematic service.
3. Check Startup Items: Similarly, you can check the Startup tab to disable all startup items and then enable them one by one to find the culprit.
4. Create a New User Profile: If the issue persists, it might be due to a corrupted user profile. You can create a new user profile to see if the problem still occurs with the new profile.

These steps can help you diagnose and potentially resolve the issue with Outlook freezing or not responding.

When Outlook stops working, what happens exactly? Does it freeze or show “Not Responding”? Do you see any error message?

Also, does Outlook open normally in Safe Mode?

Press Windows + R

Type: outlook /safe

Press Enter

Have you tried using Selective Startup to check if a background service or startup program is causing the issue? Search for System Configuration in Windows > On the General tab, select Selective startup > Uncheck Load system services and Load startup items > Restart the computer and see if the issue persists.