Outlook Troubleshooting - Top 5 Microsoft Outlook Problems

Microsoft always rules when it comes to office productivity applications. And Microsoft Office is the most popular office productivity suite among computer users. However, Microsoft products are prone to issues and problems. And Outlook is no exception to this. In this article, we’ll be discussing the topmost Microsoft Outlook problems commonly faced by users. Also, I’ll be sharing some useful Outlook troubleshooting tips here. Keep reading this article.

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Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular and widely used email clients in the world. It has almost everything, i.e. an interactive and simple interface, advanced features, and most importantly the efficiency. And that’s why it’s often called a personal information manager. Although Outlook is primarily used an email client, it includes many other useful features like contact management, calendar, task management, note taking, journal creation, and web browsing. Additionally, the smart security features embedded in the Outlook client protects it from the untrusted and suspicious 3rd party services. Also, it increases your connectivity in the cross platforms.

So it ain’t wrong to say that Outlook is just more than an email client. Generally, users prefer Microsoft Outlook over other email clients at work. Even home users are now showing a sincere interest towards this personal information manager of Microsoft.

Microsoft Outlook also has both positive and negative impacts just like any other software application.

Where the Outlook client has so many advantages, it has a few disadvantages as well.

Microsoft Outlook Problems

Microsoft Outlook is prone to errors and other problems which come out of nowhere. Some problems might be temporary ones, but sometimes they may cause serious troubles.

There are various problems Outlook users face now and then. Sometimes you may notice that Outlook has stopped working. It may stuck in the loading splash and keep displaying the “processing” message. Or, sometimes it crashes down all of a sudden while opening an email message or the PST file.

Users often come across with error messages if there’s any sort of problem in the Outlook client. And such Outlook errors can surely interrupt or disturb the regular flow of your daily activities. Below are the most common Microsoft Outlook problems along with their possible reasons and the must-know Outlook troubleshooting tips:

Microsoft Outlook is too slow

It’s one of the most common Microsoft Outlook problems. The PST file size increases over time and becomes oversized by storing a large number of email messages, attachments, notes, tasks, etc. This will slow down the performance of Microsoft Outlook, and you may find it nearly impossible to work with it.

Outlook Troubleshooting TiP #1

The very first thing you can try here is to manage the Outlook mailbox size. You should remove the items due to which the PST file size is being increased. Generally, the PST file size increases due to the old unwanted emails and heavy attachments. You should remove all such email items which are unnecessarily occupying the space in the PST file. Also, don’t forget to empty the “Deleted Items” folder. Remember, a large number of duplicate items can occupy a lot of space in the PST file. Remove the duplicate items to make the PST file size handy.

Additionally, you can use the built-in “Archive” feature of Microsoft Outlook to archive the email messages by year. It’s extremely helpful if you don’t want to delete the old email items. By using this feature, you can save a large amount of data into multiple PST files instead of one.

Some of the Emails Don’t Show Up

If you install Microsoft Outlook on more than one computer, it may happen that the email settings of both systems are different from each other. And just because of this, some of the email messages on one computer don’t show up on other. Sometimes when you download the same email message on both the computer systems, it may lead to inconsistency.

Outlook Troubleshooting Tip #2

In order to fix this issue, there are two different solutions you can try.

First, you can copy the PST file from one computer to other. Remember, you need to copy the PST file from the computer that has all the email messages. And then, you need to restart Microsoft Outlook.
Switching to the IMAP protocol can also help you fix this issue. The IMAP protocol synchronizes the email messages on the server with the email messages in Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook Crashes Down Unexpectedly

Let’s suppose you’re working with Microsoft Outlook, and suddenly it crashes down. An error message displays saying, “Microsoft Outlook has stopped working”. Do you know why it happens? The problem might be associated with the Outlook add-ins. Generally, the add-ins are supposed to make things easier while working with the Outlook client. It’s no wonder that a few add-ins have internal bugs, and many of them are poorly written. Remember, Outlook can crash down due to a faulty add-in without any prior warning. Can you really imagine the frustration when you were in the middle of composing a really important email and the Outlook crashed down? Also, keep in mind that Outlook may slow down if you’ve installed too many add-ins.

Outlook Troubleshooting Tip #3

I ain’t sure whether the Outlook add-ins are causing this problem or not. So it’s better to check it. You need to start Microsoft Outlook in safe mode and see if there’s any problem with that. If there’s no problem in starting the Outlook client in safe mode, this means there are some suspected add-ins you need to disable. Go to the Outlook’s Trust Center, and disable the suspected add-ins. And then, restart Microsoft Outlook in normal mode.

But if the Outlook doesn’t get started even in the safe mode, this means the problem lies somewhere else. Maybe you need to repair Outlook installation.

Outlook Keeps Asking for Password

Have you ever come across a situation when Outlook keeps asking for password whenever you try to send an email message? It’s one of the most common Microsoft Outlook problems. This problem is likely to happen when Outlook ain’t configured to store the user’s password.

Outlook Troubleshooting Tip #4

Maybe you haven’t selected the option to store a user’s password while entering the details like username and password when you link Outlook to a POP3 account. That’s why Outlook keeps asking for password each time when you send an email message. You can simply fix this issue by editing the Outlook profile. Go the Control Panel and use the Mail option to do that.

Outlook Data File is Corrupted

There’s nothing worse than corruption. Just like any other computer file, an Outlook data file is also prone to corruption. And the size limitation issue is considered one of the main causes of corruption. If the PST file reaches its maximum size or crosses it, this may put the file at high risk of corruption. Apart from this size limitation issue, there are various other reasons for corruption. And whenever corruption takes place in PST files, you’re likely to encounter an error message like this one, “Outlook PST is not a personal folder file”.

Outlook Troubleshooting Tip #5

Microsoft provides the Inbox Repair tool aka scanpst utility to repair PST file. It can successfully fix the header corruption issues and rebuild the file structure. But in a case of severe corruption, it may fail or not work up to the mark. In such a situation, you should use a professional PST Recovery tool provided by Shoviv Software that can repair PST file without requiring any prior technical expertise.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve discussed the most common Microsoft Outlook problems in detail. Also, we’ve learned a few easy Outlook troubleshooting tips. The tips I’ve shared above can successfully resolve most of the Microsoft Outlook problems. However, if you’re still facing some issues, you should try a few other fixes which include disabling Antivirus program, rebuilding Outlook profile, adjusting calendar permissions, etc. Since most of the Microsoft Outlook problems are associated with a corrupt Outlook data file, Shoviv PST Recovery tool can help you repair PST file and fix all such problems.

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Pradeep

Pradeep Katiyar is a true tech geek and fond of writing about new technology and Troubleshooting email client errors. In his spare time, you'll find him sharing how-to guides and making portraits. He has commendable command over Emailing and Troubleshooting.