Most of these crashes come down to one thing – problematic data files. When they get too large, go corrupt, or are poorly configured, things start to break. You can use the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE) to diagnose and repair errors in your Outlook data file. The Inbox Repair tool checks the Outlook data files on your computer to see if they’re in good shape.

Follow the on-screen instructions to update your Office apps. Then, launch your Outlook app, and it should open without problems. If your PC has a virus or malware infection, that may be why Outlook isn’t launching. In this case, run a full virus check on your PC to find and remove any threats.

After you’ve moved all the items, you can remove the Recovered Personal Folders (.pst) file, including the Lost and Found folder. To create a new Outlook Data File, go to Create an Outlook Data File. In the Folder Pane, you might see a folder named Recovered Personal Folders that contains your default Outlook folders or a Lost and Found folder. Although the repair process might recreate some of the folders, they may be empty. The Lost and Found folder contains any folders and items recovered by the repair tool that Outlook can’t place in their original structure. You can use the Inbox Repair tool (SCANPST.EXE) to diagnose and repair errors in your Outlook data file.

If those steps don’t work, see Need additional help? There are a number of possible reasons for Outlook to behave this way. We’ve presented the potential solutions in order from quickest to most time consuming. To manage your mailbox by using the AutoArchive feature, see AutoArchive settings explained. We recommend that you move several items in your larger folders to separate folders, or that you archive those items by using the AutoArchive feature.

If you are dealing with a broken Outlook, then it doesn’t always mean you need to call tech support or start over from scratch. With the right steps, you can repair Outlook manually and get back to work in no time. You should start with the easy fixes, like repairing Office or turning off add-ins.

Our relationship to the Microsoft Partner Network allows us to provide competitive pricing and authentic software and support, all with a much-needed human element. A lot of times, a user will click on something by accident and change their view and be unsure of how to get it back. Sometimes when a user tries to search in Outlook, it either returns incomplete results, or returns how to repair Outlook quickly nothing at all, even if you can see the email normally. Most times, this is caused by a corrupted search index, which you can rebuild. Keep in mind this does take a while, and it’s usually best done after the user has left for the day.

Also, we go over the stepwise working procedure of both solutions and the reasons behind PST file corruption issues. The Inbox Repair tool or ScanPST.exe is not a convenient way because of multiple restrictions. Moreover, this tool can quickly recover email messages, calendars, tasks and other data from corrupted PST files.

In some specific cases, we observed that the problem no longer stayed after deleting the Outlook App Data folder. Thus, you can try deleting the Outlook App Data folder and check whether Outlook functions in your case