Microsoft To Do stuck on We are getting your tasks list ready

Dear @Brian McDonald,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum

I understand that you're experiencing an issue opening Microsoft To Do. As a forum moderator, I truly wish I could directly access your account or investigate the backend systems to resolve this for you. However, our role here is limited to providing general guidance and troubleshooting steps that users can apply on their end.

Based on similar cases, the message "We are getting your tasks list ready" in Microsoft To Do (or when accessing tasks via Outlook) becoming stuck indefinitely is typically a sync or loading issue. It often stems from cached data problems, temporary account sync glitches, browser issues, or occasionally broader service hiccups with Microsoft accounts/To Do backend.

Please try the following steps:

1.Clear Browser Cache / Try Incognito (for Web Version)

• If you're using To Do in a browser (e.g., Edge, Chrome), open an Incognito/Private window and log in at to-do.office.com
• This bypasses corrupted cookies/cache/extensions. If it loads there, clear your regular browser cache/cookies for the Microsoft/To Do sites and try again.

2.Reset the Microsoft To Do App (Windows)

• Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features).
• Search for "Microsoft To Do".
• Click the three dots > Advanced options > Reset (or Repair first, then Reset if needed).
• This clears local app data and forces a fresh sync. Relaunch and sign in.

3.Sign Out and Back In

• In the To Do app (any platform), sign out completely.
• Close/restart the app/device.
• Sign back in with your Microsoft account.
• Also try this in Outlook to see if tasks are accessed there

4.Force a "Hard Refresh" of the Cache (Windows)

• Close Microsoft To Do completely. 
• Press Win + R, type %localappdata%\Packages, and press Enter.
• Locate the folder starting with Microsoft.Todos_....
• Open the LocalState folder > Account root folder and rename the Todos.db or Todos.sqlite file to Todos.old.
• Relaunch To Do

This issue commonly occurs when the application is attempting to rebuild a local index of your tasks. If you have a large number of tasks or if a task contains malformed metadata the indexing process may fail, causing the app to remain stuck. In some cases, the issue resolves within a few hours or days if it is related to a backend sync glitch. In other cases, clearing the cache resolves it immediately.

If none of the above solutions work, let me know in the comments for further investigation. Please note that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your reply. 

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