Outlooks keep crashing

Catherine Stannard 140 Reputation points
2026-06-30T07:23:10.6566667+00:00

When i go to send an email, try to right click on a spelling mistake or add a snapshot - The email crashes and closes down not even saving into drafts? please can anyone advise?

Moderator note: thread updated with version of Outlook (classic Outlook for Windows)

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business
Answer accepted by question author
James Burney 150 Reputation points
2026-06-30T09:02:53.4133333+00:00

We have some users that were affected by this issue. The version was 20026.20182. Typical fixes such as Quick Repair did not resolve the issue.

Updating to the latest version of Office apps resolved the issue for the users. The latest version is 20131.20090 and was released on June 25.

To update the apps on one machine, go to: Outlook > File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now

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  1. Abel Llamas 0 Reputation points
    2026-07-02T15:05:43.6666667+00:00

    Running the latest update, Version 2606 Build 16.0.20131.20112) , We still are getting prompted if we would like to start in Safe Mode. Either answer results in the program not opening. Same issue that started last Friday and hit majority of our user base on Monday morning.

    Log Name: Application

    Source: Microsoft Office 16

    Date: 7/2/2026 10:01:53 AM

    Event ID: 2001

    Task Category: None

    Level: Error

    Keywords: Classic

    User: N/A

    Computer:

    Description:

    Microsoft Outlook: Rejected Safe Mode action : Outlook couldn't start last time. Safe mode could help you troubleshoot the problem, but some features might not be available in this mode.

    Do you want to start in safe mode?.

    Event Xml:

    <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

    <System>

    <Provider Name="Microsoft Office 16" />

<EventID Qualifiers="0">2001</EventID>

<Version>0</Version>

<Level>2</Level>

<Task>0</Task>

<Opcode>0</Opcode>

<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>

<TimeCreated SystemTime="2026-07-02T15:01:53.8805539Z" />

<EventRecordID>21018</EventRecordID>

<Correlation />

<Execution ProcessID="20316" ThreadID="0" />

<Channel>Application</Channel>

<Computer></Computer>

<Security />
```  </System>

  <EventData>

```typescript
<Data>Microsoft Outlook</Data>

<Data>Outlook couldn't start last time. Safe mode could help you troubleshoot the problem, but some features might not be available in this mode.
```Do you want to start in safe mode?</Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

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  2. JK 0 Reputation points
    2026-07-02T07:57:31.3233333+00:00

    A update that was done behind the scenes by Microsoft has resolved the issue as this morning everyone has turned their machines on and the issue is gone despite no updates being manually done so it appears a blind update has been done and resolved the issue, spoke to me friend who has Outlook 2016 and he's is now working also.

    Hopefully everyone else is now back up working.

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  3. Bojan Džaja 10 Reputation points
    2026-06-30T09:05:17.98+00:00

    apparently, computer needs to be restarted to eliminate the problem

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  4. Abhay 255 Reputation points
    2026-06-30T07:50:48.82+00:00

    Hi Catherine. That is truly frustrating.It is a known and disruptive issue where corrupted system display drivers, faulty browser/WebView2 components, or conflicting third-party add-ins cause the email client to completely crash when loading contextual overlays like right-click spelling menus or pasting high-resolution graphics.

    Because the app closes unexpectedly, it fails to execute the auto-save loop to store your message safely in your Drafts folder.

    Follow these steps in order to diagnose and resolve the issue:

    Step 1: Isolate the Cause via Safe Mode (Classic Desktop Outlook)

    If you are using the classic desktop version of Microsoft Outlook, third-party add-ins often conflict with spelling logic or clipboard rendering:

    1. Close your email client completely.
    2. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog box.
    3. Type outlook.exe /safe and hit Enter.
    4. Try typing a misspelled word, right-clicking it, and pasting an image.
    5. The issue is a broken add-in. Go to File > Options > Add-ins > click Go next to COM Add-ins and uncheck them one by one to find the culprit.

    Step 2: Repair Your Email Application

    A damaged database layer or corrupt application cache will cause instant crashes when processing complex UI actions:

    • For Classic Outlook/Office 365**:** Open the Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features. Find Microsoft 365, click Change, and select Online Repair.
    • For the "New" Outlook App: Go to your computer's Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Find Outlook (New), click the three dots > Advanced options, and click Repair (and then Reset if the repair fails).

    Hope this resolves your issue :)

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