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. 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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  2. Anonymous
    2026-06-30T07:58:08.61+00:00

    Hello @Catherine Stannard

    I would like to first clarify that this is a user‑to‑user support forum. Moderators here are not Microsoft Support, so we don’t have backend access or the ability to perform escalations. However, we’re happy to help with troubleshooting guidance and best‑practice recommendations.

    Could you help confirm a few details so I can support you better?

    • Which Outlook version are you using? Are you on classic Outlook or the new Outlook?
    • Are you using a Windows or Mac device, and which version?
    • Since you selected the business tag, I assume you're using a work or school account, is that correct? Also, is this a personal device or a company-issued machine?

    Additionally, have you checked with:

    • Your colleagues (to see if anyone else is experiencing the same issue)?
    • Your IT admin (in case this is an environment-related problem)?
    • Does the issue also happen in Outlook on the web (OWA)? If not, you can temporarily use Outlook on the web as a workaround if the issue is urgent.

    In the meantime, could you try these basic troubleshooting steps:

    Looking forward to your update.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread

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  3. Andreas H 20 Reputation points
    2026-06-30T08:24:58.94+00:00

    Hello Abhay,

    I am an Admin in my company and see the same issue on a variety of pcs from different manufacturers. I would therefore rule out drivers as the cause.

    Version: Outlook Classic Version 2605 Build 20026.20182

    Starting in safe mode did not resolve the issue. Doing an Office repair (both quick and online) did not resolve the issue.

    To be sure, I tried to replicate the issue on a newly installed computer with no 3rd party software besides Office. Outlook crashes on this machine too, as soon as you right click on an e-mail.

    Windows log shows C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Office16\mso.dll as faulty module.

    Edit: I checked on three clients if there were updates installed prior to the problem showing up. All three installed the latest office patch this morning. A colleague of mine does not have the issue, no update was installed on his pc.

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  4. Anonymous
    2026-06-30T08:43:08.48+00:00

    Dear @Catherine Stannard @Andreas H @Eric L @Freuding, Jan @Jason Groenewald @Laurenz-7348 @Jason Groenewald and everyone thank you for reporting this issue.

    Microsoft has recently received several reports about this issue and is currently actively investigating it. Based on current reports, actions such as updating, repairing Office, or creating a new profile have not resolved the problem, and it may persist across devices and network connections.

    Since the issue you’re seeing seems to occur on 20182, it may be worth either:

    User's image

    Sorry for any inconvenience this may be causing.

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