{Resolved} – Microsoft Outlook Error ‘There Was A Problem Loading This App’
Summary: This application was having trouble loading. One of the most frequent Microsoft Outlook error messages that stops Outlook users from reading their emails in Outlook on Windows is “Please close all Office applications and restart Microsoft Outlook.” This article explains the error’s causes and provides methods for troubleshooting and fixing it. Additionally, it refers to an OST to PST Converter program that might assist you in retrieving and restoring emails from inaccessible or orphaned OST files.
When you open the Outlook application, you could get the rather typical error notice, “There was a problem loading this app.” Please restart Microsoft Outlook after shutting down all Office programs.
You are unable to view the emails or open the application because of this issue. This may result in lost productivity and downtime, which could have detrimental effects on your job or business. As a result, it’s critical to identify and fix the problem causing the mistake as soon as possible.
The causes of the error “There was a problem loading this app” are discussed in this article. Please restart Microsoft Outlook after closing all Office programs,” along with several workarounds.
Why the Outlook Issue “This app was having trouble loading” occurs
One or more of the issues listed below could be the cause of the Outlook application not starting or stopping to load.
- Inaccurate or incompatible add-ins
- System conflict with third-party apps Damaged Outlook data file
- Outdated version of Outlook
- Corruption in the Outlook profile
- Inadequate or absent authorization
Ways to Fix Outlook’s “There was a problem loading this app” Error
To diagnose and fix the “There was a problem loading this app,” use the solutions listed below. The message “Please exit all Office programs and launch Microsoft Outlook again” appears in Outlook versions 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, or 2021.
#1. Restart Microsoft Office and Outlook.
Sometimes minor bugs and glitches can be fixed with a simple restart. Thus, terminate every Outlook process and all Office programs, including Word, Excel, etc. Start Outlook after that. The system can also be restarted.
#2. Verify Permissions
Outlook may occasionally not open due to a lack of permissions to access the data file or application. Run Outlook as administrator to make sure it has all the permissions. Next, see if Outlook opens or loads.
The permissions of the OST file can also be checked. The following are the steps to follow:
- After closing Outlook, launch the Run dialog box.
- To open the location of the OST file, type %localappdata/Microsoft/Outlook and click OK, or press the Enter key.
- Afterward, select Properties with a right-click on the OST file.
- Verify that the “Read-only” checkbox is not selected.
- Next, select the Advanced tab and remove the checkbox next to Encrypt content to secure data.
- Select Apply > OK.
- Launch Outlook to see if the problem has been fixed.
#3. Turn off and delete any problematic or incompatible add-ins.
Third-party add-ins that are broken or incompatible can cause Outlook to run slowly and have performance problems. They occasionally may result in issues or stop Outlook from loading correctly. As a result, locate and eliminate any problematic or incompatible add-ins. To do it, take these actions.
- Shut off every Outlook process.
- Double-click the Outlook application icon while holding down the Shift key.
- Click OK after selecting the email profile. In safe mode, Outlook will launch as a result.
- After entering Safe Mode, select Add-ins from File > Options.
- After that, press the Go button. A list of add-ins will appear.
- To save the modifications, clear each add-in’s checkbox and press OK.
Restart Outlook normally after turning off the add-ins.
Once the problem has been fixed and Outlook launches without any issues, you must locate and uninstall the problematic add-in. To accomplish this, restart Outlook and enable each add-in individually. Restart Outlook and enable a different add-in if it loads properly. Continue doing these actions until Outlook crashes or stops loading altogether. To permanently fix this issue, then uninstall the most recent add-in that was activated.
#4. Fix the installation of Microsoft Office.
To try to resolve the issue, you can also attempt to repair the Microsoft Office application. The following are the steps to follow:
- Click Uninstall an application in the Programs section of the Control Panel after it is open.
- Locate Microsoft Office, click it, and then select Change.
- Press the “Repair” button. Follow the steps to finish the repair process.
- As an alternative, you can fix Microsoft Office on Windows 10 and 11 by doing the following steps:
Tap the Windows key and select Applications and Features.
Type Microsoft into the search bar, and then select Microsoft Office.
Select Modify.
- The repair wizard will open as a result. To finish fixing MS Office, use the Online Repair or Quick Repair wizard.
Check to see if the issue has been fixed by opening Outlook after the patch.
#5. Verify and Set Up Updates for Outlook
Fixing any defects or vulnerabilities that may be the source of the error can be achieved by updating Outlook. Use these procedures to verify and install the most recent Outlook updates:
- After starting Outlook, select File > Office Account.
- Select the Update Options option from the menu, then select Update Now.
- If updates are available, restart the computer after applying the changes using the update wizard.
- Open Outlook when the system has restarted to see if the error has been fixed. You can try checking for and installing Windows OS updates if the problem still occurs. The following are the steps to follow: Click Update & Security > Windows Updates from the Settings menu on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
- Next, press the button to check for updates. Install any available updates after downloading them.
- Restart the computer and open Outlook when the Windows OS has been updated.
#6. Make a Fresh Outlook Profile
Opening the Outlook application may cause problems if your Outlook profile is corrupted. To fix the issue, you can make a new profile in Outlook. The following are the steps to follow:
- Close the Outlook window.
- Open the Control Panel and select Mail under User Accounts.
- After selecting Show Profiles, select Add.
- Click OK after entering any name for this new profile.
- An email configuration wizard will appear. To configure your existing email account under this new profile, simply follow the procedure.
- After setting everything up, you may start Outlook and set this profile as your default.
- Verify whether Outlook loads properly or if there are still problems.
#7. Rebuild OST files for Outlook
If the OST file is corrupted or too big, Outlook may not load at all or may load slowly. You can attempt to archive the mail items to a local PST file if the file is too big. You can, however, regenerate the OST file if that doesn’t work or if it’s damaged. The following are the steps to follow:
- Shut down Outlook, hit Windows + S, and enter Run. Alternatively, you can enter the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R keys.
- Paste the following path into the Run dialog box: %localappdata%/Microsoft/Outlook. Then, click OK or hit Enter.
- To generate a backup, you can now relocate the original OST file to a different directory or rename it with the .bak extension.
- After that, you are free to remove the original OST file.
- Launch Outlook after that. Outlook will immediately build a new OST file and sync (download) all mail items from the mailbox server as it cannot locate the original OST file.
- You can begin sending and receiving emails as soon as the sync is finished.
Use an OST Converter Tool to extract the mail items from the backup OST file and save them to a PST file if you discover missing mail items, folders, or OST restoration fails. To recover the missing mail items or folders, import this PST file into your freshly formed Outlook profile. Additionally, the program can export all of the mail items from an encrypted, inaccessible, or orphaned OST file directly to a live Exchange server or Microsoft 365.
Conclusion
The error message “This application was having trouble loading.” There appears to be an issue with Microsoft Outlook. Please quit all Office programs and restart Microsoft Outlook. In most circumstances, you can fix the issue by restarting the application, but sometimes you’ll need to use some of the more sophisticated fixes covered in this article. These fixes will make troubleshooting and fault resolution simple for you. Make a backup copy of the OST file in case it gets destroyed, then remove the original file. Outlook will download every email from the server and reconstruct the OST file. Use an OST File Conversion program, like CubexSoft OST Export, if any mail items are missing from the new OST file.
