If you are having a problem launching Outlook on your computer, or if you are receiving an error message like “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook” or “Cannot open the Outlook window”, there could be various reasons for this issue such as your Outlook Profile got corrupted, an add-in is preventing Outlook from opening, or Outlook Data files are corrupt. While there can be numerous reasons causing an error in starting Outlook, you can easily overcome the issue by launching Outlook in Safe Mode. To know how to start Outlook in Safe Mode, follow the step-by-step instructions provided below.
Steps to Start Outlook in Safe Mode on Windows PC
1.) CTRL + Outlook Shortcut Icon
One of the easiest ways to open Outlook in safe mode is by pressing and holding Control Key (Ctrl) followed by a double-click on the Outlook shortcut icon on your desktop, Start Menu, Taskbar, or Start Screen. When you will press both together, Outlook will open a dialog box on your screen asking if you want to start Outlook in Safe Mode. Simply press the Yes button in the box, Outlook will get launched in Safe Mode.
NOTE: This method is applicable for all versions of Windows and Outlook.
2.) For Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users
If you access Outlook on your Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating system, you can also launch Outlook in Safe Mode by following these steps:
- On your computer, go to the Search box in the Start Menu.
- In the Search field, enter “exe /safe” and press enter.
- Outlook will start in the Safe Mode.
NOTE: These steps are applicable for Windows 7 and Windows Vista only.
3.) For Windows 8 Users
Like Windows Vista and Windows 7 users, Windows 8 users can also launch Outlook in Safe Mode by an alternative method. While Windows 7 and Windows Vista users need to go to Start Menu, Windows 8 users can do so simply by start typing “Outlook.exe /safe” on the Start Screen. As a user will start typing on the Start Screen, he/she will be automatically directed to the Smart Search Field.
4.) For Windows 10 Users
In Windows 10, a user gets an inbuilt Search Box in the Taskbar, so he/she can launch Outlook in Safe Mode by entering “Outlook.exe / safe” in the Search Box. However, if have hidden the Search Box option in your system, you can easily get this option by simply start typing on the Start Menu. Just start typing “Outlook.exe /safe”, Search Box will appear on your screen, from where you can easily start Outlook in Safe Mode.
Create a “Microsoft in Safe Mode” Shortcut Icon
Apart from the above suggestions, you can also create a new shortcut for Outlook in order to open it in Safe Mode. For this, you will first need to find the location of Outlook.exe on your computer. Generally, you will find it under.
For the 32-Bit Version of Windows
- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office <version >
For the 64-Bit Version of Windows
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office <version>
In case you don’t find it, you can locate it by searching for Outlook.exe on your computer. After you locate the file, you will need to create a shortcut for it in order to open it in Safe Mode without opening an extra window each time you open Outlook or use a keyboard shortcut.
- Start by right-clicking in the empty space of your desktop.
- Select New > Shortcut option from the menu.
- Enter exe in quotes (“”) or simply go to the location by clicking on the Browse button.
- After that, add a space to the location path and type /safe.
- The whole pathname will appear like this –
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\OUTLOOK.EXE /safe” (For 32-Bit Windows)
- After adding /safe to the pathname, simply click on the Next button and give it a relevant title like “Outlook Safe Mode”.
- Then click on the Finish button, the shortcut for opening Outlook in Safe Mode will be created.
Additional Tips
While the above-mentioned instructions will help you open the Outlook Windows in Safe Mode when having issues with it, however, if you are unable to open the Outlook in normal mode, check your Outlook for the following:
- Make sure that your Outlook program is up-to-date.
- Check if Outlook works for other users on the computer or not. This will help you determine if your profile is configured correctly or not.
- Try resetting the Dat-files.
- Disable add-ins and then try opening Outlook.
- Run a Repair or Office Diagnostics.
- Try re-installing the program.
So, this is how you can try fixing the accessing problem with your Outlook program and start it in the Safe Mode.