Comments on: How to fix "Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Unable to open Outlook window" error

Unable to open your Outlook? In this article you will find really working solutions for "Cannot start Microsoft Outlook" problem. The fixes will help you open Outlook again with no errors, the solutions work in all versions of Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and lower and on all systems. Continue reading →

Comments page 2. Total comments: 235

  1. All failed for me until I found you could admin the accounts and folders through the control panel. Thank you very much for this article.

  2. Great, nice write-up, helped me a lot thanks!

  3. This helped me a lot. Thanks!

  4. Excellent - very clearly explained, very simple solution to frustrating problem.

  5. Thank you so much.
    Came here [because contents here made my search trivial], tried the RESETNAVPANE solution [because it was the first suggested, and I assumed a link between how common the problem was and how high the solution would be listed], and now, straight down to express my thanks.

  6. thanks

  7. Hi,

    Thanks a lot for your help. :)

  8. I have searched a solution for this problem for almost two full days without any luck. I do not know if this is the way it should be. Microsoft cannot innovate any more and produces software that sucks. I am royally frustrated.

  9. I believe I found another unique method that creates the same error message about being unable to open the outlook file when you have MORE THAN ONE PROFILE as I have two. After running scanpst and sfc /scannow, I fixed the error by:
    1) deleting all the profiles
    2) verifying that the existing accounts to the respective ISPs worked correctly (I did not delete those)
    3) searching the register for any hints of an embedded profile but did not seem to find any (I will check again)
    4) searching for and deleting *.tmp files
    5) turning the machine OFF
    6) rebooting several hours later
    7) went to MAIL in the control panel and create one profile to check for my emails
    8) sent and received emails from my personal group without the error message
    9) I created the second for the local neighborhood group; since the neighborhood group is not a “hot bed” of emails, I didn’t get anything but I did not get the error message as I had consistently before.

  10. HEY THANKS IT REALLY WORKED. MY PROBLEM WAS COMPATIBILITY

  11. Dear All user,

    I have done following easy step to overcome outlook error.

    1st Create a new profile in outlook going to control panel and then click mail and create new profile XYZ name.
    2nd once the Outlook profile is create, Start Outlook using same profile.
    3rd Add your .PST file in outlook which you want to use.

    You see that your desire .PST will be start working.

    This what I have done, and i recover it.

    All the best to all.

  12. Thank you very much.It really worked for me.

  13. Awesome. Your fix worked the first time!

  14. Great - first option to reset navpane worked! Thanks

  15. Dear Mam,
    It has helped me a great way. I am working professional working in Garment industry and from few days i was unable to start outlook but by your help i have done successfully, thanks you taught me something helpful.

  16. I'd perpetually want to be update on new blog posts on this web site, saved to fav!

  17. Thank you very much for your solution

  18. Just for those in my situation: None of what is in this "How to fix" apply...at all. Fist off, I am getting this dreaded error (Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. The file C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\user.ost is not an Outlook file (.ost).) is zero in size while doing a clean install of Outlook 2016. Using a Win 10 laptop remotely. The ".ost" file is being created for the first time (I've uninstalled and removed all traces of Outlook 2016 or Office 2016, for that matter, several times). I have and can run Outlook 2013, connecting cleanly via the manual settings no longer allowed under 2016. Yes, the ".ost" file is corrupted, but the corruption is while being created by the Outlook 2016 program itself. There isn't a fixing tool that can correct it. It seems that Microsoft has to screw with anything that works in order to frustrate everyone into using the junk they are trying to force down the throats of the marketplace. (For those who wonder why this being done on a Win 10 machine, that was a no choice situation forced by Microsoft and Lenovo.)

  19. I should add that I am using Windows 10, and Outlook 2010.Also, (if it's relevant) after a check, I have discovered that, along with millions of others, I have 3 instances of being Pwnd.

  20. I am having problems opening Outlook.

    My problems started a few days ago. First, deleted junk kept reappearing, then while trying to reply to mail, I get a message saying 'cannot send, device not connected to internet'. However, the person who I wrote to apparently got it and replied.

    Tried to locate .pst file to scan it with scanpst but it's not anywhere in my program files.

    Indeed 'Outlook /safe'in run tells me Outlook is not found. Yet, I've just been using it today and I am sure I haven't deleted it.

    The compatability box is unchecked; it wasn't checked in the first place.

    I am in China if that's any significance.
    Hope you can help me. Thanks.

  21. DON'T PANIC - TRY REBOOTING FIRST.

    I got stuck in a loop of the first 2 options (navpane, scanpst) - neither worked. Eventually, I put back what Scanpst was saying was my corrupted .PST file, rebooted, and all worked again properly.

    My original problem happened when I tried adding a work email account into Outlook 2013 (I already have 9 email accounts loaded).

    My guess is something was corrupted in Windows' cache, and all the hard options here were unnecessary. >>> try rebooting before panicking.

  22. Adding a new profile worked for me!

    Really appreciate this article and the help it gave me.

  23. Thanks for the troubleshoot, I fixed my Outlook in no time!

  24. thanks. this aurtical is very very use full for me

  25. please help me to activate my ms outlook sos that i can receive and send my emails

  26. outlook 2010 and 2013 having credenitial how to solve

  27. can help me some one

  28. cannot start microsoft outlook. cannot open the outlook window. the set of folder cannot be opened

  29. I found my own solution where all else failed.
    I had to start outlook in safe mode and the ignore the corrupted "Outlook" named profile but go straight to create a new profile called Nick. I then needed my outlook icon to use that profile outlook.exe /profile Nick. I now need to find out how to remove the corrupt profile!

  30. Thanks for the solution to my problem! Accessing the data files through the Control Panel was the magic for me.

  31. Try this if using Windows 7 with Microsoft Outlook 2010:
    Procedure
    1. Click on start menu.
    2. Type "Outlook Files".
    3. Click on "Outlook Files" folder under search result.
    4. Delete "Outlook" in outlook files folder.
    5. Now open "Microsoft outlook 2010" application.
    6. Click "ok".
    7. Type your login password and confirm.
    8. Tick "save password".
    9. Click "ok".
    10. It shall be OK now.

  32. Thank you so very much for your kind advice.

  33. Thanks for the suggestions above. After trying most of the suggestions i finally managed to fix the issue just by creating a new outlook profile. I just copied the old one, gave it a new name and viola, worked fine.

  34. Just tried to open micro soft outlook from my lap top icon for my emails this morning as per normal however... error message just appeared and I cannot get into my emails...
    .."The Operation Failed"...

    Any suggestion on how to fix this !!!

    Thanks..

  35. I am in the same situation with Outlook 2016, following the uninstall of a third party software. This software includes an Outlook addon which might explain why the uninstall affected Outlook.
    Anyway, that's Microsoft.
    I have tried all the above mentioned options to no avail.
    I have recreated a new PST file, Outlook now opens (great!), however I cannot import any mail from the old file (so what?). It is an OST file which has a 250M size.
    So, it seems I have lost 6 months of banking business information.
    This makes me think how right I am of having 4 home computers equipped with Linux Mageia!

  36. This worked wonderful Thank you for posting this

  37. Thanks to everyone, followed steps and job done.

  38. Hi
    You are right. This problem can be solved by this but i have one more tool by which any non technical user can also run this software to resolve this error.

  39. Outlook wont open the error message reads

    Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. Unable to open the
    Outlook window. The set of folders could not be opened. The
    server is not available. Contact your administrator if this
    condition persists.

    I have little to no pc knowledge and this means nothing to me other than I have no email access. Is any able to give me any advice on what to do. I even had to type long hand the message as I dont even know how to do a screen shot. Many thanks Julie

  40. Thanks a lot for the information, Step 2 has worked for me.

  41. It worked! YAY! Thanks a million!!!

  42. Hello Team,

    I am unable to open my old .pst files into new computer what could be the solution for the same I even tried to use Scanpst.exe to repair it but, not successful.

    Need assistance please

    Many Thanks

  43. Its Working...

    Thanks...

  44. I try to open Outlook and a message comes out that we "can only open one version of Outlook at a time". But I do not have any other version open!! can anyone help in words of one syllable please?

  45. Thanks creating a adding a new outlook mail worked for me. Thanks.

  46. Thank you so very much for your kind advice.

  47. Outstanding advice - thank you so much!!

  48. Svetlana- you are a life saver!!! I was trying to back up my contacts and screwed things up. This helped greatly!!!

  49. I had tried ScanPST.exe with no success. So, I followed your given reference about 5 best PST repair tool. I selected stellar PST repair tool and got access to some important emails of my Outlook mailbox.

  50. Thanks a lot. These steps fixed the issue which i was working for more than an hour

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