Fix Outlook stuck when loading profile in Windows 10

February 7, 2023

Email is the standard way companies communicate in today's world. Everyone has an email address these days and thousands of emails are exchanged every day. Outlook is a program developed by Microsoft for managing email. It is an email client that provides many features such as calendar, email scheduling, file sharing, etc. It is a flawless software, but sometimes it runs into some issues. Lately, many users have reported that their Outlook freezes when loading a profile and won't open even after a long wait. Finding Outlook stuck on the loading screen can be annoying as it can prevent you from accessing important emails. If you are also dealing with the problem of Outlook 2016 freezing when loading a profile, you have come to the right place. We bring you the perfect guide to help you fix Outlook stuck loading Windows 10 profile.

How to fix Outlook stuck on loading profile in Windows 10

There can be many reasons why Outlook is stuck on the loading screen and some of them are mentioned below.

Outlook has insufficient access and privileges
LocalAppData Outlook Corrupted
Outlook has incorrect compatibility settings
Problems with PST or OST files
Outlook navigation bar not working as expected
Outlook profile corrupted

After understanding why Outlook is stuck loading Windows 10 profile, let's look at some ways to fix it. We'll start with the basic troubleshooting methods first, since in most cases they solve problems like Outlook freezing when loading a profile.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

You must complete the methods below before moving on to other advanced methods. They can fix the problem.

1. Restart your computer. Restarting your computer can fix many system-related errors and other minor issues. This is often the first thing recommended when experiencing any PC-related issues. This may solve the problem at hand. Follow our guide on how to reboot or reset your Windows PC to restart your computer.

2. End Microsoft processes. Many users have reported that they were able to fix this issue by closing Microsoft processes such as Word, Excel, etc. Try closing all Microsoft applications and processes including Outlook and reopening Outlook to check if Outlook 2016 freezes when profile loading. the problem persists. You can follow our guide on how to end a task in Windows 10 to complete Microsoft related tasks.

3. Turn on Airplane Mode: Some signal or network might be interfering with Outlook and causing the problem. You can turn on Airplane Mode to fix this issue. Go to the lower right corner of the screen and click on the notification icon or field, in the Manage Notifications panel you will see an Airplane Mode tile. Click on it to enable it and after that check if you can open Outlook.

Method 2: Run Outlook as an administrator

In some cases, programs such as Outlook may require additional rights to function correctly. Some Outlook features may only work if you have administrator rights. Without the appropriate permissions, you may experience an issue where Outlook freezes when loading a profile. To fix this problem, you can run Outlook as an administrator. To do this, follow these steps.

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1. Locate the Outlook shortcut on your PC or where you have installed Outlook and right-click on the outlook.exe file.

Note. By default, Outlook is installed in this path C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficerootOfficeX where X represents your MS Office version.

2. Select "Run as administrator".

Method 3: Run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

If you are using a version of Outlook that is not compatible with your Windows PC, you may experience Outlook freezing when loading a profile. To fix this, you can start Outlook in Compatibility Mode and run the Compatibility Troubleshooter to check for additional issues. This can fix Outlook 2016 stuck on profile loading. You can do this by following the given steps to run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter in Outlook.

1. Right-click the Outlook shortcut and select the Properties option as shown below.

2. Click the Compatibility tab in the Outlook Properties window.

3. Uncheck "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and click "Apply" > "OK".

4. Right-click the Outlook application and select Troubleshoot Compatibility as shown in the figure.

5. The Program Compatibility Troubleshooter will now attempt to detect any potential issues.

6. Click Try Recommended Settings.

Method 4: Start Outlook in safe mode and disable add-ins

Outlook offers many types of add-ins to improve the user experience and improve productivity. However, these add-ins can cause Outlook to crash, resulting in issues such as Outlook freezing when loading a profile. You can check if add-ins are causing this issue by starting Outlook in safe mode. It will open Outlook without any add-ons. If it works, you can disable problematic add-ons later. Below are the steps to start Outlook in safe mode and disable add-ins.

1. Press the Windows + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type outlook.exe /safe and press the Enter key to start Outlook in safe mode.

3. A pop-up window will appear asking you to select a profile. Open the dropdown, select the Outlook option, and then press the Enter key.

Note. Some users will not be able to start Outlook in safe mode using the above method. In this case, read our guide "How to start Outlook in safe mode".

If you managed to start Outlook in safe mode, be sure that the problem is really related to one of the add-ins. Hence, remove or disable them as follows:

4. Press the Windows key, type Outlook and click Open.

5. Click on the "File" tab.

6. Select Options as shown below.

7. Click the "Add-ins" tab on the left and click the "GO…" button next to "Manage: COM Add-ins" as shown in the figure.

8A. Here, click the "Uninstall" button to uninstall the desired add-ons.

8B. Alternatively, select the "Desired add-on" checkbox and click "OK" to disable it.

Method 5: Delete the LocalAppData folder

Most applications store temporary files in the AppData folder. Sometimes this folder can get corrupted and cause problems in the application. If the AppData folder in Outlook is corrupted, you may encounter a problem. To fix this problem, you can simply delete the Outlook AppData folder by following the steps listed below.

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R keys at the same time.

2. Type %localappdata% and press Enter to open the correct folder.

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Note. You can also specify the path to the C:UsersusernameAppDataLocal folder in File Explorer.

3. Go to the Microsoft folder. Right-click the Outlook folder and select "Delete" as shown below.

4. Finally, restart your computer once and then try to open Outlook.

Method 6: Reset Outlook navigation bar

The Outlook navigation bar is used for quick access to email, contacts, tasks, and more. However, it may malfunction due to some crashes or other issues. This can cause Outlook to hang. You can fix this problem by resetting the Oulook navigation bar. This can fix Outlook 2016 stuck on profile loading. Here are the steps to reset Outlook navigation bar.

1. Launch the Run dialog box.

2. Type outlook.exe /resetnavpane and press the Enter key to reset the Outlook Navigation Pane.

Method 7: Repair MS Outlook

You may be experiencing an issue with Outlook freezing when loading a profile if Outlook is corrupted. This may be due to some kind of system problem, a virus attack, or a missed update. You can repair the Outlook application to resolve this issue. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Press the Windows key, type "Control Panel" and click "Open".

2. Set View > Large Icons and click Programs and Features from the given options.

3. Locate the MS Office package installed on your PC, right-click it and select Edit as shown in the figure.

4. Select "Quick Repair" and click the "Restore" button to continue as shown in the highlighted color.

5. Click "Yes" in the "User Account Control" pop-up window.

6. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the recovery process.

Method 8: Repair Outlook Profile

In some cases, your Outlook profile may become corrupted due to minor errors or glitches. This can cause Outlook to hang. Outlook has a built-in restore feature that you can use to restore your profile. Follow the steps listed below to restore your Outlook profile.

1. Start Outlook in safe mode.

Note. If you're signed in to multiple accounts, first select the problematic account from the drop-down list.

2. Go to "File" > "Account Settings" and select "Account Settings..." from the menu as shown in the figure.

3. Then, on the Email tab, select the Restore... option as shown in the figure.

4. A recovery window will appear. Follow the onscreen instructions to fix your account.

Method 9: Repair PST and OST Files

Outlook uses PST and OST files to store data. PST stores data on the client's local drive, while OST manages data for offline use. Sometimes these data files can get corrupted causing Outlook to freeze. However, you can repair them and fix the issue by following our guide on How to fix corrupted Outlook .ost and .pst data files.

Method 10: Uninstall Microsoft NET Framework Updates

Some user reports suggest that the latest Microsoft .NET Framework updates are interfering with Outlook and causing it to crash. Uninstalling these updates may fix Outlook stuck loading profile, and you can do so by following these steps.

1. Press the Windows key, type control panel and press the Enter key.

2. Set View by > Category, then select Uninstall a program.

3. Now select Microsoft .NET Framework.

4. Right-click the program and select the Uninstall option.

After uninstalling all updates, check if the issue of Outlook 2016 stuck on profile loading is resolved.

Method 11: Delete Outlook Profile

Corrupted user profiles in Outlook may be causing Outlook to hang. They can prevent Outlook from loading correctly. You can remove these profiles and that might solve the problem. Follow the instructions below to do the same.

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1. Press the Windows key, type control panel and press the Enter key.

2. Set View > Large Icons and click Mail.

3. Now click on Show Profiles… the option is highlighted.

4. Select all profiles one by one and click the "Delete" button. Once you're done, click OK.

7. Press the Window + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

8. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.

9. Navigate to the following path in the registry editor.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeXProfiles

Note. Here X will vary depending on the version of MS Office you are using.

10. Now delete all profiles located here.

Open Outlook and check if Outlook 2016 stuck on loading profile persists.

Method 12: Change ipconfig

Some users have discovered a trick by which Outlook solved the problem of hanging while loading a profile. This includes releasing the IP address when there is a problem and then updating it. This might fix the issue. You can do this by following these steps.

1. Open Outlook and wait for a message to appear on the loading screen.

2. Press the Windows key, type command prompt and click "Run as administrator".

3. Type the ipconfig/release command and press the Enter key. Do this while Outlook is stuck on the loading screen.

4. If the Outlook screen starts working, type ipconfig /renew and press the Enter key.

6. Select the Send/Receive All Folders option in Outlook.

Method 13: Remove the Office key

If you've recently updated Outlook, it's possible that some keys are left over from a previous version. These keys can sometimes cause problems in Outlook and even stop it from loading. Removing these keys can fix Outlook 2016 stuck loading profile issue, and you can do it by following these steps.

8. Launch the Registry Editor through the Run dialog box.

3. Navigate to the specified key folder path in the registry editor.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftOffice

4. Locate the keys from the previous version of Office and remove them by right-clicking and selecting the Remove option.

Method 14: create a new profile

This method is the last resort, if none of the methods work, you can try creating a new profile in Outlook and that will definitely solve the problem. You can create a new profile by following the given steps.

1. Launch Control Panel from the Start Menu.

2. Set View > Large Icons and click Mail (Microsoft Outlook).

3. Now click on Show Profiles… the option is highlighted.

4. Then click the Add button on the General tab.

5. Then enter a Profile Name and click OK.

6. Then enter the required details (your name, email address, password and repeat password) in the Email address section. Then click Next > Finish.

7. Repeat steps 1-4 again and select your new account from the list.

8. Then select the Always use this profile setting check box.

9. Click Apply > OK to save these changes.

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We hope this guide was helpful and that you were able to fix Outlook stuck on profile loading. Let us know which method worked best for you. If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments section.