Laptop not showing Outlook App and no indication of waiting to load

Hi @Ann Hemingway,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand that you are trying to open Outlook; however, the application is not responding and cannot be launched.

Please follow the steps below in order:

First, to ensure that your work is not disrupted during the troubleshooting process, I recommend that you temporarily use Outlook on the web until the issue is resolved. The interface and features of Outlook on the web are quite similar to New Outlook, so you should still be able to work normally.

You also mentioned that you have tried turning many components off and on. Since I am not aware of the exact steps you have already performed, if any of the steps below overlap with what you have previously tried, you may skip them and continue with the remaining steps.

1. Disable add-ins or applications that may cause conflicts

First, please temporarily disable all add-ins or applications that could potentially cause conflicts, such as:

• VPN
• 1.1.1.1
• Ad blockers (Ad Block), etc.

After that, please restart your computer.

2. Completely close Outlook and check background processes

In some cases, Outlook appears unable to open, but it may still be running in the background.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
• Locate the Outlook process
• Select End task to close it completely

Then, try opening Outlook again and check whether the issue has been resolved.

3. Repair New Outlook

• Step 1: Completely close New Outlook
• Step 2: Press Windows + I to open Settings
• Step 3: Select Apps > Installed apps
• Step 4: Find Office 365 > click the … icon > select Modify > Online Repair

4. Clear the cache of New Outlook

• Step 1: Completely close New Outlook
• Step 2: Press Windows + R, then enter the following command and press Enter: olk.exe --devtools
• Step 3: Select Application
• Step 4: Under Local Storage and Cookies, select outlook.office.com > Clear

5. Uninstall and reinstall Office

Finally, you may try uninstalling and reinstalling the Office suite to check whether the issue is resolved.

 I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.   

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

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Try the following steps on the laptop to get Outlook working again.

1. Make sure Outlook is fully closed
   • Right-click the Start button and select Task Manager.
   • Under Processes, look for Microsoft Outlook (or Outlook / olk.exe).
   • If it appears, select it and choose End task.
   • Close Task Manager and try opening Outlook again from the Start menu.
2. Restart new Outlook
   • Right-click Start and select Task Manager.
   • End any Microsoft Outlook processes again.
   • Close Task Manager.
   • Open new Outlook for Windows from the Start menu as usual.
3. If new Outlook still will not open, reset its local state
   • Close Outlook and all other Microsoft apps.
   • Open Command Prompt (search for cmd from Start, then open it).
   • Run:

          olk.exe --clearLocalState
     

   • When the command finishes, open new Outlook again.
   • Sign in to the email account when prompted.
4. If Outlook still does not appear or open, reinstall new Outlook
   • From the Start menu, locate new Outlook for Windows.
   • Select the arrow to expand its entry and choose Uninstall.
   • After uninstall completes, reinstall:
     • Open classic Outlook for Windows (if installed) and use the Try the new Outlook toggle, or
     • Open the Microsoft Store app and use Get new Outlook.
   • Open new Outlook and sign in to the account again.
5. If Outlook classic is installed but will not start
   • Press Windows key + R.
   • Type:

          Outlook /safe
     

     and select OK.
   • If Outlook opens in Safe Mode, disable add-ins:
     • Select File > Options > Add-ins.
     • At the bottom, ensure Manage: COM Add-ins is selected and choose Go.
     • Clear all check boxes to disable add-ins and select OK.
     • Close Outlook and open it normally.
6. If none of the above works
   • Uninstall Microsoft 365/Office from the laptop and reinstall it from the Microsoft 365 subscription portal, then try Outlook again.

If mail continues to work on the phone but not on the laptop after these steps, remove the email account from new Outlook on the laptop (once it opens) and add it again from scratch.

References:

• Troubleshoot Outlook for Windows issues
• Outlook not responding, stuck at "Processing," stopped working, or freezes
• Outlook won’t open or is stuck at loading profile
• I can’t start Microsoft Outlook or receive the error “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window”
• Why does Outlook not appear on the desktop while its process is running in the Task Manager?- EeeKB
• New Outlook has stopped working, Fails when starting after 30 to 60 seconds - Microsoft Q&A
• Detetected a problem launching new Outlook - Microsoft Q&A
• Cant get into outlook - Microsoft Q&A
• What to do when Outlook will not open on my PC? - Microsoft Q&A