[Fixed] Outlook Error There was a problem loading this App

You may encounter a fairly common error message while launching the Outlook application that says, “There was a problem loading this app. Please close all Office applications and restart Microsoft Outlook.”

This error prevents you from opening the application or accessing the emails. This can lead to downtime and productivity loss that have severe consequences on your work or business. Therefore, it’s crucial to quickly troubleshoot and resolve the issue causing the error.

This article mentions the possible reasons that can trigger the error “There was a problem loading this app. Please close all Office applications and restart Microsoft Outlook” and some effective solutions to resolve it.

Reasons for the “There was a problem loading this app” Error in Outlook

The Outlook application may stop loading or fail to launch due to one or more reasons mentioned below.

1. Incompatible or faulty add-ins
2. Conflict with third-party programs on the system
3. Corrupted Outlook data file
4. Outdated Outlook application
5. Outlook profile corruption
6. Insufficient or lack of permissions

Solutions to Resolve the “There was a problem loading this app” Error in Outlook

Follow the solutions given below to troubleshoot and resolve the “There was a problem loading this app. Please close all Office applications and restart Microsoft Outlook” error in Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, or 2021.

1. Restart Outlook and Office Applications

A simple restart can sometimes resolve minor errors and issues. So, close all the Outlook processes and Office applications, such as Word, Excel, etc. Then, start Outlook. You may also restart the system.

2. Check Permissions

Sometimes, lack of permissions to access the data file or application can also prevent you from opening the Outlook. To ensure Outlook has all the permissions, run the application as administrator. Then, check if the Outlook loads or starts.

You can also check the OST file permissions. The steps are as follows:

1. Close Outlook and open the Run dialog box.
2. Type %localappdata/Microsoft/Outlook and click OK or press the Enter key to open the OST file location.
3. Then, right-click on the OST file and choose Properties.
4. Make sure the Read-only checkbox is unchecked.
5. Then, click the Advanced taband uncheck the Encrypt content to secure data option.
6. Click Apply > OK.

Start Outlook to check if the issue has been resolved.

3. Disable and Remove Faulty or Incompatible Add-Ins

Faulty or incompatible third-party add-ins can slow down Outlook and lead to performance issues. Sometimes, they can prevent Outlook from loading properly or cause errors. Therefore, find and remove the faulty or incompatible add-ins. To do so, follow these steps

• Close all the Outlook processes.
• While pressing the Shift key, double-click on the Outlook program icon.
• Choose the email profile and click OK. This will start Outlook in safe mode.

• Once in Safe Mode, go to File > Options and click Add-ins.
• Then, click on the Go… button. You will see list of add-ins.
• Clear the checkboxes of all the add-ins and click OK to save the changes.

• After disabling the add-ins in Outlook, restart Outlook normally.

If the issue is resolved and Outlook starts normally without any problem, you need to find and remove the faulty add-in. To do so, activate one add-in at a time and restart Outlook. If it loads normally, activate another add-in and restart Outlook. Repeat these steps until Outlook stops loading or displays a problem when loading. Then remove the last activated add-in to permanently solve this problem.

4. Repair Microsoft Office Installation

You can also try to repair Microsoft Office program to try to fix the error. The steps are as follows:

• Open the Control Panel and click Uninstall a program under the Programs section.
• Find and click on Microsoft Office and then click Change.

• Click the Repair button. Complete the repair process by following the instructions.
• Alternatively, on Windows 10 and 11, you can follow these steps to repair MS Office:
  • Press the Windows + X keys and click Apps and Features.
  • In the search bar, type Microsoft and then click on Microsoft Office.
  • Click Modify.

• This will launch the repair wizard. Follow the Quick Repair or Online Repair wizard to complete the MS Office repair process.

After the repair, launch Outlook and check if the problem is resolved.

5. Check and Install Outlook Updates

Updating Outlook can help fix any bugs or vulnerabilities that might be causing the error. To check and install the latest Outlook updates, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and click File > Office Account.
• From the options, choose the Update Options and then click Update Now.

• If updates are available, follow the update wizard to apply the updates and then restart the system.
• After the system restarts, launch Outlook and check if the error is resolved. If the error persists, you can try to check and install Windows OS updates. The steps are as follows: On your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, open Settings and click Update & Security > Windows Updates.

• Then, click the Check for Updates button. If new updates are available, download and install them.
• After updating the Windows OS, restart the system and launch Outlook.

6. Create a New Outlook Profile

If your Outlook profile is corrupted, you may face issues while opening the Outlook application. You can create a new profile in Outlook to resolve the problem. The steps are as follows:

• Close Outlook.
• Launch Control Panel and navigate to User Accounts > Mail.
• Click Show Profiles and then click Add.
• Type any name for this new profile and then click OK.

• You will see an email configuration wizard. Follow the wizard to set up your same email account under this new profile.
• Once the configuration is complete, you may make this profile default and then launch Outlook.

• Check if Outlook starts normally or still showing issues while loading.

7. Rebuild Outlook OST Files

Outlook may stop loading or show signs of problems while loading when the OST file is damaged or too large. In case the file is too large, then you can try to archive the mail items to a local PST file. However, if that doesn’t help or the OST file is damaged, you can recreate the OST file. The steps are as follows:

• Close Outlook, press the Windows + S, and type Run. You may also press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

• In the Run dialog box, paste this path: %localappdata%/Microsoft/Outlook and click OK or press the Enter key.

• You can now rename the original OST file by adding the .bak extension or move it to some other location to create backup.
• Then, you can go ahead and delete the original OST file.
• After that, start Outlook. Outlook will not find the OST file and hence, it will automatically create a new OST file and sync (download) all mail items from the mailbox server.
• Once the sync is complete, you can start sending and receiving emails.

If you find missing mail items or folders or OST recreation fails, download and use an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST, to extract the mail items from the backup OST file and save them to PST file. Then, import this PST file into your newly created Outlook profile to restore the missing mail items or folders. The software is also capable of directly exporting all the mail items from the orphaned, inaccessible, or encrypted OST file to Microsoft 365 or live Exchange Server.

Conclusion

The error message “There was a problem loading this app. Please close all Office applications and restart Microsoft Outlook” indicates a problem with Microsoft Outlook. While the problem can be resolved by restarting the application in most cases, you may need to apply some advanced solutions discussed in this article. By following these solutions, you can easily troubleshoot and resolve the error. In case the OST file is damaged, create a backup of the OST file and then delete it. Outlook will rebuild the OST file and download all mail items from the server. In case there are missing mail items in the new OST file, take the help of an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST. This software can help you extract the missing mail items from the backup OST file.

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About The Author

Shelly Bhardwaj

I am a Product Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 8 years. I write about the latest technology tips and provide custom solutions related to Exchange Server, Office 365, MS Outlook, and many other Email Clients & different flavors of OS Servers. Read More