Outlook users sometimes encounter issues and errors while working with the application. One of the errors that some Outlook users have recently reported is – There was a problem loading this app. Please close all applications and restart Microsoft Outlook. This article will discuss the reasons behind this error and the possible methods to fix it.
Causes of the Error -There was a problem loading this app- in Outlook
Some common reasons for this error are:
- Corrupted or damaged OST file
- Outdated Outlook or Windows version
- Virus or any other malware infection
- Faulty add-ins
- Disabled or deleted mailbox on the Exchange Server
How to Fix Outlook Error There was a problem loading this app?
Below are some methods that can help you fix this Outlook error.
1] Disable Faulty Add-ins
Sometimes, faulty or incompatible add-ins can create issues or errors in Outlook. To check if any faulty add-ins are causing this error, open the Outlook application in safe mode. Let’s see how to launch Outlook in safe mode:
- Press Windows+R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type ‘Outlook.exe /safe’ in the dialog box and click OK.
If Outlook is appropriately launched, it means some add-ins are causing the error. In such a case, you can disable the faulty add-ins to resolve the issue. Follow these steps to disable the add-ins:
- Go to the Outlook menu, and click on File > Options.
- Click Add-ins, go to the Manage field, select COM Add-ins, and click Go.
- Deselect the add-ins checkboxes and click OK.
- Restart Outlook.
- Now, enable one add-in at a time and restart Outlook to find the faulty add-in creating the issue.
2] Create a New Outlook Profile
Sometimes, Outlook fails to open if there are any issues with your Outlook profile.
In this case, you can create a new Outlook profile using the following steps:
- Go to Control Panel, search for the Mail option, and click
- Click Show Profiles and then click
- Enter the Profile Name and click
- Configure the new Outlook profile with your relevant email account and click
- When the new Outlook profile is created, configure it, and check if the issue is resolved.
You can also attempt to repair your Outlook Profile before creating a new one.
3] Update Outlook and Windows
You may also encounter errors when the Windows operating system or Outlook application is outdated. You can update your Outlook application and Windows OS to resolve the issue.
Steps to Update Outlook:
- Go to File > Office Account.
- Click Update Options and click Update Now.
Steps to Update Windows OS:
- Go to Settings > Windows Update
- Click the Check for updates button to check if an update is available.
- If yes, you can update Windows.
You can also turn on Automatic Updates if you are ok with seamless updates.
4] Repair Microsoft Office
Any issues with the Microsoft Office installation can prevent Outlook from responding correctly. In such a case, you can repair the MS Office program.
Below are the steps to repair Microsoft Office (Older Versions)
- Close the running Microsoft Office applications.
- Navigate to Control Panel and click Programs and Features.
- Look for Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365
- Right-click on it, and then choose Change.
- A pop-up window will open, offering two options to repair Microsoft Office—Quick Repair and Online Repair.
Try the first one, and check if the issue is resolved. If not, try the second one.
5] Repair OST File with SCANPST
If your OST file is corrupt or damaged, you can also encounter this error in Outlook. In this case, try repairing the OST file using Outlook’s Inbox Repair tool (Scanpst.exe).
Follow the below steps to repair the file:
- Go to Windows Explorer and navigate to
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16{Office version}
- Find Scanpst.exe and double-click on it.
- Select Browse and go to the file that needs to be repaired.
- Click Start to initiate the scanning process.
- Once the scanning process is completed, it will show the errors, if any.
- Select Repair to fix the errors.
Note: Scanpst.exe cannot repair severely corrupted and large-sized Outlook data files.
Related: Free tools for automatic backup Outlook PST Files
6] Recreate the OST File
To recreate the OST file in Microsoft Outlook, follow the below steps:
Locate the OST File
The location of the OST file varies based on the version of Windows and Outlook you are using on the system. Follow the below steps to locate the OST file in Outlook 2010:
- Click File > Info > Account Settings.
- Select Microsoft Exchange Server and click.
- Click More Settings and Offline Folder File Settings under the Advanced tab.
- Copy the path of the OST file location.
- Go to File Explorer and enter the copied OST file location.
In Outlook 2013 and later versions, follow the below-mentioned steps to find the OST location:
- Navigate to File > Info > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Click the Data Files tab and choose your email account.
- Click Open File Location to open the new File Explorer window displaying the OST file.
Recreate the OST File
Close Outlook. Then, delete, move, or rename the existing OST file. It is always recommended to take a backup of the OST file before performing these steps.
Then, open Outlook. It will automatically recreate the OST file and synchronize the mail items from the mailbox on the server.
After that, check your newly created OST file for any missing items. If there are any missing items, you can use a professional OST to PST converter tool like Stellar Converter for OST to extract them from the backup OST file and save them in the PST file. You can then import this PST file into Outlook to access the missing items. The software can also extract and convert orphaned or inaccessible OST files into PST.
Conclusion
Several causes may lead to the “There was a problem loading this app. Please close all Office applications and restart Microsoft Outlook” error. You can follow the methods mentioned in this post to fix this error. These methods cannot work if the OST file becomes inaccessible or orphaned. In such a case, you can use Stellar Converter for OST to convert the inaccessible or orphaned OST file into PST, which you can easily import into Outlook.