Outlook keeps hanging on ‘Loading Profile’

Does classic Outlook for Windows fail to start and hang while loading your profile? First, try restarting. If the problem persists, creating a new Outlook profile might solve the issue.

This article applies to classic Outlook for Windows.
Are you using the new Outlook for Windows? Then the profile steps below do not apply.

What is happening?

Outlook does not fully start and hangs while your Outlook profile is loading.

This may be visible, for example, because Outlook:

hangs during startup;
does not get past loading the profile;
does not reach your Inbox.

A corrupted or faulty Outlook profile can cause classic Outlook not to start properly.

1. Close Outlook completely

Close Outlook completely.

Wait a few seconds and check that Outlook is no longer running.

2. Restart your computer

Restart your computer and then try opening Outlook again.

Does Outlook work normally again after the restart?
Then you do not need to create a new profile.

3. Outlook still hangs? Create a new profile

Close Outlook completely again.

Then open the Windows Control Panel.

Search in the top right for:

Mail

Open:

Mail > Show Profiles

Click on Add.

Give the new profile a recognisable name, for example:

Outlook new

Then add your work email account to the new profile.

Note:
Do not delete the old Outlook profile yet. First test if Outlook works correctly with the new profile.

4. Start Outlook with the new profile

Start Outlook again.

If asked, select the new profile.

Outlook will reconfigure and synchronise your mailbox.

The issue is resolved when Outlook opens normally and your Inbox is loaded again.

Alternative way to open the profile selector

Microsoft also supports the Outlook profile selector.

To use it, hold Shift while starting classic Outlook.

You can also open the profile selector via:

Outlook.exe /profiles

From there you can create and test a new profile. Microsoft currently documents this as the standard method to manage Outlook profiles. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Do not delete the old profile too quickly

When the new profile works correctly, the old profile can be deleted later if desired.

Be careful when deleting Outlook profiles.
A profile may contain local data or settings that are not automatically available elsewhere. Therefore, only delete the old profile when you are sure all necessary data is available.

Outlook still hangs?

If Outlook does not work correctly even with a new profile, the cause may lie elsewhere.

Consider, for example:

a problem with Microsoft 365;
an Outlook add-in;
corrupted Office files;
an issue with the Outlook data file;
a local Windows problem.

Contact FLEXAMIT Support.

If possible, mention:

where exactly Outlook hangs;
whether a computer restart was already performed;
whether a new Outlook profile was tested;
any error messages you may see.

support@flexamit.com

Can I prevent this?

A corrupted Outlook profile cannot always be prevented.

However, you can reduce the chance of problems by:

keeping Windows and Microsoft 365 up to date;
regularly restarting your computer;
not force-closing Outlook unless necessary;
avoiding unknown or unnecessary Outlook add-ins.

In short

Close Outlook completely.
Restart your computer.
Start Outlook again.
If Outlook still hangs, create a new Outlook profile.
Test the new profile before deleting the old profile.
If Outlook still does not work after that, contact FLEXAMIT Support.

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