outlook will not start - icon is grayed out with an x

[rrallen]

Need to get outlook started but it will not start. Icon in tray is grayed out
with an x. When I double-click on the outlook icon on my desktop nothing
happens. How can I get the program to start???

 

[Roady [MVP]]

This means the outlook.exe process is still running and currently not
capable of opening a main Outlook window.
Most likely the outlook.exe process is "hijacked" by an add-in or 3rd party
application.
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/outlookdoesntclose.htm

 

[Kathleen Orland]

Is Outlook.exe running in your task manager > processes?

Here are some great troubleshooting steps:

http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/outlookdoesntstart.htm

 

[rrallen]

How do I un-hijack it?

This means the outlook.exe process is still running and currently not
capable of opening a main Outlook window.
Most likely the outlook.exe process is "hijacked" by an add-in or 3rd party
application.
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/outlookdoesntclose.htm

 

[rrallen]

Yes. What happens if I kill the process?

Is Outlook.exe running in your task manager > processes?

Here are some great troubleshooting steps:

http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/outlookdoesntstart.htm

 

[Kathleen Orland]

It ends the process and allows you to open Outlook.

 

[rrallen]

Actually it's looking like there's about 8 copies of the outlook.exe running
in the processes. I just tried to start it in safe mode, but it would not.
Perhaps one of these processes is the safe one??

 

[Roady [MVP]]

You'll need to kill all the outlook.exe processes.

In your case, it's definitely worth taking a look at the troubleshooting
steps posted at the link I gave you as normally you would only have 1
outlook.exe process running at all times.

 

[rrallen]

I'm assuming the multiple processes occurred because I kept trying to start
outlook by double-clicking on the icon on the desktop. Each time I did this
apparently opened a new process. I've killed all but one and am about to kill
the last. Hopefully that solves the problem.

After killing all outlook.exe processes and trying to start outlook from the
desktop icon, it said that outlook could not be started in safe mode then
went into configuration mode. Problem solved.

THANKS!!!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Good to hear and you're welcome!

I'm assuming the multiple processes occurred because I kept trying to
start
outlook by double-clicking on the icon on the desktop. Each time I did
this
apparently opened a new process. I've killed all but one and am about to
kill
the last. Hopefully that solves the problem.

After killing all outlook.exe processes and trying to start outlook from
the
desktop icon, it said that outlook could not be started in safe mode then
went into configuration mode. Problem solved.

THANKS!!!

 

[Kathleen Orland]

Stop ALL instances of Outlook that are running.

Actually it's looking like there's about 8 copies of the outlook.exe running
in the processes. I just tried to start it in safe mode, but it would not.
Perhaps one of these processes is the safe one??