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Microsoft has released a cumulative update - KB5074109 - for Windows 11 on January 13, 2025.
However, after installing this update, several Classic Outlook users with POP accounts reported experiencing an issue where the application is not exiting correctly. Moreover, some other users reported that their Outlook application hangs, freezes, or shows not responding error.
Here are some other issues reported by the users after this update:
- They are unable to reopen the Outlook without ending its process in Task Manager or restarting the system.
- Emails not showing in the Sent Items folder in spite of being sent.
- Outlook is re-downloading the emails.
After 11 days from the initial update (KB5074109) release, Microsoft issued out-of-band update for Windows – KB5078127 – to fix the issue. This is a cumulative update and includes security fixes and improvements from the January 13, 2026, update.
If you’re still experiencing issues in Outlook, then repair/recreate the profile or use ScanPST to repair the PST file. If ScanPST fails, use Stellar Repair for Outlook to repair the PST. Read this article to know the details.
Latest Update on the Issue
- On January 26, Microsoft updated that the issue has been resolved with the Windows out-of-band update - KB5078127. However, if users are facing sync issues, then they can repair the Outlook profile. If they are facing issues when accessing the account folders (PST data), then use Scanpst.exe tool to repair the PST file.
- On January 24, Microsoft released out-of-band update - KB5078127 – for Windows 11 to address this issue.
- On January 20, Microsoft updated that this issue may also occur for any Outlook profile that has PSTs stored on OneDrive. Workaround suggested to remove the Windows update. However, there was no permanent fix available till that date.
- On January 15, Microsoft acknowledged that Outlook is hanging or not exiting after this update and updated the status as ‘investigating’.
- On January 13, Microsoft released the Windows 11 Cumulative Update - KB5074109. After installing this update, users started facing hanging/freezing issues with Classic Outlook with POP accounts.
Solutions to Fix Outlook Profile Hangs or Freezes after Windows 11 Update (KB5074109)
Some users tried to switch to New Outlook but it was still hanging and freezing. Even repairing the Outlook (MS Office) installation and removing the add-ins also fail to resolve the issue.
Here are some solutions you can try to fix this issue in Outlook.
- Install the Windows Out-of-Band Update
- Repair the PST File
- Repair or Recreate Outlook Profile
1. How to Install the Windows 11 Out-of-Band Update?
You can install the out-of-band Windows update - KB5078127 - to resolve the Outlook is freezing, hanging, or not responding issue. To install the updates, follow these steps:
Note: If automatic updates are enabled, your system will automatically receive this update.
- On your Windows 11 system, select Start.
- Go to Settings > Windows Update.
- Select Download & Install to apply the latest update.
Note: This update will appear in Windows Update only if your device has one of the January updates that caused the issue.
2. How to Repair the PST File?
According to Microsoft, if you’re facing issues when accessing PST file data even after installing the out-of-band update, you can use ScanPST – Outlook Inbox Repair tool – to repair the PST file. Below are the steps to run the ScanPST:
Note: Before running ScanPST, make sure to create a backup of your PST file.
- Locate ScanPST on your device.
- Double-click on the tool to run it.
- Click on Browse to choose the PST file.
- Once you choose the PST file, click on Start.
- Once the scanning is done, you fill see a list of errors.
- Click on Repair to fix the errors.
- Once the repair is complete, check that the issue is resolved. If you still persist with the issue, run the ScanPST again.
Though ScanPST can repair damaged or corrupted PST files, it has certain limitations that users should be aware of:
- It is suitable for fixing minor corruption issues in PST file.
- There is a risk of data loss involved as the utility may delete unrecoverable items.
- It is to be run multiple times to fully repair the file.
- Even after repair, some emails, attachments, or folders may remain inaccessible.
- It only repairs structural issues in PST file.
It may freeze, hang, or even fail to repair the PST file, if it is too large.
As an alternative to ScanPST, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook - an advanced PST repair tool. This tool is specially designed to repair severely corrupted or damaged PST files of any size. By using this tool, you can even repair an encrypted and inaccessible PST file and restore your mailbox data in a fresh PST file. It preserves the original mailbox structure and hierarchy after repair. Apart from PST format, you can save your repaired data in multiple formats, like RTF, HTML, EML, MSG, PDF, etc. You can free download Stellar Repair for Outlook on your system to scan and repair your corrupted PST file.
3. How to Create a New Outlook Profile?
If the issue is still not resolved after installing the out-of-band Windows update, you can repair your Outlook profile as recommended by Microsoft. Follow the instructions given below:
- Launch your Outlook (if it is opening), choose File.
- Choose Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Under the Email tab, choose your profile (account) and then choose the Repair option.
- Then, follow the wizard to finish the repair process.
- When you're done, restart Outlook.
If repairing the profile doesn’t work or Outlook is not opening, then you can recreate the Outlook profile. Here’s how to do so:
- Open Control Panel.
- Click on User Accounts.
- Select Mails (Microsoft Outlook).
- Click on Show Profiles > Add.
- Enter new profile name and click OK.
- Now, enter the login credentials of your account and then click Next.
- After clicking Finish, the system will verify your login details and display a confirmation message.
- Now, click on your old profile and remove it.
- Make sure to select the “Always use this profile” option to make the new profile the default.
Once you have created a new Outlook profile, you can import the repaired PST file into it.
Conclusion
After installing the recent (January 13) update - KB5074109 - of Windows 11 OS, many Outlook users have informed facing freezing/hanging issues with the application. You can try the solutions mentioned in this article to resolve the issue and access your Outlook data. The best possible way is to create a new Outlook profile, repair the PST file, and import the repaired file into your profile. For quickly and effectively repairing the PST file, you can use Stellar Repair for Outlook. It can help you restore all your mailbox data to a new PST file with complete integrity.
There is no particular reason why your Outlook starts freezing or crashing after installing Windows 11 update. This might happen due to the following possible reasons:
- Incompatibility between the Windows 11 update and your Outlook version
- Corruption in Outlook profile
- Corruption in Outlook data (PST) file
- Conflicting third-party add-ins
Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve this issue:
- Close Outlook and related-processes from Task Manager and then start it.
- Restart the system.
- Launch Outlook in Safe Mode and disable unnecessary add-ins.
- Repair the PST file.
- Recreate the Outlook profile.
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