How to Fix ‘Outlook Exited without Closing Outlook Data File’ Error?
Summary: If Outlook crashes, you can get a notice that says “Outlook exited without closing Outlook data file” when you try to launch the Outlook application. In this blog, the reasons behind this problem are explained, along with a number of solutions and fixes.
When there is a problem with the hardware or software on the system and an error message is displayed, Microsoft Outlook may abruptly exit or close without giving any prior notice.
Your Outlook data file, located at C: UsersYourNameAppDataLocalMicrosoftOutlookYourEmail@xyz.com.pst, was improperly closed by Microsoft Outlook when it shut down. Restarting Microsoft Outlook is necessary. For help, if this error notice reappears, get in touch with Microsoft Outlook support.
Read More: Fix Microsoft Outlook Error 0xc0000005
The reasons for this problem and the troubleshooting procedures to fix it are covered below.
Reasons for the error message “Outlook Exited without Closing Outlook Data File”
The “Outlook Exited without Closing Outlook Data File” error message is typically caused by a problem with the Outlook program or with the data file that it uses to store your email, calendar, and other information. Here are some possible causes of this problem that you may be experiencing:
- Corrupted Outlook Data File: If your Outlook data file (also known as a Personal Storage Table or PST file) becomes corrupted, it can cause Outlook to crash or exit unexpectedly, leading to this error message.
- Third-Party Add-Ins: Some third-party add-ins, such as antivirus software or plugins, may conflict with Outlook and cause it to crash or exit unexpectedly. Try disabling any recently installed add-ins to see if that resolves the issue.
- Outdated Version of Outlook: If you’re using an outdated version of Outlook, it may not be compatible with your operating system or other software on your computer, leading to crashes and error messages.
- Large Email Attachments: If you’re trying to send or receive email messages with large attachments, this can cause Outlook to become unresponsive or crash.
- Hardware Issues: Sometimes hardware issues such as a failing hard drive, insufficient RAM or other issues with your computer can cause Outlook to crash or become unresponsive.
- Other Software Conflicts: Other software running on your computer, particularly other email clients, may be conflicting with Outlook and causing it to crash.
To resolve the “Outlook Exited without Closing Outlook Data File” error, you can try a number of troubleshooting steps, such as repairing your Outlook data file, updating Outlook to the latest version, disabling any conflicting add-ins, and running hardware diagnostics to rule out any issues with your computer’s hardware.
Solutions for the error “Outlook Exited without Closing Outlook Data File”
Here are some solutions to resolve the “Outlook Exited without Closing Outlook Data File” error:
Method 1: Restart the System
Initially, if you haven’t already, restart your computer. Such errors may occasionally result from transient storage- or memory-related problems with the system. So you might be able to resolve the issue by restarting the system.
Try the next solution if the system reboot didn’t work.
Method 2: Ensure that Outlook is not active in the background.
Make sure there isn’t a previous instance of Microsoft Outlook operating in the background in order to prevent or fix this error. Follow these steps to do so:
- Press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys. The Task Manager window will be displayed as a result.
Look for any instances of “Outlook.exe” in the Task Manager window and shut down or terminate them.
Once you’ve terminated every Outlook.exe instance, try to launch Outlook to see if the issue has been fixed.
Method 3: Disable Add-ins in Outlook
If the above techniques didn’t help, you can try disabling any add-ins that Outlook may be having issues with or that are blocking it from functioning.
- Shut down every Outlook instance.
- Click “OK” or press the “Enter” key, then type Outlook.exe /safe by using the Windows + R keys. As a result, Outlook will launch in safe mode.
- Holding down the “Ctrl” key while selecting the Outlook application icon on your Windows laptop or PC enables you to launch Outlook in safe mode as an alternative.
- Whenever Outlook launches in safe mode, go to File > Options > Add-ins.
- Choose “Go” from the menu.
- Select every add-in and then click OK. All installed add-ins in your Outlook client will be disabled as a result of this.
- Relaunch Outlook as usual. If it launches without a hitch, you must identify and get rid of the problematic or incompatible add-in in order to permanently fix the issue.
- Click the Go button after navigating to File > Options > Add-Ins to do this.
- Restart Outlook after activating one add-in this time. Take a look at Outlook for a while. Activate another add-in if Outlook doesn’t crash.
- Up until Outlook shuts down or crashes, repeat the prior procedure. This will enable you to identify the flawed or unworkable add-in.
- Remove or delete the add-in when it is located.
Method 4: Repair Outlook Data File (PST)
All of the mail items, including emails, attachments, contacts, notes, tasks, and other objects, are stored in a PST file by Outlook (with a POP3 account). Due to oversizing or system-related problems, the PST file may get big or corrupted, making Outlook crash or giving errors.
If the PST file is corrupted, try to fix it by doing the following:
To locate and launch the scanpst.exe program, navigate to the MS Office installation folder, which is found in the C: Program FilesMicrosoft Office directory. Depending on the version or edition of Outlook and Windows, the scanpst.exe location could change slightly.
- Start up scanpst.exe.
- To choose the PST file, click the Browse button. The AppData folder is usually where you may find the PST file.
- Select the PST file and then click Start. The PST file will now begin to be scanned. Attend to the scan’s conclusion.
- After the scan is complete, select Repair.
- The PST file will begin to be repaired by the utility.
Start Outlook after the PST file has been repaired. ‘Outlook exited without closing Outlook Data File’ should be resolved at this point.
Due to the following restrictions, scanpst.exe can occasionally fail to fix the PST file or crash during the repair process:
- A PST file that is extremely corrupt, damaged, or encrypted cannot be repaired.
- If the PST file is more than 2 GB, it might not repair.
In these situations, you can use an advanced Outlook PST repair application, like CubexSoft Outlook Converter, to download, install, and fix the corrupt or damaged PST file.
Method 5: Repair Microsoft Office
To fix issues with Outlook or other MS Office programs, you can also try to repair MS Office.
The following are the steps:
- Programs and Features > Uninstall a program can be found by opening Control Panel.
- Find Microsoft Office in the list of programs and click on it.
- Choose Change from the menu. Alternatively, you can select Change with a right-click on the Microsoft Office application.
- Choose Online Repair or Repair from the available choices.
- Follow the repair wizard’s instructions to fix any corrupted or damaged program files for Outlook.
- Start Outlook after the repair is complete to see if the fault has been fixed.
Ways to Prevent or Avoid the Error in the Future
You can use the following advice to prevent the ‘Outlook exited without closing Outlook Data File’ error in the future:
- Always shut down your computer completely before closing Outlook.
- Do not shut Outlook down abruptly.
- Maintain Outlook up to date and apply Windows updates
- Installing superfluous or unreliable add-ons is not recommended.
Conclusion
Although the ‘Outlook exited without closing Outlook Data File’ error can be annoying, it can be fixed by using the strategies described in this article. You can fix this issue and recover access to your Outlook data by checking to see if Outlook is running in the background, removing add-ins, fixing Outlook PST files, creating a new profile, or reinstalling Outlook. Additionally, you may guarantee that Outlook functions well according to the avoidance advice and avoid running into this mistake in the future.
