Is classic Outlook crashing when you start or reply to an email? A fix is on the way

ZDNET

Those of you who use classic Outlook may have noticed the program acting more temperamental than usual. There's a reason for that. In a recent support article, Microsoft acknowledged that Outlook may crash when you start a new email or when you reply to or forward an existing email.

The crash only affects classic Outlook

The problem affects only classic Outlook, meaning the version that comes with Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365, and not the new Outlook that the software giant has been pushing in Windows. The glitch is also specific to Outlook version 2412, Build 18324.20168. 

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To see which version you're running, select the File menu in Outlook and click Office Account. The description next to the About Outlook icon indicates the version.

How to see if it's affecting you

If Outlook is crashing on you, Microsoft also suggests checking Event Viewer to confirm the issue. To do that, go to Windows Administrative Tools in Windows 10 and Windows Tools in Windows 11 and open Event Viewer. Check the Application Log for crash Event 1000 or Event 1001 with the following details:

Faulting application name: OUTLOOK.EXE, version: 16.0.18324.20168, time stamp: 0x677828da
Faulting module name: OUTLOOK.EXE, version: 16.0.18324.20168, time stamp: 0x677828da
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000001a7c02a
Faulting process id: 0x0xFD0
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DB65D0FD0B9857
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE

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Microsoft promises a fix for the bug with Version 2501, Build 18429.20000, expected to be released Jan. 28, 2025.

 To apply the fix at that time, select File, click Office Account, select the icon for Update Options, and choose Update Now.

What you can do in the meantime

OK, that's fine. But what should you do in the meantime if Outlook is crashing and you can't send or reply to emails? Microsoft does have a workaround that will revert Outlook to version 2411, Build 18227.20162. To apply it:

Open a Command Prompt as an Administrator. (Type cmd in the search field, right-click on Command Prompt from the search results, and select Run as Administrator.)Type or paste the following two commands into the Command Prompt window and press Enter after each one:
cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun
officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.18227.20162

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To stop Office from updating to the problematic build, you may also want to turn off updates. Select File, click Office Account, select Update Options, and choose Disable Updates. Microsoft also advises you to set a reminder for Feb. 11 to re-enable updates or check the support article to see if the bug is fixed sooner.