Article ID: 2405496 - View products that this article applies to.
When you try to start Microsoft Outlook for Mac 2011, you receive the following error message:
Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
To resolve this issue, follow these steps. (You might find it helpful to first print this article.)
IMPORTANT The location of certain files are different if you have Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. To check if it is installed, open Word, and then click About Word from the Word menu. If the version number is 14.2.0 or above, you have Service Pack 2 and you should follow the Service Pack 2 steps when provided in this article.
Step 1: Quit all applications and close all windowsYou must quit all applications before you continue with these steps. To quit an application, select the application on the toolbar (top), and then select Quit. If you cannot quit an application or do not know how, hold down the Command and Option keys, and then press Esc on your keyboard. Select the application in the "Force Quit Application" window, and then select Force Quit. Click Force Quit to quit the application.
Note You cannot quit Finder.
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When you are finished, click the red button in the upper-left corner, and then go to "Step 2: Move the Outlook Preferences to the desktop."
Step 2: Move the Outlook Preferences to the desktopTo move the Outlook Preferences to the desktop, follow these steps:
Step 3: Move the Microsoft User Data folder to the desktopThe Microsoft User Data folder contains all the user information for Microsoft Office. This includes the Outlook database. To move the Microsoft User Data folder to the desktop, follow these steps:
2360509 Rebuild the Outlook for Mac 2011 database
If the error continues to occur, go to "Step 4: Use a different user account to test Outlook."
Step 4: Use a different user account to test OutlookSometimes, a specific user's information may become corrupted. To determine whether this is the case, you can sign in as a different user or create a new user account, and then test the application.
For more information about how to create a new user account, visit the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
2439218 Testing your user account to troubleshoot Office for Mac applications
If the error continues to occur, go to "Step 5: Download and install the latest Office updates."
Step 5: Download and install the latest Office updates
To obtain updates with Office for Mac applications, follow these steps:
323601 How to obtain Office for Mac software updates
Article ID: 2405496 - Last Review: September 12, 2013 - Revision: 12.0