Troubleshooting Classic Outlook Crashes When Launching or Accessing Emails

Users of Classic Outlook have recently encountered a significant issue: the application crashes during the process of opening or creating emails. This disruptive behavior appears to stem from the most recent Office updates released in June 2025, which has affected numerous workflows across various user environments. In response, Microsoft has acknowledged the glitch and is currently exploring solutions, while simultaneously offering a temporary workaround to mitigate the impact on users.

Causes Behind Classic Outlook Crashes

The underlying reason for these crashes isn’t linked to typical malware problems. Instead, it has originated from a defect within the June 2025 security updates for Microsoft Office, which specifically interferes with the Forms Library functionality. Consequently, Outlook fails to access this library as it becomes unavailable.

This issue predominantly affects users who have updated to Microsoft 365 Version 2504 or similar versions on various distribution channels, with a heightened number of reports coming from those utilizing virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

Microsoft is actively investigating the problem and aims to provide a permanent repair solution in the near future. A common error message associated with this issue may appear similar to: Faulting application name: OUTLOOK. EXE, version: 16.0.14334.20090, time stamp: 0x683fe030.

Temporary Solutions to Address Outlook Crashes

In the interim, while waiting for a permanent solution or patch from Microsoft, users are advised to manually create a FORMS2 folder. Here’s how to implement this temporary fix:

Exit all Office applications, including Outlook.
Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R, or alternatively, navigate through the Start menu to select Run.
In the dialog box, type: %localappdata%\Microsoft, and then press Enter. This action leads you to the designated location where Microsoft stores application data.
Right-click within the folder, choose New, then select Folder, and name it FORMS2.
Reopen Outlook to check whether the crashing issue is resolved.

This workaround effectively allows Outlook to bypass the problematic Forms Library, eliminating crashing incidents for a majority of users.

Additional Alternatives to Explore If Problems Persist

Should the temporary fix not resolve your Classic Outlook crashing issues, consider the following options:

Disable Download Shared Folders: Go into the Account Settings under Cached Exchange Mode Settings and disable the shared folder downloads.
Alternative Outlook Access: Users may turn to the New Outlook application or utilize Outlook on the web to maintain workflow continuity while awaiting a permanent resolution.
Keep Outlook Updated: Regularly check for Office updates by navigating to File → Office Account → Update Options in Outlook and clicking on Update Now.

For further insights and troubleshooting tips regarding Outlook crashes, you can refer to Microsoft’s official support page.

Implementing these steps can simplify the resolution of Classic Outlook crashes. With a permanent solution anticipated from Microsoft shortly, your feedback on the effectiveness of these workarounds would be greatly appreciated in the comments!

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