Outlook not fully closing

Topic

This is more an annoyance rather than a problem.

On many occasions I have closed my desktop Outlook 365 after doing what I needed to. Later in the day, I often need to open Outlook again, but find it not opening. When I look in Task Manager/Processes I can see that Outlook is still open. I understand this a long outstanding issue.

I’m looking  for a quick and easy way to close Outlook fully, without having to trawl through Task Manager to do this. Some form of desktop shortcut would be preferable. Any ideas?

Replies

I experience the same thing with my Outlook 2019. The cause on my setup is errors in syncing my Gmail IMAP folders. The problem is that Outlook.exe closes, but the process of syncing the folders has not finished. That orphan process is running under Office and not Outlook.exe…notice where you find this Outlook process still running in Task manager as a background process instead of Apps.

I have tried everything I know including command to TaskKill with Force and PowerShell Stop Process with Force. Even tried a forced Taskkill on the Office process the Outlook process is working under. A command says the process was killed, but it wasn’t. Thus a .bat file for a one click solution doesn’t work.

I found only 3 things work.

1)Before closing Outlook cancel the Send/Receive process that has the syncing of folders still processing. This will produce an error message and minimize the Sen/Receive window. Open that window and you will see the syncing process has an error but has not stopped. Press the Cancel again and the process will stop trying and close the Send/Receive. The process in not running and Outlook will close and reopen correctly

2)As you know, End the task in Task Manager.

3) Forced restart of the PC where Windows stops any process still running.

HTH, Dana:))

Thanks for the reply. I will give your option 1) a try.

Try this Dr https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/outlook-gmail-sync-takes-forever/#post-2477519

I thought so. Thanks.

Thanks. Option 1) worked well. Just have to train my brain to remember to do that.

Dat Scrim wrote:

Try this Dr https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/outlook-gmail-sync-takes-forever/#post-2477519

FYI I have added that Registry key long ago and I still get Outlook closing and not reopening because there is an Outlook background process still running as an orphan of the Office app. In my case that registry key lets Outlook close, but the background process prevents it from reopening. After I first added the Registry key it work like a charm and there is a very long period with no hangs at all. Then just very recently the problem seems to have returned even with that Registry setting. I suspect some update has changed how Office and Outlook perform the syncing functions. Just appears that the Registry key doesn’t work anymore, at least not on my system.

HTH, Dana:))

Thanks to all!