cannot open edge or outlook

Follow these steps in order on Windows 11 to troubleshoot Edge and Outlook not opening.

1. Restart the computer

• A running process can block both apps. Restart Windows, then try opening Edge and Outlook again.

2. End all Edge processes

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
• On the Processes tab, find and end every msedge.exe process.
• Try starting Microsoft Edge again.

3. Repair Microsoft Edge

• Close Edge for all users on the device.
• Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
• Find Microsoft Edge, select it, then choose Modify.
• When prompted Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?, select Yes.
• Ensure the device is connected to the internet, then select Repair.
• After repair completes, try opening Edge.

4. Turn off graphics acceleration in Edge (if it briefly opens)

• If Edge opens long enough to access settings, go to edge://settings/system.
• Turn off Use graphics acceleration when available.
• Restart Edge and test again.

5. Test Edge with a temporary profile

• Open Command Prompt.
• Run:

    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe" --user-data-dir="%TEMP%\edge-test-profile"
  

• If Edge opens with this test profile, the original Edge profile is likely corrupted. In that case:
  • Close all Edge windows.
  • Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data.
  • Rename the Default folder to Default.old.
  • Start Edge to create a fresh Default profile.

6. Repair Outlook (classic Outlook for Windows)

• Use the classic Outlook startup troubleshooter:
  • Go to the classic Outlook startup troubleshooter link: https://aka.ms/SaRA-OutlookWontStart.
  • Select Open if prompted to open Get Help.
  • Follow the prompts to diagnose and fix Outlook startup issues.
• If that does not help, reinstalling Office has resolved similar cases:
  • Uninstall Office (Microsoft 365 or Office 2021) from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  • Restart the computer.
  • Reinstall Office from the subscription/account page, then test Outlook.

7. Scan for malware and update security software

• Run a malware scan using Windows Security (or other security software) as described in Stay protected with Windows Security.
• If using third-party security software (for example, Norton or McAfee), open it and check for updates, or visit the vendor’s site to ensure it is up to date.

If Edge still will not start after these steps, collect diagnostic data (Edge version, Application Error events for msedge.exe, and crash IDs from edge://crashes) and contact Microsoft Support.

References:

• What to do if Microsoft Edge isn't working
• Microsoft Edge stops responding or doesn't start
• I can’t start Microsoft Outlook or receive the error “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window”
• What to do when Outlook will not open on my PC? - Microsoft Q&A
• Office 2021 desktop apps fail to open, cannot restore or uninstall - Microsoft Q&A