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How to fix error: Outlook stuck on processing?

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Microsoft Outlook is one of the oldest email client software that started shipping with Windows in the Office 97 bundle. Since then the email client has come a long way in both functionality, application and cross-platform availability. Currently, Outlook can run not only on Windows but also Mac, Android and iOS as well as can be accessed online. If you keep busy all day and don't have long to reply to every email, it makes sense to automate some of the tasks in your workflow that are bound to remain the same and feel like a repetition every time you've to perform them. One such thing in emails is your signature that goes at the end of your email and will remain the same in most cases.  Similar to several other services, Outlook comes with a default signature setup, which is something generic that you're unlikely to include in your emails as signing off with style is important. In this article, we're going to walk you through changing your signature in Outlook on the PC as well as mobile app. How to change signature in Outlook on PC? Open the Outlook app on PC and follow the steps below. These might also work on Outlook live. Step 1: Click on the File option at the top-left of the app window.Step 2: Click on Options from the left-sidebar menu.Step 3: A dialogue box will pop-up on the screen .Click on Mail from the left-sidebar menu and then click on the Signatures... button beside Create or modify signatures for messages under Compose messages sub-heading. Step 4: Either click on the New button to create a new signature for your emails or select and edit an existing one. Then type the new or modified signature in the Edit signature text box below. Click on the OK button to save the changes. Make sure to choose the correct email account for the respective signature if you have more than one email address configured on your Outlook app.  Also read: 7 tips and tricks that will make your Edge (Chromium) experience better How to change signature in Outlook on the mobile app? Launch the Outlook app on your smartphone and follow the steps mentioned below.  Tap on the three horizontal bar (hamburger) menu icon at the top-left of the display. Then tap on the Settings (gear) icon at the bottom-left on the next page. Then tap on Signature under Mail sub-heading with the default app signature below. On the next page, edit the Signature and then tap on the tick-mark icon at the top-right of the display. The new signature will be saved, and you'll see the change reflected under the Signature option. The same steps should also work on Outlook for iOS. Let us know in the comments below if they don't. Also read: How to setup a Gmail account?

Outlook is an email service that is a part of the Microsoft 365 Office family. Anyone who purchases a new laptop with Windows OS in it and without any prior Microsoft account acquires a complimentary 365 office family kit with an account on Outlook.com. However, if you have been coming across an error where Outlook seems to be stuck on processing, there are a few fixes that you can try to resolve this issue.

In this article, we will discuss why Outlook is stuck on processing or not responding and how you can resolve this issue in simple steps.

Why is Outlook stuck?

If your Outlook seems to be stuck on processing, or while opening, closing, or sending a mail. Whatever the action is, you are unable to open Outlook successfully as it gets stuck. This might be due to some hindrance from third-party apps, corrupted files in Outlook, or you have not updated Microsoft 365 Office. If this happens there are a number of fixes that you can try to carefully resolve without deleting any sensitive emails.

Your Outlook might be stuck on processing as there might be an Outlook.exe process running in the background. You can try disabling your VPN or any other third-party app to see Outlook fares better. If the processing error does not get resolved you can follow the steps given in the next section.

Also read: What is the Red Circle on Outlook email?

Outlook stuck on processing error: 7 fixes

You can follow the steps given below to figure out a way to resume your Outlook mail normally:

Safe Mode

You can open Outlook mail in safe mode and close it in this mode. Relaunch Outlook to see if the issue has been resolved. You can open Outlook in Safe Mode in the following way:

  • Close your current Outlook application. Click on Start or the Windows icon.
  • Head to the search bar and type Run.
  • Type Outlook.exe /safe and click on OK.

Close Outlook and relaunch the application when it is no longer in Safe Mode. If it is still creating issues that are making your Outlook freeze or stuck with the processing error, you can check the other solutions.

Close dialog boxes

When a persistent dialogue box remains open, one is usually not able to do any other task until it is closed. You can check if there is an open dialog box by pressing the ALT+TAB buttons together. Keep pressing ALT and when you press TAB, your desktop shows the number of open windows. If you can detect any dialog box, close it and relaunch Outlook to check if everything is functional.

Slow down

If you were in the process of deleting a large number of files simultaneously or any other action at a large scale, it may have caused Outlook to glitch. Try to give Outlook some time to get back to normal by itself. It might appear to be frozen when it is processing a lot of files. You can also check the status bar at the bottom of the page to see its progress.

Update Office

You can always check in your settings to see if there is a new update for Windows and Microsoft Office 365. If it is set up to automatic, your PC or Mac will download updates and restart your device. In case, it is not set to automatically install updates, you can learn how to install updates on your device here. Outlook is a part of the Office 365 family and it will work more smoothly when it is up-to-date with new features.

Also read: Outlook data file cannot be accessed: 4 Fixes

Repair Office 365

You can repair the processing, screen freeze, or not responding errors by repairing Microsoft Office 365 application in the control panel. All apps that are installed on your device have the option to repair themselves when you head to the control panel. So close any Microsoft Office programs, search for Control Panel in Start and follow the steps given below:

  • When Control Panel opens, click on Programs.
  • Then click on Programs and Features.
  • From the list shown, search for and right-click on Microsoft Office.
  • You will see an option for Change in the header. Click on this option and a dialog box will appear asking if you want to make any changes or uninstall the program. Click on Yes. You will be given two options: Quick Repair or Online Repair.

You can click on Quick Repair. This will remove any malicious files from all Microsoft Office 365 services and your Outlook mail should be running normally again. In case, it is still showing the same processing error, you can follow the other steps.

Also read: How to add or remove open to work on Linkedin?

Using Inbox Repair Tool

So every Microsoft Office comes armed with an Inbox Repair Tool which can scan Outlook’s files to look for corrupted files. Outlook has two files called .ost and .pst in which the Inbox Repair tool can scan, diagnose, and fix any errors that are found. However, there might be times when the damage is too big for the repair tool to fix. 

Click here to see how to repair .pst file in Outlook

Create a new user account

If none of the above-mentioned solutions are working then you can create a new user account. You can create a new account and add it to your Outlook account. If your PC is updated to the latest Windows then you can also create a new and free Outlook account or add another one to your PC if you have a second Outlook account:

  • Open Settings and click on Accounts.
  • Scroll down and click on Email & accounts.
  • At the top-right corner, you can click on Add Account.
  • You will be shown a number of options, including adding a Google, Yahoo, or iCloud account. You can click on add new Outlook account. Then proceed further by filling in your details to create a free and new Outlook account.

You can now log in with your new account on Outlook and check if you are facing processing or any other error. You can also contact Microsoft Office Support for any additional help.

Also read: Ethernet not working but WiFi is: 6 Fixes

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