Why Outlook Freezes When Sending Email and How to Solve It?

  Ashwani Tiwari
Written By Ashwani Tiwari
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh
Modified On August 30th, 2025
Reading Time 6 Min Read

Does your Outlook freezes when sending email? If yes, then don’t worry, we’re here to fix it with effective solutions.

If you’re a regular user of MS Outlook, which is the most popular email client and is widely used by organisations and professionals. But this problem of Outlook hangs when sending emails is faced by them & also commonly faced by normal users, where Outlook becomes unresponsive while working. It might be caused due to many reasons that disturb the performance of Outlook.

In this article, we’ll discover the best troubleshooting methods which quickly fix your problem and ensure that after using these methods, your Outlook will run smoothly.

Why Does Outlook Freezes When Sending Email?

Before knowing the solutions, let’s first understand what several reasons cause the Outlook to hang or stop:

  1. Update your Outlook or Windows: if you’re using an outdated version, then it might not be compatible with new settings, thus creates a performance problem.
  2. Corrupt Data Files: If someone has oversized or damaged files, it will lead to errors in the performance of Outlook.
  3. Add-in Conflicts: If you’ve added or enabled any third-party plugin, then it may interfere with Outlook’s functionality.
  4. Damaged Profile: Any Outlook profile gets corrupted then which results in an error of Outlook not responding when sending emails.
  5. Unstable Internet Connectivity: A Weak network connection can also cause Outlook hangs when sending emails.
  6. Antivirus Interference: Any firewall or security apps may block or stop the responding emails.
  7. Large Attachments: Oversized attached files may cause delays or cause Outlook keeps freezing when sending emails.

You can fix these problems on by own or use these Quick solutions.

Instant Ways You Should Try

Here are some easy steps that you can use to solve your problem:

  • Share your email in Outlook’s safe mode (Outlook.exe).
  • Restart Outlook & your computer system.
  • Check your internet connectivity.
  • Turn off all the third-party add-ins to check if your Outlook works correctly.
  • Remove large attachments and try to send smaller files.

If this doesn’t work or you are unable to solve your issues properly, then try these troubleshooting methods.

8 Effective Solutions to Resolve Outlook Freezes When Sending Email

#1 Fix: Repair Outlook Files

The main reason why your Outlook not responding when sending email is that your data file has been corrupted. You can use the steps to repair by using ScanPST.exe (It’s the built-in Inbox Repair Tool).

Steps:

  1. Quit your Outlook fully.
  2. Search for ScanPST.exe, which is usually in the installation folder.
  3. Launch the utility and uplaod your files.
  4. Press Start Button to detect the errors and repair them.

Note: If your Outlook file is large in size and gets corrupted, then it might not work. In that case, you can repair Outlook PST files without ScanPST, which ensures to repair your data is completely repaired.

#2 Fix: Update Your Outlook & Windows

If you’re working on a outdated version of windows as well as your Outlook, then probably your outlook freezes when sending emails.

Fix by:

  1. Navigate to File > Office Account > Update Option > Update Now.
  2. Make sure that your windows is updated before doing this step.

#3 Fix: Reduce Attachmenets & Mailbox Size

To make Outlook slow when sending emails, your mailbox with multiple unwanted or duplicated emails plays a crucial role.

Ensure:

Recommended: Use tools like SysTools Outlook Duplicate Remover, which can easily remove all redundant emails and ensure your mailbox is clutter-free.

#4 Fix: Create New Outlook Profile

If your outlook account is dmanaged, then try to make new one which can seamlessly solve your issue.

Steps:

  1. Run the Control Panel > Mail > Show Profile.
  2. Tap on Add and make a new profile.
  3. Configure your email again in new profile.

#5 Fix: Turn Off Any Third-Party Add-ins

Remove & disable all the third-party add-ins, as they may cause Outlook not responding when sending emails.

Steps:

  1. Launch MS Outlook in safe mode. (outlook.exe / safe).
  2. Outlook not responding sending email error

  3. Nav to File > Options > Add-ins.
  4. Choose COM Add-ins > Go.
  5. Uncheck your important Add-ins and start Outlook again.

#6 Fix: Check Network & Server Connection

If your internet connection is not stable, then there could be a chance that Outlook freezes when sending email.

Ensure:

  • Your internet service provider (ISP) has no server issues.
  • Also, check your Outlook server settings of IMAP/SMTP for reliability.

#7 Fix: Adjust Firewall & Antivirus

Sometimes, these antivirus or security apps might block or restrict the outgoing connectivity.

Fix by:

  • Disable the antivirus for a short time periodand and send the email again.
  • Whitelist Outlook in your selected antivirus system.
  • Check if it’s solved; if not, adjust the Security Settings according to yourself.

#8 Fix: Solve Outlook Not Responding When Sending Email Error by Automated Utility

If none of the above solutions can solve your issues, where a normal built-in tool can’t unable to perform due to a severely damaged or large Outlook file, we recommend using the SysTools PST Repair tool, which effectively repairs your Outlook files and makes them free from corruption, supports both Windows & Mac.

 

In such cases, this aforementioned tool comes in work as it can restore all the mailbox items, which include email, contacts, & other attachments while maintaining the data-structured folder intact. This efficiently fixes the “Outlook freezes when sending email” error.

Preventive Measures to Keep in Mind for Smooth Outlook Performance

Here are some extra beneficial measures which can help you avoid such errors:

  • Always keep your system as well as Outlook up to date.
  • Regularly scans your files for corruption.
  • Preferably, do not attach large files or for sharing can just use Google Drive.
  • Clean up your Outlook mailbox by using the archive method.
  • Always & only use reliable, secure add-ins to avoid issues.
Conclusion

Facing this “Outlook keeps freezing when sending email” issue is very frustrating. However, you can use these best troubleshooting steps to solve your errors efficiently. In this article, we’ve covered many fixes which will surely help to get rid of these problems. For severe damages, we suggest using an alternative software which ensures your Outlook remains responsive quickly, efficiently and reliably.

  author

By Ashwani Tiwari

Being a Chief Technical Analyst, I am aware of the technicalities faced by the user while working with multiple technologies. So, through my blogs and articles, I love to help all the users who face various challenges while dealing with technology.