Table of Contents
- Why Won’t Outlook Classic Start on Terminal Server? What’s Happening?
- What’s the Problem?
- Outlook Classic Fails to Start
- New Outlook App Works Fine
- No Error Messages
- What We Know So Far
- Inconsistent Behavior
- Reinstallations Don’t Help
- Microsoft Support Costs
- Similar Issues Reported Elsewhere
- Microsoft Support Article
- Spiceworks Community Post
- Reddit Thread
- What Can You Do?
- Check Event Viewer Logs
- Verify Build Versions
- Explore Authentication Settings Cautiously
- Seek Community Insights
Why Won’t Outlook Classic Start on Terminal Server? What’s Happening?
You’re ready to dive into your emails, but Outlook Classic refuses to cooperate. Dealing with a puzzling issue where Outlook Classic won’t start on Microsoft Terminal Server. Let’s break it down and explore what might be causing the problem.
What’s the Problem?
Outlook Classic Fails to Start
Users report that Outlook Classic doesn’t launch on Terminal Servers, and sometimes not even locally.
New Outlook App Works Fine
Interestingly, the issue only affects Outlook Classic; the new app runs without issues.
No Error Messages
In some cases, there’s no error message to guide troubleshooting efforts.
What We Know So Far
Inconsistent Behavior
The problem isn’t universal—it doesn’t happen every time or for every user, making it hard to replicate.
Reinstallations Don’t Help
Reinstalling Outlook hasn’t resolved the issue for affected users.
Microsoft Support Costs
Opening a support case with Microsoft comes with a hefty price tag of €370/hour, and no solution has been provided yet.
Similar Issues Reported Elsewhere
Microsoft Support Article
A support article from January 2025 mentions crashes in Microsoft 365 apps (including Outlook) on Windows Server 2016 after updating to version 2412 (builds 18324.20168 or 18324.20190). The issue is reportedly fixed in build 18324.20194.
Spiceworks Community Post
One user reported an error message when trying to start Outlook 2016 on an RDS server with Windows Server 2019 after updates were installed.
Reddit Thread
Another user described a similar issue with Outlook not starting on a Terminal Server running Windows Server 2022 (Hybrid Join). A suggestion was made to deactivate ADAL and WAM for authentication, but Microsoft advises against this workaround.
What Can You Do?
If you’re facing this issue, here are some steps you can try:
Check Event Viewer Logs
Look for event IDs 1000 or 1001 in the application log for clues about crashes related to Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook.
Verify Build Versions
If you’re using Windows Server 2016, ensure you’ve updated to version 2412 (build 18324.20194) or later, as earlier builds are known to cause crashes.
Explore Authentication Settings Cautiously
While disabling ADAL and WAM has reportedly worked for some users, proceed with caution since Microsoft advises against it.
Seek Community Insights
Platforms like Spiceworks and Reddit often have valuable user-shared solutions that might help you troubleshoot further.
This issue is a headache for many users relying on Terminal Servers for their daily workflow. While there’s no definitive fix yet, staying informed and exploring potential workarounds can help mitigate the frustration until Microsoft provides an official solution.