Let’s discuss how to Fix Classic Outlook Error 0xc0000409 that Crashes when Opening or Starting a New Email. When the user tries to open or create a new email in classic Outlook, the app may crash. This means that Outlook suddenly closes by itself. The reason is that it cannot access the Forms Library.
This library is needed to open or write emails. If Outlook cannot find it, it cannot do the task and shuts down. The Forms Library in Outlook is where custom email forms are stored. These forms are special templates that help users send emails or other Outlook items in a specific format.
One of our post helps you fix shared calendar issues in Classic Outlook, especially when dealing with GAL (Global Address List) contacts. Classic Outlook, the familiar desktop version of Microsoft Outlook, is widely used because it supports managing PST files, various add-ins, detailed folder organization, and deep integration with Exchange Server and SharePoint.
In this post, you will find all the details on how to fix the Classic Outlook error 0xc0000409, which causes the app to crash when you try to open or start a new email. This issue often happens because Outlook cannot access the Forms Library, which is needed to create or open messages.
Table of Contents
Why Does Classic Outlook Crash when Opening or Starting a New Email?
This issue happens when Outlook can not access the Forms Library. As a result, it crashes when you try to open or create a new email. It affects all Microsoft 365 Office versions and is mostly seen on virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) setups.
Fix Classic Outlook Error 0xc0000409 that Crashes when Opening or Starting a New Email
When Outlook crashes because of this issue, you can find a crash event in the Windows Event Viewer under the Application Log. The details may look similar, but the build numbers might be different. In most cases, the error shows OUTLOOK.EXE as the app that crashed and OLMAPI32.DLL as the file that caused it. The error code 0xc0000409 usually means there was a serious problem while running Outlook.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Faulting Application Name | OUTLOOK.EXE |
| Version | 16.0.14334.20090 |
| Time Stamp | 0x683fe030 |
| Faulting Module Name | OLMAPI32.DLL |
| Module Version | 16.0.14334.20090 |
| Module Time Stamp | 0x683ff910 |
| Exception Code | 0xc0000409 |
| Fault Offset | 0x00196e1c |
| Faulting Process ID | 0x9100 |
| Application Start Time | 0x01dbdbe04fe54514 |
| Application Path | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE |
| Module Path | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OLMAPI32.DLL |
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Workaround
If Classic Outlook crashes when you try to start or open a new email, the problem might be due to a missing FORMS2 folder. Outlook looks for this folder at: C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\FORMS2.
Creating this folder manually can help prevent the crash and restore normal functionality.
The steps below will help you create the missing folder. First, it is important to close Outlook and any other Office apps that are open. Then, press Start + R on your keyboard to open the Run box. Type %localappdata%\Microsoft and click OK. This will open a folder in File Explorer.
Create the FORMS2 Folder to Prevent Outlook Crash
In the File Explorer window, you should open it, go to the menu and choose New > Folder. Then, name the folder FORMS2. After creating the folder, restart Outlook and see if the issue has been resolved.
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Resources
Classic Outlook crashes opening or starting a new email – Microsoft Support
Author
Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP for 10 consecutive years from 2015 onwards. He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.