Microsoft shares workaround for Outlook freezes after Windows update

Microsoft acknowledged a known issue causing the classic Outlook desktop client to hang—particularly for POP accounts and PSTs stored on cloud-backed storage like OneDrive/Dropbox—after installing Windows updates KB5074109/KB5073724 on Windows 11 (25H2/24H2), with similar impacts on Windows 10 and Windows Server. Symptoms include Outlook becoming unresponsive, emails redownloading, and sent items not appearing; Microsoft suggests temporary workarounds such as using webmail, moving PSTs off OneDrive, or uninstalling the updates (with security risk). A permanent fix is pending, while separate out-of-band updates address other Windows issues unrelated to the Outlook freezes.