The message “Favorites are been loaded, please wait” in Outlook’s People view (Contacts) often indicates that Outlook is hanging while trying to access, load, or parse the contacts/favorites list—sometimes indefinitely. When clicking again gets you nowhere (still stuck in Mail), it’s a sign of a deeper issue with Outlook’s People module or its profile settings, not just a sync delay.
Here are the most effective troubleshooting steps for this exact issue in Outlook Classic:
1. Safe Mode Test
Start Outlook in Safe Mode (this disables add-ins):
- Press
Win + R, type:
outlook.exe /safe
- Test if you can access the People tab. If it opens normally, an add-in is blocking or crashing the People view. Disable all add-ins and re-enable them one by one to find the culprit.
2. Outlook Profile Repair or Recreation
Corrupt profiles are a leading cause:
- Close Outlook.
- Open Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
- Add a new profile and set it as default. Reconnect your accounts.
- Try Outlook again and check the People view.
3. Clear Outlook Navigation Pane
Sometimes, the navigation pane cache gets corrupted:
- Press
Win + R, type:
outlook.exe /resetnavpane
- Restart Outlook.
4. Update Office
Make sure all Office updates are installed, as certain bugs have affected the People module in previous versions:
- Go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.
5. Check Cached Exchange Mode (if using Exchange)
If you’re on Exchange or Office 365, a corrupt cache can block People/Favorites from loading:
- Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Email Tab, double-click your account.
- Uncheck “Use Cached Exchange Mode,” restart Outlook, then re-enable it after testing.
6. Complete Office Repair
You said you’ve "done all the repairs," but ensure you've tried both:
- Quick Repair (fast, safe – under Apps & Features).
- Online Repair (thorough – reinstalls components, internet required).
7. Check for Stuck Favorites
If your contacts have extremely large or malformed Favorites lists (e.g., hundreds or a corrupt entry), that can cause this hang. Access webmail (Outlook.com/Outlook Web App), remove all Favorites under People, and then try Outlook again.
8. Windows Updates
Install pending Windows updates—sometimes Office and Outlook modules depend on Windows libraries that are not up to date.
If none of the above resolve it:
- Please specify if you use an Exchange account, IMAP/POP, or standalone PST.
- Let me know version/build of Outlook (File > Office Account > About Outlook).
- If you get any other error messages (even briefly), share those details.
This kind of Outlook profile/contacts hang is both maddening and surprisingly common—happy to guide you step-by-step if you’d like!
