Outlook Not Sending or Receiving Emails

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used email applications for both personal and business communication. If Outlook stops sending or receiving emails, the issue could be related to your internet connection, account settings, Outlook profile, or your email server.

This guide will help you identify the problem and get Outlook working again.

Common Symptoms

You may notice one or more of the following:

• Emails remain in the Outbox.

• New emails are not arriving.

• You receive a Send/Receive error.

• Outlook displays Disconnected or Working Offline.

• Outlook repeatedly asks for your password.

• Attachments fail to send.

• Synchronisation is very slow.

Before You Begin

Before troubleshooting, check the following:

• Your computer is connected to the internet.

• Outlook is open and responding normally.

• Your email account password is correct.

• Your mailbox is not full.

• There are no reported outages with your email provider.

Solution 1: Check Your Internet Connection

Outlook requires an active internet connection to send and receive emails.

Try:

• Opening a website in your browser.

• Restarting your router if the internet isn't working.

• Disconnecting and reconnecting to Wi-Fi.

If your internet connection isn't working, Outlook won't be able to communicate with the mail server.

Solution 2: Make Sure Outlook Is Online

If Outlook is in Work Offline mode, it will stop sending and receiving emails.

To check:

1. Open Outlook.

2. Select the Send/Receive tab.

3. If Work Offline is highlighted, click it once to turn it off.

4. Wait a few moments and check if Outlook reconnects.

Solution 3: Send and Receive Emails Manually

Sometimes Outlook simply needs to refresh.

1. Open Outlook.

2. Click the Send/Receive tab.

3. Select Send/Receive All Folders.

4. Wait for Outlook to complete the process.

If an error appears, note the error message for further troubleshooting.

Solution 4: Check Your Account Password

If your email password has recently changed, Outlook may still be using the old password.

1. Open Outlook.

2. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.

3. Select your email account.

4. Click Change.

5. Enter your updated password if prompted.

6. Save the changes and restart Outlook.

Solution 5: Check Your Mailbox Storage

If your mailbox is full, you may not be able to send or receive emails.

Try:

• Deleting unwanted emails.

• Emptying the Deleted Items folder.

• Removing large attachments.

• Emptying the Junk Email folder.

After freeing some space, restart Outlook and try again.

Solution 6: Repair Your Outlook Account

Outlook includes a built-in account repair tool.

1. Open Outlook.

2. Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings.

3. Select your email account.

4. Click Repair.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

6. Restart Outlook when finished.

Solution 7: Update Outlook

Using an outdated version of Outlook can sometimes cause synchronisation problems.

1. Open Outlook.

2. Click File.

3. Select Office Account.

4. Click Update Options.

5. Select Update Now.

6. Install any available updates.

Restart Outlook after the update completes.

Solution 8: Create a New Outlook Profile

A damaged Outlook profile can prevent emails from sending or receiving.

1. Close Outlook.

2. Open Control Panel.

3. Select Mail.

4. Click Show Profiles.

5. Click Add.

6. Create a new profile.

7. Add your email account.

8. Set the new profile as the default.

9. Open Outlook again.

Solution 9: Disable Outlook Add-ins

Some add-ins may interfere with Outlook.

1. Open Outlook.

2. Select File > Options.

3. Click Add-ins.

4. Select COM Add-ins.

5. Click Go.

6. Disable all add-ins.

7. Restart Outlook.

If Outlook starts working, re-enable the add-ins one at a time to identify the one causing the issue.

Solution 10: Check Your Email Server Settings

Incorrect incoming or outgoing server settings can prevent Outlook from connecting.

Verify:

• Incoming mail server

• Outgoing (SMTP) server

• Port numbers

• Encryption settings

• Username

• Password

If you're unsure of the correct settings, check with your email provider or IT administrator.

Solution 11: Repair Microsoft Office

If Outlook continues to malfunction, repairing Microsoft Office may resolve the issue.

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Select Programs and Features.

3. Choose Microsoft Office.

4. Click Change.

5. Select Quick Repair.

6. If the problem continues, run Online Repair.