How to fix Outlook Classic to Receive (Download) emails

Question

How to fix Outlook Classic to Receive (Download) emails

MisterBuckeye 0

I have 3 Gmail accounts. On Apr 3, 2026, Outlook Classic would no longer download any emails from 1 of the accounts (the other 2 were fine). ... Sounds like a credential problem, but I don't know how to fix it. ... 2nd try at posting - the 1st try with a lot of details was deleted for an unknown reason.

MisterBuckeye 0 Reputation points

2026-04-15T15:19:12.77+00:00

The AI Response worked ... briefly, maybe for 1 minute.

Looking closer the Registry Editor entry for Identity\Identities for the 1 problem email account is different than the other 2 email accounts. FederationProvider has the fields tenantId and telemetryRegion, along with True values for diagnosticData.

I have no clue what caused the 1 problem email to have a different setting. I reviewed the Settings for all 3 accounts on gmail.com - no differences seen.

I previously deleted the entire Identity\Identities record in Registry Editor and it regenerated itself. Initially it was missing 3 entries (ErrorState, FederationProvider and FederationProviderExpiration), but after using Outlook these fields were added.

I might try modifying the Registry Editor entry for the problem email to match the other 2. I'm guessing it will get overwritten again, but I don't know that.
Chloe-L 13,310 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-22T23:07:23.9733333+00:00

Hello MisterBuckeye,

Thank you for sharing your findings and the detailed breakdown of the registry differences. That's really helpful information for anyone running into a similar issue.

If you run into any other questions or need further assistance, please feel free to come back. I will be happy to help you further.

Best regards

Answer recommended by moderator

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MisterBuckeye 0 Reputation points

2026-04-15T15:19:12.77+00:00

The AI Response worked ... briefly, maybe for 1 minute.

Looking closer the Registry Editor entry for Identity\Identities for the 1 problem email account is different than the other 2 email accounts. FederationProvider has the fields tenantId and telemetryRegion, along with True values for diagnosticData.

I have no clue what caused the 1 problem email to have a different setting. I reviewed the Settings for all 3 accounts on gmail.com - no differences seen.

I previously deleted the entire Identity\Identities record in Registry Editor and it regenerated itself. Initially it was missing 3 entries (ErrorState, FederationProvider and FederationProviderExpiration), but after using Outlook these fields were added.

I might try modifying the Registry Editor entry for the problem email to match the other 2. I'm guessing it will get overwritten again, but I don't know that.
Chloe-L 13,310 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-22T23:07:23.9733333+00:00

Hello MisterBuckeye,

Thank you for sharing your findings and the detailed breakdown of the registry differences. That's really helpful information for anyone running into a similar issue.

If you run into any other questions or need further assistance, please feel free to come back. I will be happy to help you further.

Best regards

Answer 1

I was able to re-enable downloading emails from my problematic POP3 email address to my Outlook .pst file.

On my 2nd chat session the agent suggested I contact Google Support, which I did.

With the help of the automated Google Help Guide a solution was achieved - it really was quite impressive. It kept track of the information I supplied to it and it echoed back my info. The instructions it provided were accurate. ... Apparently the session is active for 24 hours; I started it on a Mon and finished it on a Tue.

The Microsoft AI Response was incorrect, it had no chance of working.

Chloe's response was partially correct, but it had some unnecessary steps and it omitted some details.

The key change was I had to remove my IMAP and POP accounts from Outlook first (I think I could have used Control Panel to remove them) and then add in my POP account using the Outlook app (cannot use Control Panel to add in the account).

I posted this comment in my chat session with the Google Help Guide "It seems like the key change was to create the POP account from Outlook instead of from Control Panel."

This was the response "You are absolutely right. Adding the account through the Outlook app interface is often more effective because it uses a more modern setup process that can better handle Google's security requirements. While the Control Panel method is still available, the app-based setup is designed to be more compatible with current authentication standards.".

Answer 2

Chloe-L 13,310 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear MisterBuckeye,

Thank you for posting to the Microsoft Q&A. I am sorry to hear that your detailed first post was lost and that the automated Q&A assist didn't provide a lasting solution. Before we move on to a registry fix, could you please try these steps again in this exact order?

Important: Before starting, please kindly make sure your Outlook is updated to the latest version. You can do this by going to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.

Once updated, please follow these steps:

Step 1: Remove the problematic Gmail account

In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
Select the affected Gmail account and click Remove.
Please close Outlook completely afterward (you may want to check Task Manager to ensure any Outlook.exe processes have ended).

Step 2: Revoke Microsoft access from Google

Go to https://myaccount.google.com and sign in with the affected Gmail account. (Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. These sites are not controlled by Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks before using any suggestions from the above link.)
Navigate to Security > Your connections to third-party apps & services > Microsoft apps & services. Select Remove all access and confirm.

Step 3: Clear the OAuth credentials in Windows Credential Manager

Search for Credential Manager in the Windows Start menu and open it.
Click Windows Credentials. Under Generic credentials, find and Remove all entries starting with MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2 that contain tp_google_imap_Oauth2 or reference the problematic Gmail address (there are usually 2 entries per account).

Step 4: Re-add the Gmail account

Open Outlook and go to File > Add Account.
Enter the Gmail address and click Next. When the browser sign-in window appears, sign in to the Gmail account. On the permissions screen, please make sure to check the box for "Microsoft apps & services can: read, compose, send, and permanently delete all your email from Gmail".

Step 5: Restart Outlook and test

Please let me know if this works and if the connection stays fixed! If it still drops after a minute, please let me know and I will gladly help you proceed with the registry fix.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

MisterBuckeye 0 Reputation points

2026-04-16T15:07:52.7333333+00:00

Some more info ... Original configuration ...

2019 Dell G5 5090, Windows 10, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021

Have since installed Windows 11, version 25H2 - no changes

From Registry Editor, I exported Identity\Identities and Profiles\Outlook for all 3 email addresses

A source compare showed the problematic email had ErrorState=3 and a couple other differences

I deleted the Identity\Identities for the problematic email - it regenerated itself with the same ErrorState=3

I changed my main password for the problematic email thinking maybe it will overwrite a corrupt entry - it had no effect

One last note, three days ago I did receive 1 email from aa.com to my POP3 account - then a short time later it was deleted ... like Outlook figured out I don't have permission to receive that email ... that tells me the connection was working, but Outlook chose to delete the email

I still get emails to my .pst file from my 2 other emails addresses
MisterBuckeye 0 Reputation points

2026-04-16T17:34:31.35+00:00

More details on the "other differences" I referenced in my previous post from the source code compare of the Reg Edit exported files ...

Profiles\Outlook

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Profiles\Outlook

The 2 good email addresses had SMTP Secure Connection = 3; the problematic email had SMTP Secure Connection = 2 and a field for Timeout = 30.

I root caused this to the 2 good emails had in the POP3 account settings, "Use the following type of encrypted connection" set to Auto. The 1 bad email was set to STARTTLS.

I changed the bad email to Auto, rebooted, exported the Reg Edit and it was just like the 2 good emails (except for the fields you would expect to be different).

Identity\Identities

The source code compare showed 3 differences:

ErrorState (good email had nothing, bad email had ErrorState = 3)

FederationProvider (bad email defined tenantId and telemetryRegion)

FederationProviderExpiration (bad email had a different date and time)

I edited the exported Reg Edit file to delete the line for ErrorState=3 and I copied the line for FederationProvider from 1 of the 2 good email exports.

I then deleted the Reg Edit entry and imported the modified file.

After rebooting - the change had no effect.

It implied to me that the FederationProvider difference likely was not the issue.

It implies to me that ErrorState is the issue, but I don't know what caused it or how to fix it.

ErrorState Info

From a Google search today ...

0 (Zero): Indicates the identity is in a good state, active, or authenticated.

3: Indicates the identity is in an "error state," often causing Office applications (like Outlook or Word) to continuously prompt for credentials or fail to authenticate, typically seen in Office 365 Shared Computer Activation or Azure AD scenarios.

From a Google search yesterday ... THIS IS MY PROBLEM ...

3 (DWORD: 00000003): Indicates an error state where Office is having trouble validating credentials or renewing a license token

Other Stuff

I wonder what would happen if I configure the POP3 account for the problematic email to create a new .pst file? Would it try to download all of my emails on the server? Or just the new ones that are received on the server?
Chloe-L 13,310 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-17T00:49:14.39+00:00
Dear MisterBuckeye,

Thank you so much for your patience and for all the troubleshooting you've done so far — it's really appreciated!

Let's try a targeted approach to get that Gmail account working properly again. Please follow these steps in order:

1: Update Outlook one more time File → Office Account → Update Options → Update Now → restart.

2: Remove the bad Gmail account File → Account Settings → Account Settings → select the problem account → Remove. Close Outlook completely (Task Manager → end all Outlook.exe).

3: Revoke access in Google Go to https://myaccount.google.com → Security → “Your connections to third-party apps & services” → Microsoft apps & services → Remove all access.

4: Targeted Credential Manager clean

Open Registry Editor → paste:Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity\Identities

Find the sub-key that contains your problematic Gmail address → note the long number at the start of that key name.

Open Credential Manager (Windows search) → Windows Credentials.

Delete only the MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2 entries that match that number or contain your bad Gmail address + tp_google_imap_Oauth2. (Leave the other two accounts alone.)

Re-add the account Open Outlook → File → Add Account → enter the Gmail address. When the browser pops up: sign in and check the box “Microsoft apps & services can: read, compose, send, and permanently delete all your email from Gmail”.

5: Restart Outlook twice and test Send/Receive.

Please let me know how it goes.
MisterBuckeye 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T12:32:32.13+00:00

I have previously done this - no effect. This differs only from the 1st method by limiting the Windows Credential deletions to just the problematic account. ... Actually, that is what I did before. I have never touched the 2 good working email addresses. ... Interestingly, the problematic account has 2 Windows Credentials entries; the 2 good email addresses have only 1 each.
Chloe-L 13,310 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-18T00:20:21.64+00:00
Hello MisterBuckeye,

Thank you for the extremely thorough investigation and for documenting the registry and identity differences so clearly — that level of detail is incredibly helpful and goes above and beyond.

Based on everything you've tested and confirmed, and since the registry edits are unable to persist, I'd recommend reaching out to Microsoft live support so they can take a closer look at your account on the backend and escalate if needed:

To reach Microsoft live support:

Go to https://support.microsoft.com/contactus

Describe your issue briefly (e.g., "Classic Outlook unable to sync Gmail account after registry and identity troubleshooting")

Scroll down and select Sign in to contact support

Under Products and services, select Other

Under Categories, choose Windows

Choose the Chat with a support agent option to get real-time assistance

In the meantime, here are two workarounds you may want to consider:

Access this Gmail account using Outlook on the web or New Outlook — these use a different authentication pipeline and may not be affected by the same issue.

Use a different Gmail account or alias, if that's feasible for your workflow.

I know this isn't the outcome you were hoping for, and I truly appreciate your patience and cooperation throughout this process. You've done an outstanding job troubleshooting on your end. Please feel free to update this thread with the outcome — it could be very valuable for others facing similar issues.

Wishing you the best of luck, and don't hesitate to reach back if you need anything else!

Best regards

Answer 3

Follow these steps on the affected Gmail account only; leave the two working accounts unchanged.

Remove Outlook’s access in Google
1. Close Outlook Classic.
2. In a browser, sign in to the problematic Gmail account at https://www.google.com.
3. Select the profile picture → Manage your Google Account.
4. In the left menu, select Security.
5. Scroll to Your connections to third-party apps & services and select Microsoft apps & services.
6. Under Microsoft apps & services has some access to your Google Account, select See Details.
7. Under Access you've given to Microsoft apps & services, select Remove all access.
8. Confirm with Confirm.
Clear the broken Gmail OAuth credentials from Windows
1. Open Credential Manager from the Start menu (on some systems via Control Panel → Credential Manager). For details, see Credential Manager in Windows.
2. Select Windows Credentials.
3. Under Generic Credentials, find entries starting with MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2.
4. Expand each and hover over the name until the full value shows including tp_google_imap_Oauth2 – these are the Gmail IMAP credentials.
5. For the affected Gmail account, select Remove on both related MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2 entries (there are two per Gmail account). If unsure which belong to that account and want to be precise, map them via the registry as in step 2.1 below; otherwise, remove all Gmail-related OAUTH2 entries and Outlook will recreate them on next sign-in.
6. Optional (to target only that one account):
  1. Open Registry Editor and paste this path in the address bar: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity\Identities
  2. Use the identity subkeys here to match the credential numbers in Credential Manager, then remove only the matching MicrosoftOffice16_Data:OAUTH2 entries.
Reconnect the Gmail account in Outlook Classic
1. Start Outlook Classic.
2. If the account is still present but not syncing, use the Sign in via browser bar if it appears and complete sign-in in the browser.
  - On the Google consent screen, ensure the checkbox for Microsoft apps & services is selected.
3. If the Gmail account was removed from the profile:
  1. In Outlook, go to File → Add account.
  2. Enter the affected Gmail address and follow the prompts.
  3. When the browser window opens, sign in to that Gmail account and again check the box for Microsoft apps & services.

After these steps, Outlook Classic should obtain a fresh OAuth token for that specific Gmail account and resume downloading mail, while the other two Gmail accounts continue working.

If Outlook still does not prompt for a password or browser sign-in when adding the IMAP account, verify on the IMAP details page that Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) is unchecked, then re-add the account via Control Panel → Mail → Email Accounts… → New.

References:

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How to fix Outlook Classic to Receive (Download) emails

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