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outlock issues email

gary chaffee 0 Reputation points
2026-03-06T02:36:18.5566667+00:00

can not send or receive emails or synchronize folders

Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Other

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email
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  1. Victor1-V 8,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-06T07:16:05.44+00:00

    Hi gary chaffee,  

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

    I understand how disruptive this is when you can’t send or receive messages and your folders are not syncing, especially if you rely on Outlook daily.

    I noticed there is already a Q&A Assist response on the thread. The overall approach in that answer is reasonable. Have you had a chance to try the steps that apply to your scenario? I’d like to add a bit of context so you can focus on the most relevant checks first.

    1, Start by confirming whether the issue happens in Outlook.com on the web

    Sign in at Outlook.com in a browser and see if you can send/receive there. If it also fails on the web, that usually points to an account/mailbox-side condition rather than a single device. The Microsoft Support article below lists the most common Outlook.com causes to check: Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com - Microsoft Support 

    2, Check Microsoft storage/mailbox capacity

    If Microsoft cloud storage is full, you may not be able to send or receive email in Outlook.com, and messages sent to you while storage was full can be returned to the sender. Review your storage usage and clear space if needed (Deleted Items/Junk are good places to start).

    3, Review Outlook.com settings that can redirect or stop mail flow

    In Outlook.com settings, review items that commonly cause “missing” or “not arriving” mail, such as Junk settings, blocked senders, rules, and forwarding. These are specifically called out in Microsoft’s Outlook.com troubleshooting guidance in step 1 above.

    4, If you are also using the Outlook desktop app, use app-specific steps

    If Outlook.com works in the browser but the desktop app does not, use the Outlook client troubleshooting flow (connection status, sync, and app repair steps differ from web): I can't send or receive messages in Outlook - Microsoft Support

    To help narrow this down quickly, could you confirm the following:

    • Are you using a personal Outlook.com account (ending in outlook.com/hotmail.com/live.com) or a work/school account?
    • Does the same send/receive problem happen when you sign in to Outlook.com in a browser?

    Thanks again for posting - once you share those two details (and any message/code you see, if shown), the next steps can be targeted to your exact setup. 

    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.    

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  2. AI answer

    2026-03-06T02:36:31+00:00

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Confirm internet connectivity
      • Open a browser (Edge/Chrome) and browse to http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.bing.com.
      • If these do not load, fix the network first using the guidance in Fix network connection issues in Windows.
    2. Manually sync Outlook
      • In classic Outlook, go to the View tab on the Ribbon.
      • Select the Sync button to force a manual send/receive.
      • Watch the status bar at the bottom for sync progress or errors.
    3. Check for account/password or block issues (Outlook.com)
      • If using Outlook.com and cannot send/receive:
        • Verify the account password is still correct; if it was changed on the web, update it in Outlook.
        • If sign-in is blocked due to unusual activity, follow the steps to unblock the Outlook.com account.
        • If only one device is affected, remove the device partnership: Settings > General > Mobile devices, delete the device, save, then power the device off/on and resync.
      • Also verify Microsoft cloud storage is not full; if it is, new mail cannot be sent or received until space is freed.
    4. Check for sync/OST issues (Exchange/IMAP in classic Outlook)
      • If specific folders are not syncing:
        1. Right‑click the problem folder > Properties.
        2. Select Clear Offline Items > OK.
        3. Go to Send/Receive tab > Update Folder.
      • If issues persist, rebuild the OST file:
        1. Close Outlook.
        2. Go to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.
        3. Rename the .ost file to .old.
        4. Start Outlook and let it recreate and resync the mailbox.
        • If there is local data not on the server, export it to a .pst file before deleting the OST, then re‑import using Do not import duplicates.
    5. Check for password change and antivirus
      • If the email account password was changed on the provider’s website, update it in classic Outlook as well.
      • Some antivirus products block email when they detect issues; if email scanning is enabled and a virus was found, follow the antivirus guidance to clean it so sending/receiving is re‑enabled.
    6. Repair Outlook and profile
      • Repair the Office/Outlook installation using the Repair an Office application steps.
      • If still failing, repair or recreate the Outlook profile using the steps in Fix your Outlook email connection by repairing your profile / Create an Outlook profile.
    7. Test Outlook in Safe Mode
      • Press the Windows key, type outlook.exe /safe, press Enter.
      • If email works in Safe Mode, an add‑in is likely causing the issue; disable or remove problematic add‑ins and/or use a new profile.

    If emails are stuck in Outbox with sync errors mentioning 80040611 and a product like Digital Guardian is installed, pause Digital Guardian and contact support to request a mailbox move and then recreate the OST, as described in the sync‑issue article.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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