How do I fix Outlook so I can send and receive emails

Question

My email account was hacked and I am unable to send and receive emails.

Answer 1

Hello Thomas Reinauer

Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A Forum.

Based on the symptoms you described, please first check the Q&A Assist answer for initial steps and let me know whether it works.

Additionally, could you please let me know if you encountered any error messages while trying to send an email, such as a NDR error code "550 5.1.8 Access denied, bad outbound sender" - Microsoft Support

I look forward to your response!

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Answer 2

If your email account was hacked and you are unable to send and receive emails in Outlook, here are some steps you can take to fix the issue:

1. Reset Your Password: Immediately reset your email account password to prevent further unauthorized access.
2. Check for Suspicious Rules: Sign in to Outlook Web and navigate to Settings → Mail → Rules. Look for any suspicious rules that may have been created by the hacker and delete them.
3. Review Forwarding Settings: Check Mail → Forwarding in Outlook to ensure that no unknown forwarding addresses are set up.
4. Sign Out Everywhere: Go to Microsoft Account Security and use the option to sign out everywhere to terminate all active sessions.
5. Manage App Permissions: Visit Manage App Permissions and revoke access to any apps that you do not recognize, as hackers often use these to maintain access.
6. Check Exchange Admin Center: If you have Microsoft 365 admin access, review the Exchange Admin Center → Mail Flow → Rules. You can also run PowerShell commands like Get-InboxRule -Mailbox youraddress@example.com to find and remove hidden rules.
7. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Ensure that MFA is enabled on your account for added security.
8. Monitor Sign-In Logs: Keep an eye on sign-in logs for any suspicious activity.
9. Check for Installed Connectors or Add-Ins: Look for any connectors or add-ins that might have been installed without your knowledge and remove them if necessary.
10. Repair Outlook: If issues persist, consider repairing your Office application. You can follow the instructions for repairing an Office application as needed.

By following these steps, you should be able to regain control of your email account and restore your ability to send and receive emails.

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References:

• Hacker set up continuous draft ransomware email - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't send or receive email in Outlook and "Metered Connection Warning" is triggered