Outlook,com error, Office 365 Outlook Issues

Question

I keep getting an error code 500 when trying to log into Outlook.com see first attachment. I have no issues using the Outlook app on my phone.

I just purchased Microsoft 365 Family plan to hopefully bypass the Outlook.com issue. But, when I try to open Outlook on my PC I get a license error (see second attachment). Again, I can access my email on my phone. How can everyone else in my organization open Outlook on their computers and I can't. Why do I keep getting errors when I use Outlook.com?????

Typing emails on my phone is not productive at all.

Answer 1

Hello Ken,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand how frustrating and disruptive it is to run into Error 500 and license conflicts when you are just trying to access your work emails on your PC. Let's get this sorted out. 

• To better assist you, could you let me know if the account you are having trouble with is a personal or a work/school account? 

In the meantime, an Error 500 typically indicates a server-side issue. In an organizational context, this often means either your IT administrator hasn't assigned a valid Exchange Online license to your account, or there is a conflict with your browser's stored data. 

While I wait for your response, here are a few steps you can try right away to get connected: 

Step 1: Troubleshooting Web Access 

• Use the Business Portal: Try logging in through outlook.office.com instead of the consumer Outlook.com site. 
• Try Private Browsing: Open a Private or Incognito browser window and try logging in. If it works, please clear your standard browser’s cache and cookies to permanently resolve the error. 

Step 2: Fixing the Desktop App License Error 

It sounds like your organization may have assigned you a basic license that only allows web and mobile access, which perfectly explains why your phone works while the desktop app does not. 

While purchasing a Family plan was a clever workaround, the app is likely failing because it is trying to verify the Office software license using your work email instead of your personal account. To fix this: 

1. Open the Outlook desktop application. 
2. Sign in using the personal Microsoft account associated with your Family subscription. 
3. Wait for the Office suite to fully activate under that personal account. 
4. Add Account: Once activated, add your work email address as a secondary account within the app. You should now be able to receive your professional emails without the license conflict. 

I hope these steps help you get back to work smoothly on your desktop! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have further questions or need additional assistance. 

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Answer 2

It seems you are encountering a couple of issues with Outlook.com and the Outlook application on your PC. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot these problems:

1. Error Code 500 on Outlook.com: This error typically indicates a server-side issue or a problem with your account. You can try the following:
   • Clear your browser's cache and cookies.
   • Try accessing Outlook.com using a different browser or in incognito mode.
   • Check if there are any service outages affecting Outlook.com by visiting the Microsoft 365 Service health status page.
2. License Error in Outlook on PC: Since you mentioned that you just purchased the Microsoft 365 Family plan, ensure that your account is properly set up:
   • Sign out of your Outlook application and sign back in to refresh your license status.
   • Make sure that your Microsoft 365 subscription is active and that you are logged in with the correct account associated with the subscription.
   • If the problem persists, consider running the Microsoft 365 Diagnostic tool to identify and fix issues with your Outlook application.
3. Accessing Email on Phone: Since you can access your email on your phone, it indicates that your account is working correctly. The issues seem to be isolated to the PC version of Outlook.

If these steps do not resolve your issues, you may need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.