Outlook emails are already sent but receivers never received it

Question

I actually have 2 problems with my Outlook account. I already have an account, but I registered from another party (Gmail), so it just displays my name as long random numbers and characters. I read a solution here that I need to change the primary alias, so I did that, and nothing changed; my Outlook address still shows up as long random numbers and characters.

It's not a big deal until my Outlook is never received by the people I addressed. They just never receive anything: they have checked junk and spam, but nothing is received on their end, even though my Outlook shows that my draft has been sent.

What can I do to fix this? Please help. Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

If you sign in to Outlook Web or Outlook Live using a non-Microsoft email address, such as Gmail, Outlook will create a temporary account that appears as a random string of letters and numbers. To avoid this, you need to sign in with an Outlook.com email address.

If your Microsoft account does not already have an Outlook.com email linked, you should add one by creating a new Outlook.com alias. Once the alias is created, use that Outlook.com email to sign in.

However, if you create a new Outlook.com account separately, it will automatically generate a separate Microsoft account and will not be linked to your existing one. Therefore, the best approach is to add a new Outlook.com alias to your current Microsoft account and use that email to access Outlook Web or Outlook Live.

If you need more help, please let me know.

Stay Safe!

Answer 2

It sounds like you are experiencing two main issues with your Outlook account: the display name showing as random characters and the emails not being received by the intended recipients.

1. Display Name Issue: If your Outlook address is showing up as random numbers and characters, it may be due to your account settings or how the email alias is configured. Changing the primary alias should typically resolve this, but if it hasn't, you might need to ensure that the alias change has been fully processed. Sometimes, it can take a little time for changes to propagate across all systems. If the issue persists, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for assistance in correcting your display name.
2. Email Delivery Issue: If your emails are showing as sent but are not being received, there could be several reasons for this. Here are a few steps to troubleshoot:
   • Check Email Rules: Ensure that there are no rules set up in your Outlook that might be diverting your emails to another folder or account.
   • Use Outlook on the Web: Log into your Outlook account via the web interface to see if the emails appear there. This can help determine if the issue is with the Outlook application on your device.
   • Run Support and Recovery Assistant: Microsoft provides a tool called the Support and Recovery Assistant that can help diagnose and fix issues with Outlook. This tool can identify problems with your account settings or configuration that might be causing delivery issues.
   • Check with Recipients: Ask the recipients to check their spam or junk folders again, and ensure that they have not inadvertently blocked your email address.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be necessary to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

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References:

• Help Identify My Issue with Sending/Receiving Email in Outlook (Automatic Checks)
• Find and fix email delivery issues as a Microsoft 365 for business admin