Can.t add account in Outlook

Question

I cannot add my email account to outlook on my laptop. Apparently, I must have deleted a supporting file and do not know which one. It shows that "something went wrong and Outlook cannot create your account." I've looked through all the articles on google for help, but none have fixed my problem. I'm at my wits end in trying to add this account. A note for all is that I have the account in outlook for my phone and Thunderbird, but not for the laptop.

Answer 1

Hello Wes Murphy, 

Thank you for posting to Microsoft Q&A forum! I am sorry to hear you are having trouble getting your email set up on your laptop. I understand how frustrating it is when an account works perfectly on mobile or third-party apps like Thunderbird but fails on the main Outlook desktop client. 

Since you mentioned you might have accidentally deleted a supporting file, and you are seeing the generic "Something went wrong" error, it is highly likely that the Office installation itself is damaged or the Outlook profile has become corrupt. 

Here is a step-by-step plan to address the missing file suspicion and reset the account mechanism. 

Step 1: Repair the Office Installation 

This is the most direct fix for your suspicion about a deleted file. An Online Repair will scan your Office program files and download fresh copies of any that are missing or corrupted. 

1. Close all Office apps (Outlook, Word, Excel). 
2. Open your Control Panel and go to Programs and Features (or "Uninstall a program"). 
3. Find your version of Microsoft Office (or Microsoft 365) in the list. 
4. Right-click it and select Change. 
5. Select Online Repair (avoid "Quick Repair" as it does not replace missing files) and click Repair. 
   1. Note: This takes a little longer but is necessary to restore the file structure. 

Step 2: Create a New Outlook Profile 

If the repair doesn't work, the issue is likely within the Outlook profile data stored on your laptop. Creating a new profile is a "clean slate" that often bypasses "Something went wrong" errors. 

1. Make sure Outlook is closed. 
2. Open the Control Panel and search for Mail (Microsoft Outlook). 
3. Click Show Profiles. 
4. Click Add, give the profile a name (e.g., "OutlookNew"), and click OK. 
5. Follow the prompts to add your email account here. 
6. If it succeeds: In the "Show Profiles" window, verify "Always use this profile" is selected and choose your new profile from the dropdown.

Step 3: Use the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) 

If the manual steps above fail, Microsoft has a specific tool designed to diagnose why Outlook cannot connect. 

1. Download the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant from the official Microsoft website. 
2. Install and launch the tool. 
3. Select Outlook and then select "I'm having problems setting up my Office 365 email" (or the relevant option for your email type). 
4. The tool will run backend checks to see if specific protocols are disabled on the laptop. 

Important Note on "App Passwords":

• If you are using a non-Microsoft email (like Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud), ensure you aren't blocked by Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). 
• Thunderbird often handles OAuth (modern login) differently than older versions of Outlook. If you are using an older Outlook version (2013/2016), you might need an App Password generated from your email provider's website instead of your regular password. 

If that completes and you still see the error, would you be able to tell me who your email provider is (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Exchange), as the solutions are slightly different between these two types of accounts?

I hope performing these steps finally help you add your account successfully. If you have any updates regarding the issue, please feel free to share them with me.

---

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.   

Answer 2

If you're unable to add your email account to Outlook and receiving the error message "something went wrong and Outlook cannot create your account," it may be related to issues with Autodiscover settings or profile configuration. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Check Autodiscover Settings: If you have disabled local Autodiscover options in Group Policy, make sure that the cloud Autodiscover options are enabled. You can enable the following policy in the Group Policy Management Editor:
   • Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 > Privacy > Trust Center > Allow the use of connected experiences in Office.
2. Create a New Outlook Profile: Sometimes, creating a new profile can resolve account setup issues. You can do this by:
   • Going to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add.
   • Entering a new profile name and configuring your email account settings.
3. Manual Configuration: If automatic setup fails, try manually configuring your email account. In the Add Account dialog, select Manually configure server settings or additional server types.
4. Check for Updates: Ensure that your Outlook application is up to date, as updates may fix bugs related to account setup.

If the problem persists, consider checking with your email administrator or support for further assistance.

---

References:

• Outlook can't set up a Microsoft 365 account
• Error 0x8004010F when you try to send or receive email in Outlook 2010 or Outlook 2013