How to fix Outlook. No emails going out or coming in.

Question

My Outlook for work is nor sending or receiving emails.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your question. I understand how concerning it is when Outlook suddenly stops sending or receiving emails, especially when you rely on it for work. This usually happens when Outlook is unable to connect to the mail server due to network interruptions, outdated credentials, a corrupted Outlook profile, or issues with the server connection settings, which can prevent messages from syncing properly.

The best resolution is to check whether Outlook shows “Disconnected,” “Working Offline,” or “Needs Password,” then update your account credentials, restart Outlook, or repair the profile through Account Settings, because these steps refresh the connection and fix common sync problems. It also helps to sign in through Outlook on the web to verify whether the issue is with the local app or the server itself.

May I ask if Outlook is showing any status message at the bottom of the window or if the issue begins after a password change or recent update? Please feel free to share more details, and I’ll be happy to guide you toward the next steps.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best Regards,

Noel

Answer 2

Follow these steps in order for classic Outlook on Windows:

1. Check Outlook’s connection status
   • Look at the bottom status bar in Outlook.
   • If it shows Disconnected, Working Offline, or Trying to connect…, Outlook is not talking to the mail server.
   • Go to the Send/Receive tab on the ribbon.
   • In the Preferences group, select Work Offline once to toggle back online.
   • Then select Send/Receive to force a sync and see if messages send/arrive.
2. Confirm the PC is online
   • Open Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
   • Browse to http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.bing.com.
   • If these sites do not load, fix the network first (see Fix network connection issues in Windows). Outlook cannot send/receive without internet access.
3. Look for large stuck messages
   • In Outlook, open the Outbox folder.
   • Open the oldest message there.
   • If it has large attachments (for example, over 20 MB), remove or reduce them, or replace them with a link (see Reduce attachment size to send large files with Outlook).
   • Save and resend, or delete the message and create a new one with smaller attachments.
4. Make sure the account password is current
   • If the email password was changed on the provider’s website, it must also be updated in Outlook.
   • Update the account’s sign‑in in Outlook when prompted, or remove and re‑add the account using the correct password.
   • If the provider requires an app password, generate it on the provider’s site and use that in Outlook instead of the normal password.
5. Check for sync issues and run a manual sync
   • In Outlook, go to the View tab.
   • Select Sync (if available for the account type) to manually check for new mail and send pending messages. A status message should appear at the bottom while Outlook is syncing.
6. Start Outlook in Safe Mode (to rule out add‑ins)
   • Close Outlook.
   • Press the Windows key, type outlook.exe /safe, and press Enter.
   • In Safe Mode, try sending and receiving mail.
   • If it works in Safe Mode, an add‑in or profile issue is likely. Creating a new Outlook profile is recommended.
7. Repair the Outlook profile
   • Use the steps in Fix your Outlook email connection by repairing your profile to repair the existing profile.
   • If repair does not help, create a new profile (see Create an Outlook profile).
8. Repair the Office/Outlook installation
   • If Outlook still cannot send/receive, run an Office repair as described in Repair an Office application.
9. Use Microsoft’s troubleshooters if the issue persists
   • Go to the Classic Outlook troubleshooters page referenced in Issues sending and receiving email and run the appropriate troubleshooter for Outlook.
   • If none of the above resolves the issue, contact support as suggested there.

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References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Issues sending and receiving email
• Fix Outlook connection problems for Microsoft 365 account
• Can't send or receive email in Outlook and "Metered Connection Warning" is triggered
• I can't send or receive messages with Outlook for Mac