My outlook is not functioning properly

Question

i have set up outlook classic. Within outlook classic

i have 3 primary accounts set up.

******@americanbrandingsolution.com
<mod: PII Removed>@gmail.com
******@varsityjacketstore.com

then i have ******@americanimprintsinc.com which is set up primarily because it contains all of our contacts and calendar events. So this is set up as the default data file.

******@americanbrandingsolutions.com is set up as the default email address.

info@americanbrandingsolutions has a total 18 other email address attached to the pst file.

When we hit send receive the process locks up and does not complete the send and receive process for all accounts. It's not consistent in where it stops either. I can cancel send. Close the program. End task in task manager. restart and same thing it fails to complete.

I have gone through my email set ups one at a time and every one functions as it is supposed to. it sends and receives when i hit test settings. But, still does not work when i do the standard send and receive on outlook.

off additional note, on some accounts and it does not seem to be consistent i am getting an error message The server you are connect to is using a security certificate that cannot be verified.

Answer 1

Use targeted Outlook repair steps, focusing on the profile and data files, then test send/receive again.

1. Start Outlook in Safe Mode
   • Press the Windows key.
   • Type outlook.exe /safe and press Enter.
   • Try Send/Receive All Folders.
   • If send/receive completes in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely causing the lockup. Disable or remove non‑essential add-ins, then restart Outlook normally and test again.
2. Repair the Outlook profile
   • A complex setup with multiple accounts and many PSTs can easily corrupt the profile and cause send/receive to hang.
   • Follow the steps in Fix your Outlook email connection by repairing your profile to repair the existing profile.
   • If issues persist, create a new profile (do not reuse the old one), re‑add the accounts and PSTs, set:
     • The desired default email account.
     • The desired default data file (contacts/calendar account).
   • Then test send/receive again.
3. Repair Outlook data files (.pst/.ost)
   • Large or damaged PSTs (especially the one with 18 attached addresses) can cause send/receive to stall.
   • Run the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst.exe) against each PST/OST as described in Repair Outlook data files (.pst and .ost).
   • After repairs, restart Outlook and test send/receive.
4. Repair the Outlook/Office installation
   • If Outlook itself is damaged, send/receive can hang even when account tests succeed.
   • Use Repair an Office application to run a Quick Repair first; if the problem remains, run an Online Repair.
   • After repair, restart Windows, open Outlook, and test send/receive.
5. Handle the certificate warning
   • The message “The server you are connected to is using a security certificate that cannot be verified” indicates a problem with the mail server’s SSL/TLS certificate (name mismatch, expired, or untrusted).
   • Because each account tests successfully, this is likely intermittent or account‑specific and may not be the primary cause of the lockup, but it should still be corrected by updating the account’s server settings to match the provider’s documented server name and security settings.

If, after these steps, send/receive still locks up, create a brand‑new profile with only one account added and test. Then add the remaining accounts one by one, testing send/receive after each addition to identify which account or PST triggers the failure.

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References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Troubleshoot Outlook email setup
• Outlook for Windows not responding, hangs, freezes, or stops working
• Classic Outlook not responding, stuck at "Processing," stopped working, or freezes
• Troubleshoot Outlook for Windows issues