Emails will not send with Outlook 2013

Question

We have Outlook 2013 and we can receive emails but cannot send emails and keep getting

error message 530 Authentication required and all our emails sit in Outbox folder and will not send

Answer 1

Hello, are you using a Microsoft email account like Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, or a third party email provider?

In Outlook 2013, remove and re add the account using the Auto Account Setup instead of manual settings. Go to File, Account Settings, then remove the affected account. Restart Outlook, then add the account again using your full email and password. This lets Outlook apply modern authentication and correct SMTP settings automatically, which often resolves the 530 error when manual settings fail.

Answer 2

Error 530 Authentication required indicates the outgoing (SMTP) server requires authentication and Outlook 2013 is not providing it correctly, so messages stay in the Outbox.

Configure and test the account as follows:

1. Verify password and account
   • Confirm the mailbox password works by signing in to the mailbox via its webmail site.
   • If the password was recently changed on the provider’s site, update it in Outlook as well. See the guidance under “Have you changed your password recently?” for classic Outlook.
2. Enable SMTP authentication in Outlook 2013
   • In classic Outlook: go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings….
   • Select the affected email account → Change… → More Settings….
   • On the Outgoing Server tab, select My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.
   • Choose Use same settings as my incoming mail server (unless the provider specifies different credentials).
   • On the Advanced tab, confirm the SMTP port and encryption type match the values required by the email provider.
   • Select OK, then Next to run the account test, and finish.
3. Force a send/receive
   • In Outlook, select Send/Receive → Send/Receive All Folders and confirm items leave the Outbox.
4. If still not sending
   • Check if antivirus email scanning is blocking send; some antivirus tools can prevent sending until an issue is resolved. Contact the antivirus help desk if needed.
   • Repair Outlook if the client itself is damaged: use Repair an Office application as described in the Outlook troubleshooting article.
   • If the profile is corrupted, repair or recreate the Outlook profile using Fix your Outlook email connection by repairing your profile.
   • Start Outlook in safe mode (outlook.exe /safe) to rule out add-ins; if sending works in safe mode, create a new profile and re-test.

These steps address the typical causes of being able to receive but not send, including authentication and client-side issues.

---

References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Outlook email stuck