Cannot add outlook.com account to the Outlook application

Question

Hi.

I recently refreshed my laptop. Reinstalled everything - but cannot add an a previously created account (The account is working on another laptop and my phone)

I Add Account - put the email address in and click to connect, eventually I get the response "Outlook does not yet support adding Shared mailboxes this way. Try adding another account"

It is not a shared account and as I say I it works on my phone Outlook.

Ta.

Al

Answer 1

Hi Al G,

The message “Outlook does not yet support adding Shared mailboxes this way. Try adding another account” usually indicates that New Outlook is interpreting the address as a shared/delegated mailbox or an alias, rather than as a normal primary account.

Because the same mailbox works on your other laptop and on your phone, the mailbox itself is likely OK. In cases like this, especially after a PC refresh or rebuild. New Outlook can sometimes misidentify the account due to local app data or because the address being entered is not the primary Microsoft account alias.

You can try the following steps in order:

1. Test the mailbox in Outlook on the web

Sign in at https://outlook.live.com using the same address. If it opens there, that points to an issue with New Outlook on this PC rather than with the mailbox itself.

2. Check whether the address is the Microsoft account’s primary alias

If the email address is only a secondary alias, try signing in using the primary alias for the Microsoft account instead.

3. Reset New Outlook to clear its local app data (including the Olk cache)

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Outlook (new) > Advanced options > Reset, then reopen Outlook and add the account again.

Note: This clears New Outlook’s local settings and cache on this device only.

4. If it still fails, switch back to Classic Outlook and try adding the account there

Microsoft still allows switching back to Classic Outlook, and in some cases Classic Outlook can add the mailbox successfully even when New Outlook misidentifies it.

5. If the mailbox is actually shared or delegated

Add it using Add shared folder or mailbox / Shared with me instead of Add account, as New Outlook does not support adding shared mailboxes as full accounts.

If you reply with:

• whether it works in Outlook on the web
• whether the address is the primary alias
• whether resetting New Outlook made any difference

When I have that information, I can suggest the most appropriate next step based on that.

Please let me know if this proves useful to you, or if you would like further assistance.

I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 2

In new Outlook for Windows only certain account types are supported. Outlook.com / Hotmail accounts are supported, but shared mailboxes must be added in a different way and on‑premises Exchange accounts are not supported.

In this scenario the account is being detected as a shared mailbox when added via “Add Account”, which new Outlook does not support “as an account”. Instead, add it as a shared mailbox from the primary account that has permission to it:

1. Make sure a supported primary account (for example, a personal Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 work/school account) is already added and working in new Outlook.
2. In the folder list, right‑click the primary account name and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
3. Enter the problematic Outlook.com address and add it there.

If this mailbox is not actually shared and should be a normal Outlook.com mailbox, verify that it is a standard Outlook.com / Hotmail account and not an on‑premises Exchange or unsupported SKU account. New Outlook supports:

• Microsoft 365 work and school (Exchange Online)
• Outlook.com / Hotmail
• Gmail
• Yahoo
• iCloud
• Other IMAP/POP accounts

On‑premises Exchange accounts and accounts without an Outlook client license cannot be added as normal accounts in new Outlook; attempting to do so results in errors.

If the mailbox is a normal Outlook.com account and still cannot be added, use classic Outlook for Windows instead, where the account can be added as a regular Outlook.com account following the standard “Add an email account” flow.

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References:

• Supported accounts in new Outlook for Windows
• Add an email account to Outlook for Windows
• Add your Outlook.com account to another mail app or smart device