emails not working

Question

Our emails are not working or we are not able to send emails

Answer 1

Hi,

Some more details are needed in your issue.

1. What is the error you receive while doing Send/Receive?
2. Who is the Email provider?
3. Please send a self-message. If it bounces back, let me know the complete error message.

I’m eager to hear back and work together to find a solution.

Answer 2

Try these checks in classic Outlook and Outlook.com, in order:

1. Confirm Outlook is online

• Look at the status bar at the bottom of the Outlook window.
• If it shows Disconnected, Working Offline, or Trying to connect…, go to the Send/Receive tab and select Work Offline once to toggle back online.
• Then select Send/Receive All Folders and see if messages send.

2. Verify internet connectivity

• Open a browser on the same PC and go to a site such as http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.bing.com.
• If websites do not load, fix the network connection first (router, Wi‑Fi, or ISP) before troubleshooting Outlook.

3. Check for large or stuck messages

• In classic Outlook, open the Outbox folder.
• Open the oldest message that has not been sent.
• If it has large attachments (typically over 20–25 MB), remove or reduce them, or upload the file to a cloud location and send a link instead.
• Save and send again, then use Send/Receive All Folders.

4. Check Outlook.com mailbox and storage If the account is Outlook.com/Hotmail/Live/MSN:

• Sign in to Outlook.com in a browser.
• Make sure:
  • The stuck email is not sitting in Drafts or Outbox.
  • The Inbox and Microsoft cloud storage are not full. If full, empty Junk Email and delete or archive old mail to free space.
• Try sending a simple test email (no attachment) to a different address.

5. Check for attachment and NDR issues

• If sending fails only for some messages:
  • Ensure attachments are under 25 MB in Outlook.com.
  • If a non‑delivery report (bounce) arrives, read the reason:
    • Invalid address
    • Recipient mailbox full
    • Recipient server issues
    • Spam filters blocking the message
• If the address is correct and it still bounces, follow the guidance in Sender Support in Outlook.com from the referenced article.

6. If password was recently changed

• If the email account password was changed on the provider’s website, update the same password in classic Outlook’s account settings so Outlook can authenticate and send.

7. If only one device has the problem

• If mail works on web or phone but not on this PC, remove and re‑add or repair the email account/profile in classic Outlook as described in the referenced article (repair Outlook profile / create a new profile).

If these steps do not restore sending, use the Outlook.com interactive troubleshooter and in‑product Help to contact support from within Outlook.com while signed in.

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References:

• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com
• Email stuck in Outlook.com
• Outlook email stuck