Cannot connect to server.

Question

Attempting to log into my Outlook account for ptd.net, but I am getting the following error messages. PTD does not support Outlook. Email worked earlier same day. We do not want to use Webmail to access email - folders cannot be accessed. {Error codes: 0x800CC0E and 0x800CCC1A cannot connect to server}

Server information:

IMAP (incoming/host name): promail.ptd.net Port 147 (also tried 993 and 995)

SMTP (outgoing/host name): promail.ptd.net Port 587

SMTP Authentication is required

-

Answer 1

Dear @Susan Gegeckas,

I understand your frustration. Receiving error codes 0x800CCC0E and 0x800CCC1A in Outlook is a clear indication of a connection failure, often due to incorrect server settings or an authentication issue. The official PTD website provides the correct settings, and it's worth double-checking these against what you have configured.

The most critical step is to use the official settings and ensure the encryption method is correct, as error 0x800CCC1A specifically means Outlook is "unable to establish an SSL connection".

Please update your Outlook account settings with the following information:

Incoming Mail (IMAP)

• Server: promail.ptd.net
• Port: 993
• Encryption Method: SSL/TLS

Outgoing Mail (SMTP)

• Server: promail.ptd.net
• Port: 587
• Encryption Method: STARTTLS (or TLS/Auto)
• Authentication: Required; use your full email address and password.

The port 147 you tried is not a standard port for PTD's service, and using the wrong port with the wrong encryption is the primary cause of these errors. Ports 993 and 587 with the proper encryption methods are the correct configurations.
Additional Troubleshooting Steps

1. Verify Your Credentials: Ensure you are using the correct password for your @ptd.net account. If you have changed it recently, make sure Outlook is using the updated one.
2. Test Account Status: As a quick test, try logging into your PTD webmail portal directly. This will confirm if your account is active and your password is correct, isolating the problem to Outlook.
3. Confirm Server Compatibility: PTD support does not assist with third-party software like Outlook. However, a Microsoft support specialist confirmed that these manual IMAP settings are the correct way to add a third-party personal email address to Outlook.

For additional official details on resolving connection errors in Outlook, you can refer to Users get errors 0x800CCC0E & 0x800CCC0F synchronizing Gmail and Yahoo accounts in classic Outlook …

If the issue persists after verifying all settings, there may be a temporary issue on the PTD mail server. I recommend waiting a short while before trying again, as this can sometimes resolve itself.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.