how to fix outlook receiving emails

Question

Outlook is not receiving emails after being hacked

Answer 1

Hi Alan Stiler,

I understand that your Outlook.com account is no longer receiving messages after it was compromised.

Please note that this is a user-to-user forum, so contributors cannot access your account or examine mailbox-side delivery records.

The Q&A Assist answer provides appropriate initial steps for securing the account and checking whether messages are being redirected. Have you had a chance to try the applicable steps, particularly reviewing Rules and Forwarding in Outlook.com?

I would also like to add two checks that were not clearly covered:

1. In Outlook.com, go to Settings > General > Storage and confirm that neither the mailbox nor Microsoft cloud storage is full. If storage was full, messages sent during that time may have been returned to the senders, who will need to resend them after space is available. See Storage limits in Outlook.com.
2. Send a test message to the affected address from another email account. Please confirm whether no messages arrive at all or only messages from certain senders, and whether the sender receives a non-delivery message. This distinction will help determine whether the issue concerns the entire mailbox or specific senders.

I hope this helps.

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Answer 2

1. Secure the account first.
   • Run a full malware scan on the PC before changing anything else: open Windows Security → Virus and threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now.
   • Then change the Microsoft account password, or reset it if sign-in fails.
   • Turn on two-step verification.
   • Use Sign out everywhere so any unauthorized sessions are ended. This can take up to 24 hours.
2. Check Outlook.com settings for changes made by the attacker.
   • In Outlook.com, open Settings → Mail.
   • Check Rules and delete any suspicious rules.
   • Check Forwarding and make sure mail is not being forwarded elsewhere.
   • Check Automatic replies and Connected accounts.
   • If only junk mail is arriving, also review the blocked/safe sender settings.
3. Check whether mail is being redirected or hidden.
   • Look in Inbox, Junk Email, Deleted Items, Archive, and the Other tab if Focused Inbox is enabled.
   • If messages from blocked senders still appear, inspect the internet message headers to find the real sender address and block that address instead.
4. Verify account sign-in details.
   • Review aliases and sign-in preferences.
   • Remove any unrecognized contact info, app passwords, or devices.
5. If Outlook desktop is used and web mail looks normal, repair the Outlook profile.
   • In Outlook, go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings.
   • On the Email tab, select the account and choose Repair.
   • Complete the wizard and restart Outlook.
   • Note: Repair is not available in Outlook 2016 when connected to an Exchange account.
6. If the issue continues, use the Microsoft guided recovery and Outlook troubleshooters.
   • For a compromised Microsoft account, use the sign-in helper tool.
   • For send/receive problems in classic Outlook, use the classic Outlook troubleshooters.
   • For Outlook for Mac, use the guided support tool.

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