Not receiving emails on Outlook

Test the mailbox in your email provider’s webmail first; if mail works there, repair Classic Outlook on this PC, but if it also fails there, address the mailbox or provider account instead.

1. Isolate the problem

1. Open your email provider’s website in a browser and sign in to your mailbox.
2. Send a short test message to another address, then send a reply back.
3. Check the result:
   • Webmail sends and receives: your mailbox works; continue with the Classic Outlook steps below.
   • Webmail also fails: check the mailbox storage and account status, or contact the email provider. Reinstalling Outlook will not resolve a server-side mailbox problem.
   • Internet sites do not load: repair the Windows network connection first.

Testing webmail is also the recommended way to distinguish an Exchange/IMAP/POP mailbox issue from a Classic Outlook synchronization problem.^1^

2. Restore the Classic Outlook connection

Work through these checks in order:

1. Check Outlook’s status bar.
   At the bottom of Outlook, look for Working Offline, Disconnected, or Trying to connect.
   • If it says Working Offline, select Send/Receive → Work Offline once to return online.
   • Select Send/Receive → Send/Receive All Folders.
   • Expected result: Outlook connects and starts processing incoming mail and the Outbox.^2^
2. Update saved credentials if your password changed.
   Outlook’s saved password must match the password used successfully in webmail. Some providers may require an app password rather than the normal account password.^3^
3. Clear a blocked Outbox.
   Open Outbox and inspect the oldest message. If it has a large attachment, remove the attachment or delete that message, and then run Send/Receive again. A blocked message can prevent later messages from being sent.^2^
4. If this is a POP or IMAP account, verify its server settings.
   Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings, select the account, and choose Change or Server Settings. Compare the incoming server, outgoing SMTP server, ports, and SSL/TLS options with the current values supplied by your email provider.^3^

3. If Outlook still cannot send or receive

1. Press Windows+R, enter outlook.exe /safe, and select OK.
2. Test sending a message.
3. If sending works in safe mode, an Outlook add-in is interfering. Close safe mode, open Outlook normally, and use File → Options → Add-ins → Manage: COM Add-ins → Go to disable add-ins before testing again.
4. If safe mode does not help, use File → Account Settings → Account Settings → Email, select the account, and choose Repair, then restart Outlook.
5. If Repair is unavailable or unsuccessful, run the Microsoft Classic Outlook troubleshooter. These troubleshooters apply to Classic Outlook, not New Outlook.^4^

If further help is needed, provide the exact Send/Receive error message and code, the email provider, and whether the account is Exchange, IMAP, or POP. Those details determine whether the next action should target authentication, incoming/outgoing server settings, or the local Outlook profile.

References

1. Can send email but cannot receive email. - Microsoft Q&A
2. Classic Outlook
3. Troubleshoot Outlook email setup | Microsoft Support
4. Issues sending and receiving email | Microsoft Support