My Outlook email account is not working

Linda Fox 0 Reputation points
2026-10-12T17:51:56.7466667+00:00

The emails won't update when the account is opened. It was working perfectly yesterday.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Email

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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-12T17:52:10.85+00:00

    Try these checks in order:

    1. Make sure Outlook is not offline.
      • In classic Outlook for Windows, if the status bar shows Working Offline, go to Send/Receive and select Work Offline to turn it off.
      • In Outlook for Mac, on the Outlook menu, make sure Work Offline is not checked.
    2. Check the internet connection.
      • If Outlook is not offline, open a browser and confirm normal internet access.
    3. Verify the account can connect.
      • In Outlook for Mac, go to Tools > Accounts and check the Exchange account status. An orange indicator means there is a connection problem.
      • If the account worked before, try signing in through Outlook on the web. If web access also fails, contact the email administrator.
    4. Check account settings if this is a POP or IMAP account.
      • In Windows, open Control Panel > Mail > Email Accounts.
      • Select the affected account and choose Change.
      • Verify the incoming and outgoing server names, username, password, ports, and encryption settings.
      • Select More Settings > Advanced, then compare the IMAP/SMTP ports and encryption types with the provider’s settings.
      • Run Test Account Settings. Green check marks mean the configuration is correct; red markers mean settings need correction.
    5. If the password was changed recently, update it in Outlook.
      • Password changes must be made with the email provider first, then updated in Outlook.
    6. If Outlook on Windows still does not sync after reinstalling, create a new Outlook profile.
      • Open Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
      • Create a new profile, sign in to the account again, and test whether mail sync resumes.

    If the account is IMAP and folders appear but no messages download, the IMAP server may not support the UID SEARCH command. In that case, the IMAP server must be updated by the provider or server manufacturer.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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