Email hot links will not connect

JOHN DeGiovanni 0 Reputation points
2026-11-12T22:19:04.1033333+00:00

My email hot links will not work after updating last night. Nor can I get to CoPilot. I believe the issue is the safelink protocol is blocking the connection . It times out no connection. Google is working fine. Help please.

Microsoft Edge | Website issues | Windows 10
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. EmilyS726 279.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T22:50:56.27+00:00

    Hello

    There's currently a global outage affecting some Microsoft services, including Outlook, OneDrive, Copilot and others. It is an issue on Microsoft's end. Service status can be monitored here https://status.cloud.microsoft/

    Or via Msft's X/Twitter page: https://x.com/MSFT365Status/status/2120938282204688468

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-11-12T22:19:22.33+00:00

    If Outlook links stopped working right after an update, there are two supported Outlook causes in the available guidance:

    1. Outlook security update behavior for certain links
      • After the July 11 security updates, Outlook can block links that point to a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), IP address, or hostname path.
      • The symptom can be “Something unexpected went wrong with this URL” or the link may fail.
      • If the links in the email are Safe Links-wrapped, that can align with the behavior being seen.
    2. Outlook message/security settings
      • In new Outlook: go to Settings > Mail > Junk email and make sure Block attachments, pictures, and links from anyone not in my Safe senders and domains list is unchecked, then Save.
      • In classic Outlook:
        • Check whether the message is being viewed or composed in plain text.
        • Check for an InfoBar at the top of the message saying links are disabled, and use it to enable external content.

    If selecting links shows messages like:

    • “This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer” or
    • “Your organization's policies are preventing us from completing this action for you”

    then the documented fix is to reset the Outlook/browser defaults:

    • Set Microsoft Outlook as the default program.
    • In Internet Options > Programs, select Make default for the default web browser.

    There is also an advanced registry-based repair path for hyperlink handling, but it carries risk. Incorrect registry changes can cause serious problems, so that should only be used if the earlier browser/default-program steps do not resolve the issue.

    For the Copilot access problem in web apps, one documented cause is blocked third-party cookies. In Microsoft Edge:

    • Go to Settings and More > Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies and site data.
    • Make sure Block third-party cookies is Off.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.