Sending, receiving, and organizing email in Outlook.com
Sign in to Outlook.com in a desktop browser and check mailbox storage, rules, and forwarding, because any of these can prevent new messages from appearing even though the password change succeeded.
1. Check whether storage is full
Open Outlook.com, select Settings (gear) → General → Storage.
If Microsoft cloud storage or mailbox storage is full, Outlook.com cannot receive email. Messages sent while storage was full are returned to the sender and cannot be recovered, so delete unnecessary mail or attachments and then ask the sender to resend the message.^1^
2. Remove unwanted rules and forwarding
- Select Settings → Mail → Rules.
- Delete or disable any rule you do not recognize, particularly rules that delete messages or move them to another folder. Rules can automatically move or delete incoming email.^2^
- Open Settings → Mail → Forwarding.
- Turn forwarding off unless the displayed forwarding address is yours and intentional.
Changing the password does not remove mailbox rules or forwarding settings.
3. Look for diverted messages
Check these locations:
- Junk Email
- Deleted Items
- Other tab, if Focused Inbox is enabled
- Deleted Items → Recover items deleted from this folder
- Filter → Sort → Date, to restore chronological sorting
Microsoft lists filtering, Junk Email, forwarding, and inbox rules among the primary Outlook.com receiving checks.^1^
Send a new test message from another account. If it does not arrive, ask the sender whether they received a non-delivery report; its error text can identify whether the mailbox rejected the message.
4. If the password was changed because of suspicious activity
Review the account’s recent security activity, remove unfamiliar recovery information or devices, sign out other sessions, and enable two-step verification. A compromised account can retain unwanted rules or forwarding even after its password has been changed.^3^
Outlook.com may also temporarily block an account after unusual sign-in activity. Password reset is Microsoft’s documented unblocking action; because that has already been done, do not keep repeating it. If the account still shows as blocked or cannot sign in normally, use Microsoft’s account-unblocking process.^4^
5. Escalate if the checks pass
In Outlook.com, select Help, describe the receiving problem, complete the suggested troubleshooting, and then select Still need help? → Yes to contact Outlook.com support.^1^
Tell support:
- The address is an
@msn.compersonal Microsoft account. - Incoming mail stopped immediately after the password change.
- Whether sending still works.
- Storage is not full.
- Rules and forwarding have been checked.
- The sender’s exact non-delivery error, if one was received.
References