outlook issue

There is no confirmed nationwide Outlook.com outage in the USA in the available official information; check Microsoft’s live Service Health Status site before changing or repairing classic Outlook.

Because Outlook on the web also cannot send or receive, this is not solely a Windows Outlook profile or add-in problem.

Determine whether it is a service incident

1. Open the Microsoft Service Health Status link above.
2. Look for an active incident affecting Outlook.com or related Microsoft account services.
3. If an incident is listed, wait for Microsoft to mark it resolved and then test Outlook on the web again. Microsoft directs Outlook.com users to that status site for access problems.^1^
4. User reports can also be viewed on Downdetector, but they do not constitute official confirmation of a nationwide outage.^2^

If Microsoft reports no incident

Check the account through Outlook on the web before troubleshooting the desktop application:

1. Check storage. Full Microsoft cloud storage prevents both sending and receiving. Messages sent to you while storage was full are bounced to the sender and cannot subsequently be recovered.^3^
2. Check account access. If the password changed recently, update it when prompted. Microsoft may also temporarily block an account after unusual sign-in activity.
3. Check the mailbox folders and settings:
   • Other and Junk Email
   • Settings → Mail → Rules
   • Settings → Mail → Forwarding
   • Filter → Sort → Date
4. Send a plain-text test message without an attachment to another address you control, then send a reply back. Record whether the outgoing message stays in Drafts/Outbox, appears in Sent Items, or generates a non-delivery report.
5. If it still fails, select Help in Outlook.com, enter the problem, scroll to Still need help?, and select Yes to contact Outlook.com support.^3^

Handle the classic Outlook crash separately

Do not rebuild the desktop profile while the web service or account is still failing. Once Outlook.com can send and receive normally, any continuing Windows crash is a separate client issue. Start with Microsoft’s classic Outlook startup troubleshooter in the Get Help app; it requires Windows 10 or later and must run on the affected PC.^4^

References

1. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
2. Microsoft Outlook down? Current problems and outages | US
3. Can't send or receive email in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
4. I can’t start Microsoft Outlook or receive the error “Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window” | Microsoft Support