How to Fix Outlook When It’s Not Sending or Receiving Emails: A Step-by-Step Guide

As an IT professional, Outlook email issues are some of the most common problems I encounter. The frustration is real when you can’t send that urgent message or receive important communications. Based on years of troubleshooting experience, here’s my practical, step-by-step approach to resolving Outlook email problems.

Step 1: The Basic Checks (Do These First!)

Before diving into complex solutions, always start with these fundamental checks:

1. Verify your internet connection
   • Try accessing a website in your browser
   • Check if other internet-dependent applications are working
   • If using WiFi, try a wired connection
2. Restart Outlook
   • Completely close Outlook (check Task Manager to ensure OUTLOOK.EXE isn’t running)
   • Reopen and test email functionality
3. Check the obvious
   • Look at the status bar – is Outlook showing “Working Offline”?
   • Is your mailbox full? Check storage limits
   • Are other users in your organization experiencing the same issue?

Pro Tip: I’ve solved about 30% of Outlook issues just by having users restart their computers. Never underestimate the power of a fresh start.

Step 2: Test in Safe Mode

Outlook’s Safe Mode loads without add-ins and customizations, helping identify if these are causing problems:

1. Close Outlook completely
2. Press Windows Key + R, type:

outlook /safe

3. Press Enter
4. Try sending/receiving emails

What this tells you:

• If email works in Safe Mode → Add-ins are likely the culprit (proceed to Step 3)
• If email still doesn’t work → The issue is more fundamental (skip to Step 4)

Step 3: Disable Problematic Add-ins

Add-ins are frequent offenders in Outlook email issues:

1. In normal Outlook mode, go to:
   File → Options → Add-ins
2. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins → Go…
3. Uncheck all add-ins
4. Click OK and restart Outlook
5. Test email functionality
6. If working, re-enable add-ins one by one to identify the problematic one

Common Culprits:

• Adobe PDF tools
• CRM integrations (Salesforce, Dynamics)
• Antivirus email scanners
• Old or outdated add-ins

Step 4: Verify Account Settings

Incorrect server settings are a common cause of email failures:

1. Go to File → Account Settings
2. Select your email account → Click Repair
3. Follow the prompts (Outlook will attempt to auto-fix settings)
4. If automatic repair fails, manually verify:
   • Incoming mail server
   • Outgoing mail server (SMTP)
   • Port numbers
   • Authentication method

Common Server Settings:

• Office 365: outlook.office365.com (IMAP), smtp.office365.com (SMTP)
• Gmail: imap.gmail.com, smtp.gmail.com
• Exchange: Check with your IT department

Step 5: Create a New Outlook Profile

When all else fails, creating a new profile often solves persistent issues:

1. Close Outlook
2. Open Control Panel → Mail (32-bit)
3. Click “Show Profiles”
4. Click “Add” to create a new profile
5. Set up your email account in the new profile
6. Test email functionality

Important: This won’t delete your emails as they’re stored on the server, but you may need to reconfigure some settings.

Step 6: Advanced Solutions

If you’re still having issues, try these more technical solutions:

1. Repair Office Installation:
   • Control Panel → Programs → Microsoft Office → Change → Repair
2. Delete and Rebuild OST File:
   • Close Outlook
   • Navigate to %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook
   • Delete the OST file (Outlook will create a new one)
3. Check for Windows Updates:
   • Many Outlook issues are resolved by the latest Windows updates

Prevention Tips

To minimize future Outlook email problems:

✔ Keep Office Updated – Enable automatic updates
✔ Manage Add-ins – Only keep essential ones enabled
✔ Regular Maintenance – Periodically archive old emails
✔ Monitor Storage – Keep mailbox size reasonable
✔ Educate Users – Teach basic troubleshooting steps

When to Call for Help

If you’ve tried all these steps and Outlook still isn’t working:

1. Contact your IT department or email provider
2. For Office 365 users, check the Microsoft 365 Service Health status
3. Consider professional IT support if the issue persists

Remember, most Outlook email issues are solvable with methodical troubleshooting. Start simple, document each step you try, and don’t hesitate to seek help when needed. By following this structured approach, you’ll resolve most Outlook email problems efficiently.