Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Email not sending or receiving. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Quick Checks (Do These First)

Before diving into detailed troubleshooting, run through these quick checks:

1. Check your internet connection — try loading a website in your browser.
2. Check your spam/junk folder — incoming emails may be filtered.
3. Check the email address — confirm you are using the correct address.
4. Check whether you are replying or composing — make sure you are in the correct mode (Reply, Reply All, or New Message).

For Outlook Desktop App

Not Receiving Emails

1. Check send/receive settings:
   • Click Send/Receive > Check for New Messages.
   • Confirm your account is enabled for send/receive.
2. Check Work Offline mode:
   • If the status bar at the bottom-left shows "Working Offline," click it and select Work Online.
3. Repair the account:
   • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
   • Select your account and click Repair.
   • Follow the prompts to complete the repair.

Not Sending Emails

1. Check the Outbox:
   • Open the Outbox folder.
   • Double-click any stuck email and try sending it again.
2. Check account settings:
   • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
   • Verify the email address and server settings are correct.
   • Ensure My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication is ticked.
3. Check your password:
   • You may need to re-enter your password.
   • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Change.
4. Check your mailbox size:
   • Go to File > Account Settings — your mailbox size is shown next to your account.
   • If your mailbox is full, you will not be able to send or receive new emails. Archive or delete old items to free up space.
5. Check inbox rules:
   • Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
   • Review any rules that may be moving, deleting, or forwarding incoming messages automatically.

For Webmail (Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo)

Log into the web version of your email provider (for example, mail.google.com or outlook.com):

• If emails work in webmail, the issue is with your desktop app or device.
• If emails do not work in webmail either, the issue is with your account or the provider.

General Troubleshooting

Empty the Auto-Complete List (Outlook)

The Auto-Complete list stores cached email addresses you have typed previously. Clearing it can resolve issues with sending to or auto-completing addresses:

1. Go to File > Options > Mail.
2. Under Send messages, click Empty Auto-Complete List.
3. Click Yes to confirm.

Clear Outlook Temp Files

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Navigate to C:\Users\[Name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook.
3. Delete any temporary files (typically files beginning with ~ or with the .tmp extension).
4. Reopen Outlook.

Check Server Status

• Gmail: check downdetector.com/status/gmail/.
• Outlook/Microsoft 365: check downdetector.com/status/outlook/.
• If the service is down, you will need to wait until it is restored.

Update Outlook

For Microsoft 365 versions of Outlook:

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to File > Office Account.
3. Click Update Options > Update Now.

For Outlook 2016 or 2019 (LTSC), updates are managed through Windows Update rather than inside Outlook.

Try Outlook in Safe Mode

Safe Mode opens Outlook without add-ins, which helps identify whether an add-in is causing the issue:

1. Close Outlook.
2. Hold the Ctrl key and click the Outlook shortcut to open it.
3. When prompted, click Yes to start in Safe Mode.
4. Test whether the issue still occurs.

Test on a Different Network

Try connecting from a different network (for example, a mobile hotspot) to rule out local network or firewall issues blocking SMTP or IMAP ports.

Check Antivirus and Firewall

Some antivirus or firewall applications can block Outlook from connecting to mail servers. Temporarily disable your security software to test, or add Outlook to its allowlist.

Check Account Status

In Microsoft 365 environments, your administrator may have disabled or suspended your account. If you suspect this is the case, contact your IT administrator to confirm your account is active.

When to Escalate

Open a support ticket with us if:

• You have tried the steps above and the issue persists.
• You are receiving specific error codes you cannot resolve.
• Your account may be disabled, suspended, or compromised.
• You suspect a server-side issue affecting multiple users.

For password resets or account lockouts, contact your email provider directly (for example, Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo) before raising a ticket.

Open a Ticket

Related Articles

• Email delivery failed (NDR)
• Email delivery delays
• Setting Up an Email Account in Outlook (POP/IMAP/Exchange)
• How to add email to Outlook
• Deleted email recovery

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