Outlook has been around for quite a while and is one of Microsoft’s primary products. Despite its popularity, there are several instances where users are not able to connect Outlook to the respected server or get their email active. This is a very common and recurring issue and does not depend on any update whatsoever. In this article, we will go through all the reasons as to why this issue occurs and also what the possible workarounds to fix it are.
What causes Outlook not to Connect?
Outlook is basically a standalone application which attempts to connect to the mail servers periodically. There is also an option to work offline in Outlook. Outlook works by fetching all the emails into local storage and lets you view emails from your computer. However, this might not work if the application itself isn’t able to connect. Here are some of the reasons why this might happen: If all the above tips don’t work and you are not able to access the internet, you can move on and try to reset the router as explained below:
Solution 1: Power Cycling your Computer
Before we start implementing proper workarounds, we will first try to restart your computer and router completely so this eradicates any error configurations they are in. These devices are known to get into error states every once in a while due to a bad update or unexpected shutdowns. Routers especially are known to get into error states and stay that way until they are power cycled. Make sure that you save your work before proceeding. If the power cycling doesn’t work and you still unable to connect properly, you should move on to the next step of checking the internet.
Solution 2: Checking Internet Connection
Another thing to check before we start technical workarounds is that there is a valid internet connection. If there is an issue with the network or it is not open, you will not be able to connect to any servers whatsoever. In this solution, we will provide you tips on how you can make sure that the internet is working and also how to reset your router if things don’t go our way.
Try connecting another device to the same network. If the device has Outlook, try to launch it and see if it works properly.Try accessing your browser and navigate to the mail’s website and see if you can retrieve your mail from there. If there is an issue there and you are unable to connect, it probably means there is an issue with the servers.If you are using an organizational or public internet, it is recommended that you switch to a private Usually, open and public internets have limited access which causes some applications not to work as expected.
Before we start resetting the router, you need to note down your router’s configurations. Every ISP has specific settings saved on your router. If we reset the router, these configurations will be lost and you will have another issue at hand. Here, you need to navigate to the IP address associated with your router. This is either present at the backside of the device or in the box of your router. This can be something like ‘192.168.1.2’. If you are unable to find the address, Google your router model and get the information from the web.
Solution 3: Turning Off Work Offline
Outlook has a feature of working offline. This mode is usually turned on by people when they don’t have internet access and still want to make use of Outlook and either check old emails or work on their workspace. In Offline mode, Outlook will not connect to any servers or nor fetch any emails even if the internet is available. Here in this solution, we will navigate to Outlook settings and make sure that Work Offline mode is turned off.
Solution 4: Checking for Updates
Before we repair your Outlook account and reset the data files, we will first check whether there are any updates that might be available for Outlook and Windows both. Usually, Office 365 (or normal Office) is updated automatically whenever there is an update available. Office updates are part of Microsoft Updates themselves and you don’t have to do anything. However, if you have canceled the upcoming update or postponed it manually, Outlook will not be updated to the latest build. Bugs are common throughout all applications even if they are developed by Microsoft. With new updates, along with new features, existing bugs are fixed. In this solution, we will check Outlook and Windows both for potential updates. It is also recommended that you update Windows to the latest build as well. Windows releases security patches for Office 365 products.
Solution 5: Repairing Outlook Account
If all the above methods don’t work, we will try repairing your Outlook account on your computer. Here, an Outlook account refers to the information regarding email addresses or servers that you have input in the application. These settings might sometimes be disrupted and hence causes various issues such as the application not connecting. In this solution, we will navigate to Outlook Account settings and manually attempt to repair your account. If there is any issue, Outlook will automatically take care of it.
Solution 6: Disabling Extensions
Normally, the majority of the Extensions available for Outlook are by verified developers. However, not all of them work properly and some even conflict with Outlook settings and cause it not to work or connect. Here, what you should do is disable all the extensions and then try connecting. If the connection is successful, it means there was an issue with an extension(s). Then you can enable them one by one and then diagnose which one is causing the problem.
Solution 7: Rebuilding Outlook data file
Before we reinstall/repair the Office 365 installation files, it is worth rebuilding the entire Outlook data file. Outlook saves its data to an external file. This is a type of storage for the application which it uses in its operations. In this solution, we will delete the data file. Then when we launch Outlook, it will instantly notice that the data file is missing and then attempt to recreate it from scratch. This will solve corruption issues (if any). Before we move on with the solutions, it should be noted that all of your email rules will be removed as a consequence. To export your rules to a location that you import again, later on, follow these steps: Now we can proceed with rebuilding your Outlook Data File: If the issue is resolved, you can import all the rules you exported to the temporary folder and everything will be the same again.
Solution 8: Repairing / Reinstalling Outlook
If all the above methods don’t work and you are still unable to get Outlook working, we can try repairing/reinstalling the application. Here, you should first attempt to repair the suite (Office 365). If the repairing doesn’t work, you can move on and attempt to reinstall it completely. Note: In the process of reinstalling, you might be required to have to installation executable with you as well as the product key.
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