? Basic Outlook Troubleshooting Steps:
- Restart Outlook & Your Computer – Simple but effective!
- Check Internet Connection – Ensure you're online.
- Update Outlook – (
File Office Account Update Options).
- Open in Safe Mode – (
Win + R type outlook.exe /safe).
- Check Account Settings – (
File Account Settings).
- Repair Office Installation – (
Control Panel Programs Repair).
? Specific Outlook Issues & Fixes:
1. Outlook Won't Open
- Open in Safe Mode and disable add-ins.
- Run Office Repair Tool.
- Delete and recreate your Outlook profile (
Control Panel Mail).
2. Emails Not Sending or Stuck in Outbox
- Check Work Offline Mode (
Send/Receive tab).
- Delete large emails stuck in the Outbox.
- Verify SMTP settings (
File Account Settings).
- Restart Outlook & test sending a small email.
3. Not Receiving Emails
- Check Spam/Junk folders.
- Ensure Outlook is not in Offline Mode.
- Verify email rules aren’t moving emails elsewhere.
- Check mailbox storage (if full, delete/archive emails).
4. Search Not Working in Outlook
- Ensure indexing is enabled (
Control Panel Indexing Options).
- Rebuild the search index (
Advanced Options Rebuild).
5. Outlook Keeps Crashing or Freezing
- Run in Safe Mode to check for add-in issues.
- Clear Outlook cache (
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook).
- Update Outlook and Windows.
6. Password Prompts Keep Appearing
- Update saved passwords (
Control Panel Credential Manager).
- Remove and re-add the account.
- Check for two-factor authentication (2FA) requirements.
7. Large Mailbox Causing Slowness
- Archive old emails (
File Cleanup Tools).
- Compact the PST/OST file (
Data File Properties Compact Now).
8. Sync Issues (Outlook & Mail Server Not Updating)
- Verify IMAP/Exchange settings (POP3 doesn't sync).
- Remove and re-add the account.
- Ensure auto-sync is enabled (
Send/Receive settings).
If these steps don’t work, try reinstalling Outlook or contacting Microsoft Support!