Top 7 Ways to Fix Outlook Won’t Connect to Server on Windows 10 and Windows 11
Although Outlook is available as a web app, desktop app, and even mobile app, the Outlook app sometimes lets you down. Sometimes it will open but not pick up new messages or send any, and fail to connect to a server. Fortunately, there was to overcome this problem in Outlook.

If you have already checked that your Internet connection is working properly and even restarted your PC, you may need to apply other solutions. Here are some troubleshooting tips you can try.
1. Check Outlook credentials
Did you change your Outlook account password and forget to update the browser password manager? Incorrect user credentials are one of the main reasons why Outlook may not connect to servers. The quickest way to check this is to log out and log back in.
Step 1: Open the Outlook application and click on the File menu at the top.

2nd step: On the Info tab, expand Account Settings and select Account Settings.

Step 3: Next, select your Outlook account and click Remove.

Log in with your Outlook credentials and see if the app can connect to the server now.
2. Disable offline mode
Outlook offline mode allows you to check old emails (if downloaded) without an active internet connection. If you accidentally enabled offline mode in Outlook, the application may fail to connect to its server. Here’s how to turn it off.
Open Outlook application, switch to Send/Receive tab and find Work offline mode. If the option is selected, it will be grayed out. Click on it to deactivate it.

3. Open Outlook in Safe Mode
Opening Outlook in safe mode allows you to run the application without add-ins or custom toolbar settings. This will help you determine whether or not these add-ins are the cause of Outlook connection issues.
Hold down the CTRL key and double-click the Outlook shortcut to start Outlook in Safe Mode.
Click Yes when prompted to open Outlook in safe mode.

If Outlook can connect to the server in safe mode, one of the Outlook add-ins may be causing the problem. To isolate which one is causing the problem, disable them all and enable them individually.
Step 1: Click on the File menu at the top.


Step 3: In the Outlook Options window, switch to the Add-ins tab. Use the drop-down menu next to Manage and select COM Add-ins. Then click on the Go button to continue.

Step 4: Uncheck the boxes to disable add-ins and click OK.

4. Repair Outlook Account
If Outlook connection problems are limited to a particular account, you can try to repair the account itself.
Step 1: Open Outlook and click on the File menu at the top.
2nd step: On the Info tab, navigate to Account Settings.
Step 3: Under Email, select the account you’re having trouble with. Then click Repair.

Outlook will try to connect to its server and resolve any issues with your account.
5. Fix Outlook Data File
If repairing your Outlook account does not work, the problem may be related to Outlook data files on your PC. Here’s how you can fix it.
Step 1: Open Outlook and click on the File menu at the top.
2nd step: On the Info tab, navigate to Account Settings.
Step 3: Switch to the Data Files tab, select your account and click Open file location.

Step 4: In the File Explorer window, locate your Outlook data file and delete it.

Open Outlook again. This will create a new data file which might end up fixing the problem. However, if the problem still persists then you can try to run the Inbox Repair Tool to fix any issues with Outlook PST files (Personal Folders file).
Step 1: Quit the Outlook application. Open the File Explorer window and navigate to the following folder:
C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficerootOffice16
2nd step: Double-click the SCANPST.EXE file to open it.

Step 3: Press Start to begin the scan.

After the scan is complete, check if Outlook can connect to the server.
6. Create a new Outlook profile
Your Outlook profile contains your Outlook settings. If this profile is corrupted, you will need to create a new profile.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, type controland press Enter.

2nd step: Change the display type to Icons and click Mail (Microsoft Outlook).

Step 3: Under Profiles, select Show Profiles.

Step 4: Click the Add button, enter a name for the new profile and click OK.

Step 5: In the Add Account window, enter your account details and click Next.

Step 6: Once the profile is created, select your new profile under “When Microsoft Outlook starts” and press Apply.

Try opening the Outlook application to see if the issue is resolved.
7. Repair Outlook application
Finally, if nothing works, you can try repairing the Outlook application itself. Microsoft offers a handy Office Repair Tool that can repair all problems with Office applications, including Outlook.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to launch the Run command. In the Open field, type appwiz.cpl and press Enter.

2nd step: In the Programs and Features window, locate Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 suite. Right-click on it and select Edit.

Step 3: Select Online Repair or Repair and click the Repair button to continue.

After completing the repair, see if it can connect to the servers.
Also on Guidance Tech
Stay logged in
The solutions above should help you fix Outlook connection issues on Windows. Other solutions include reinstalling the Outlook application, which will also update the application to its latest version.
Last updated on February 3, 2022
The article above may contain affiliate links that help support Guiding Tech. However, this does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
Comments are closed.