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If Outlook is not syncing, remove the account from the app and add it again using the instructions for your Outlook version. Removing an account deletes only its local Outlook cache; it does not close the mailbox at Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, Apple, or your internet provider. If the problem is the Outlook application itself, reinstall new Outlook from the Microsoft Store or repair classic Outlook and its profile.
First identify whether you use new Outlook for Windows or classic Outlook. Their menus, profiles, data files, and repair procedures are different. The steps below cover account removal and re-addition, authentication problems, profile corruption, data-file repair, and application reinstallation.
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Identify your Outlook version before changing anything
Microsoft maintains two Windows clients. Choosing the wrong procedure can leave you searching for menus that do not exist or can make you remove a cloud-only item unintentionally.
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| Client | How it usually looks | Account controls | Best first fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Outlook for Windows | A modern, web-style interface with a simplified ribbon. It may have a toggle that switches between new and classic Outlook. | View > View settings or File > Account info, then Accounts > Your accounts. | Remove the affected account under Email accounts, add it again, and complete the provider sign-in page. |
| Classic Outlook for Windows | The traditional desktop Outlook included with Microsoft 365 or Office, with the full File backstage screen and classic ribbon. | File > Account Settings > Account Settings. | Remove and re-add the account; if the behavior continues, test a new Outlook profile. |
Do not confuse removing an account with deleting an email account. Removing it stops send and receive in that Outlook client and clears its local cached copy. The underlying mailbox, address, and provider subscription remain active.
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Protect data and verify the mailbox before removal
Before you remove anything, open the provider’s webmail in a browser. Confirm that recent messages, calendar entries, contacts, and any folders you care about are visible there. This establishes whether the data is safely stored on the server or exists only in Outlook’s local files.
- Record the email address and the provider (Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, Gmail, Apple iCloud, Yahoo, or an ISP).
- Make sure you know the current password, or that you can complete the provider’s multifactor authentication.
- Export or copy any local-only data that is not visible in webmail before removing a classic Outlook account.
- Close other mail programs that may be changing the same mailbox while you troubleshoot.
- Note whether the failure affects only send/receive, search, folders, calendar, or the entire Outlook application.
New Outlook can show a choice to remove a non-Microsoft account from all devices. Read that prompt carefully. Microsoft warns that this action can remove Microsoft Cloud data that exists only in Outlook, including cloud-only calendar or other items that may not be recoverable. If you are unsure, use the least destructive option and verify the data in webmail first.
Remove and add the account in new Outlook
Add an account without removing the existing one
- Open new Outlook.
- Open View > View settings. You can also choose File > Account info if that entry is available.
- Select Accounts > Your accounts.
- Under Email accounts, select Add Account.
- Choose the suggested provider, or type the complete email address, and select Continue.
- Complete the provider’s password, multifactor, consent, or security-key prompts. The authentication page may be supplied by Gmail, Apple, Yahoo, an ISP, or Microsoft rather than by Outlook itself.
- Allow Outlook time to create the mailbox and download folders. A large mailbox can take longer to populate than a small one.
Adding the account first is useful when you need to preserve access while comparing the old and new connection. Once the new entry works, remove the broken entry.
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- Open View > View settings or File > Account info.
- Choose Accounts > Your accounts, then locate the account under Email accounts.
- Select Manage, then Remove.
- Read the confirmation. For a non-Microsoft provider, distinguish removing the account from this app from removing it from all devices.
- Confirm only after checking that important server data is present in webmail.
- Restart new Outlook, return to Accounts > Your accounts, select Add Account, and repeat the sign-in steps above.
After the account is added, send a test message to yourself. Then refresh the Inbox and open a known older folder. If mail sends but does not arrive, or folders remain incomplete, continue with the authentication and synchronization checks below.
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Remove and add the account in classic Outlook
Add the account
- Open classic Outlook and select File > Add Account.
- Enter the complete email address and select Connect.
- Complete the provider’s password and authentication prompts.
- When setup reports success, select Finish.
- Wait for the status bar to begin downloading folders and messages, then send a test message.
If the account is already listed and you want a clean connection, close the Add Account dialog and remove the old entry first.
Remove the account
- Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- On the Email tab, select the account that is failing.
- Select Remove and confirm.
- Restart Outlook, choose File > Add Account, and complete setup again.
Microsoft states that removing a classic Outlook account deletes that account’s offline cached content from the computer, while the provider account remains active. For an Exchange or Microsoft 365 mailbox, the cache is commonly an OST file. For a POP account, local messages may be stored in a PST file, so verify what is in webmail and back up local data before removal.
Fix sign-in and synchronization after re-adding
Test webmail first
Sign in through the provider’s browser site. If webmail rejects the password, Outlook cannot correct that server-side problem; reset the password with the provider and then update Outlook. If webmail works, the issue is more likely an authentication method, account type, local profile, data file, or Outlook installation problem.
Use an app password when the provider requires one
Gmail, Apple, Yahoo, and some ISP-hosted IMAP accounts may reject the normal account password in Outlook. When the provider offers app passwords, create one in the provider’s security settings and enter that generated value in Outlook. Do not substitute your normal password if the provider specifically requires an app password. Keep multifactor authentication enabled and treat the app password as a credential: do not publish it or store it in an unprotected note.
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Check classic Outlook server settings
- In classic Outlook, open File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Select the account and choose Change or Server Settings, depending on the account type.
- Review the username, password, incoming and outgoing server names, port numbers, encryption or SSL choice, and authentication method against the provider’s current instructions.
- Save the changes, restart Outlook, and run a send/receive test.
Microsoft lists these values as editable account settings. A single incorrect port, server name, or authentication choice can allow sign-in but prevent sending, receiving, or folder synchronization.
Confirm the account type for Microsoft addresses
If a Hotmail.com or Live.com address shows missing folders or old messages in classic Outlook, remove it and add it using Outlook.com as the account type. Microsoft specifically warns against choosing Exchange or Microsoft 365 for those consumer addresses when Outlook.com is the correct type.
Allow time for initial synchronization
A newly created profile or account must rebuild its local cache. Keep Outlook open and connected, and watch the status bar. Search, shared folders, and older messages may not be complete until synchronization finishes. If webmail is current but Outlook remains stuck indefinitely, move to profile and data-file testing rather than repeatedly entering the password.
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A profile is the collection of accounts, data files, and settings that tells classic Outlook where messages are stored. A damaged profile can cause send/receive errors, missing folders, repeated password prompts, or a crash even when the account itself works.
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Create the profile from Outlook startup
- Close Outlook completely.
- Hold Shift while starting Outlook.
- When the profile chooser appears, select Options > New.
- Give the profile a clear name such as
Outlook-Testand add the affected account. - At startup, choose the new profile and test mail, folders, search, and calendar.
Open the profile chooser with a command
Close Outlook and run Outlook.exe /profiles. Choose Options > New, create the test profile, and add the account. If Windows cannot find the command, launch it from the Office installation folder or use the Shift-start method instead.
Interpret the test
If the account works in the new profile, the original profile is the likely source of the failure. You can leave the old profile in place while transferring only the data you need, then set the working profile as the default. Do not delete the old profile until you have confirmed that required PST files, signatures, autocomplete entries, and local-only folders are backed up.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reinstall new Outlook for Windows
Reinstall the application only when new Outlook itself is frozen, damaged, or unable to open. Reinstalling is not a substitute for correcting a provider password or server setting.
- Open the Windows Start menu and find new Outlook.
- Right-click it and choose Uninstall. Follow the Windows confirmation prompts.
- Open the Microsoft Store.
- Search for new Outlook for Windows and select Get. If it is already installed, the button may say Open.
- Launch Outlook after installation and check whether your accounts return automatically. If they do not, use View > View settings > Accounts > Your accounts > Add Account.
Microsoft states that new Outlook requires Windows 10 version 17763.0 or later. This is a compatibility threshold, not a performance guarantee. Keep Windows updated before troubleshooting a Store installation that will not download.
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Repair classic Outlook without reinstalling the whole suite
Start in safe mode to isolate add-ins
Close Outlook and run Outlook.exe /safe. Safe mode starts Outlook without its normal add-ins. If send/receive or startup works there, open File > Options > Add-ins, choose COM Add-ins from the Manage menu, select Go, and disable add-ins one at a time. Restart normally after each change to identify the conflicting add-in.
Repair a PST or OST with Inbox Repair Tool
For suspected data-file corruption, close Outlook and run Microsoft’s Inbox Repair Tool, scanpst.exe. Select the affected PST or OST file, let the tool scan it, and make the offered backup before repairing. The exact file location depends on the Windows and Office installation. Run Outlook again and test the repaired profile. A repair can correct structural errors, but it cannot recover every deleted or cloud-only item.
Repair the Office installation
- Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps (the wording can vary by Windows release).
- Select the Microsoft 365 or Office installation and choose Modify.
- Run Quick Repair first and restart Windows when prompted.
- If the failure remains, repeat the process and choose Online Repair. This takes longer and replaces more program files, so keep your Office sign-in available.
- Open classic Outlook, select the working profile, and test the account again.
Microsoft lists licensing problems, an incorrect Outlook version, add-ins, profile errors, data-file corruption, and damaged Office files among possible causes of send/receive failures. Repairing the program will not fix a mailbox that cannot authenticate at the provider.
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Quick Recap
Choose the next fix by symptom
| Symptom | Most useful next action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Password rejected after a provider change | Verify webmail, then update the password in account settings. Use an app password if the provider requires one. | The mailbox credential or authentication method is wrong, not necessarily Outlook. |
| Account adds but folders or old messages are missing | Confirm the account type, especially Outlook.com for Hotmail.com or Live.com addresses, and check webmail. | The wrong protocol or account type can expose an incomplete folder set. |
| Only classic Outlook fails while webmail works | Create and test a new profile. | A clean profile separates profile corruption from a provider problem. |
| Classic Outlook works only in safe mode | Disable COM add-ins one at a time. | An add-in is interfering with normal startup or send/receive. |
| Outlook reports data-file errors | Back up the file and run scanpst.exe. |
The PST or OST structure may be damaged. |
| New Outlook will not open or is frozen | Uninstall it from Start and reinstall it through the Microsoft Store. | The application package may be damaged; account setup can be repeated afterward. |
| Outlook crashes or remains broken after profile and data-file tests | Run Office Quick Repair, then Online Repair if necessary. | Program files or the Office installation may be damaged. |
Final verification checklist
- Webmail accepts the current password and shows the data you need.
- The account was added through the workflow for the correct Outlook client.
- The provider’s required app password, multifactor prompt, server, port, SSL, and authentication settings were used.
- A test message sends and arrives, and a reply downloads to Outlook.
- Expected folders, calendar items, contacts, and search results appear after synchronization.
- If classic Outlook was involved, the new profile was tested before the old profile or local data files were removed.
- If the application was reinstalled or repaired, Windows and Office can still be opened and activated normally.
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