Why Outlook Not Sending Emails? [Resolved]

Outlook by Microsoft is a distinguished email client, packed with benefits like tight-knit email security and advanced email filters. Many times, Outlook users face accessibility issues, one of which is emails not getting sent. This issue causes productivity problems for them. We will explore the reasons why Outlook not sending emails in this blog and the solutions for solving this issue.

Why Outlook Won’t Send Email – Reasons

Imagine this scenario: You start your work day by opening the Outlook app on your computer. You have to send an important email to a potential client that includes a detailed business proposal. Now, you have clicked the Send button, thinking that the email will reach that client in just a few seconds. However, it sits in the Outbox folder, with the Sending status displayed in Red colour.

Now, there are many reasons for this issue, and we will mention some of them here:

• Internet Connectivity Issues: The first reason why Outlook not sending emails relates to internet connectivity. Outlook users may experience fluctuating internet connection or no connection at all, which may disrupt the email sending process.
• Incorrect Login Credentials: The incorrect email account credentials are another factor behind the issue. If you have recently made changes to your account credentials (incoming and outgoing server ports) without updating them, it can cause difficulties in sending emails.
• Temporary Account Suspension: One more reason why Outlook won’t send email is short-term (or temporary) account suspension. It happens when Outlook suspects abnormal account activity or unlawful usage (not by you).
• Emails Stuck in the Outbox Folder: As mentioned in the scenario mentioned above, the outgoing emails get stuck in the Outbox folder, waiting to be sent. Large-sized attachments, inadequate account storage, and unstable Outlook data files (PST/OST) are some factors behind this issue.
• Corrupted Data Files: Another reason why Outlook not sending emails is the corrupted data file (PST/OST). Your Outlook data file may get corrupted due to various factors like frequent app crashes, slow performances, and infrequent app updates.
• Antivirus Interruption: The antivirus software installed on your system sometimes interferes with your daily Outlook email communication, hampering your work and stopping emails from being sent. This may happen due to the antivirus finding harmful malware or viruses in one of the emails.
• Imperfect Add-ins: Many times, the add-ins (or extensions) you added for efficient productivity interrupt the email sending process, leading to the outgoing emails getting stuck in the Outbox folder.

These reasons necessitate urgent resolution of the problem, and the following section mentions the solutions.

Read More: Why Outlook Won’t Open? – Expert Solutions Explained

Why Outlook Not Sending Emails? – Solutions for Resolving the Issue

Now that we have understood the reasons why Outlook won’t send email, we will explore the solutions to fix this issue.

Ensure Stable Internet Connectivity

The first and foremost step to send your emails in Outlook is to ensure that you have a steady internet connection. Contact your internet service provider company if you are facing connectivity problems, and upgrade to a higher wi-fi speed with minimal disruptions.

Ensure Your Emails Are Sent Within Attachment Limits

You must ensure that you don’t add attachments bigger than 25 MB in your emails since doing so will lead to the emails getting stuck in the Outbox. To avoid this issue, you can upload the bigger attachments to OneDrive and share the file link. Moreover, you can attach small-sized multiple attachments and send the emails without any worries.

Disable the Problematic Add-ins or Extensions

As mentioned in the previous section, an add-in (or extension) may hamper the email sending process. Hence, it becomes one of the reasons why Outlook not sending emails. You can resolve the problem by removing the defective add-in. This process involves using the Safe Mode in Outlook, and the following points mention the entire procedure:

• First, press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run command.
• Write the outlook.exe / safe command and click the OK button. [Make sure that you leave a space between outlook.exe and safe)
• Next, select your default Outlook app settings and click OK.
• Open the Outlook desktop app, click the File menu, and select Options.
• Then, click on the Add-ins section.
• Select the COM Add-ins option in the Manage section, and click the Go button.
• Uncheck all the add-ins and click OK.
• Finally, exit Outlook and restart it normally.

If you can send emails without further issues, it means one of the add-ins (or extensions) is the culprit. Find the faulty add-in by restarting Outlook in Safe Mode and removing it to fix why Outlook won’t send email.

Update the Outlook App to Resolve Why Outlook Not Sending Emails

Another method to resolve why Outlook not sending emails is to update the Outlook app. It will help you send your emails without difficulties. Since Microsoft frequently launches new app updates for Outlook, it becomes essential for you to update the app on your system.

Follow these steps to update the Outlook app on your system:

• Open the Outlook app on your system and click the File button.
• Go to the Office Account option.
• Next, select the Product Information option and click on Update Options.
• Finally, click the Update Now option to update the Outlook app.
• Restart the Outlook app and try to resend the emails in the Outbox section.

If you can resend the emails, it means that an app update was all it needed to resolve why Outlook not sending emails.

Repair the Outlook PST/OST Data File

So far, we have read the reasons why Outlook won’t send email and four solutions to fix the issue. Many times, the methods mentioned above fail to resolve the problem. In that case, it becomes necessary to repair the Outlook Data File (PST/OST). Microsoft has a built-in data file repair mechanism, known as the Inbox Repair Tool. This tool, also known as ScanPST (scanpst.exe extension), repairs the damaged/corrupted PST and OST files.

The following points mention the steps to repair the Outlook data file using this tool:

• Go to the Microsoft Office system folder (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office).
• Open the ScanPST file once you locate it.
• Add the corrupted PST/OST file by clicking the Browse button.
• Click the Start button to begin the file scanning process.
• Next, repair any errors found in the data file by clicking the Repair button.
• Finally, import the rebuilt PST/OST data file to your Outlook profile.

Although this process can repair the damaged/corrupted PST and OST files, certain limitations restrict its full-scale usage. One of the limitations is it can’t handle large-sized Outlook data files for repair.

Drawbacks of the Manual Methods

The previous sections mentioned the solutions for resolving why Outlook not sending emails, including the Inbox Repair Tool. Although the described methods look ideal for fixing why Outlook won’t send email issue, they fail in completely solving it.

• These methods don’t guarantee complete problem rectification.
• They are lengthy to implement due to the steps involved in each solution.
• The ScanPST tool can’t handle large-sized PST & OST files.

In that case, automated software becomes the perfect solution to resolve the problem without data loss. The following sections mention the excellent software to fix the issue.

Outlook PST Recovery Software

Outlook users having PST data file can rely on the MSOutlookTools PST Recovery Software to resolve the email sending issue. This automated utility recovers data from the corrupted or damaged PST file. You can use this tool to recover PST file data without file size restrictions. This software exports the retrieved PST file data in PDF, EML, MSG, and HTML formats, besides Office 365 and a new PST file. Moreover, it boasts a straightforward user interface for seamless data recovery. This automated tool securely exports the recovered PST file data to the Office 365 account with intact email folders and headers.

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Outlook OST Recovery Software

Outlook users with OST data file can use the MSOutlookTools OST Recovery Software to resolve why Outlook not sending emails. This automated tool retrieves emails and other data like journals, notes, contacts, and calendar entries from the corrupted OST file. Similar to the PST Recovery Tool, this software saves the recovered data in PST, EML, MSG, PDF, HTML, and Office 365. It retains the folder hierarchy and email headers of the retrieved emails. Moreover, it ensures that the email metadata like sender, time, sent date, receiver, CC, and received date stays secure after email retrieval. This tool splits the exported OST emails into small-sized files when converted into PST. The OST data retrieval software recovers email data from Outlook versions 2021, 2019, 2013, 2016, 2010, and 2007.

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Conclusion

This blog post explored the reasons why Outlook not sending emails and the solutions for resolving this issue. The reasons mentioned here necessitate urgent rectification of the problem. The manual solutions described in this blog look efficient to resolve why Outlook won’t send email issue. However, the limitations listed here mention their limitations.

Therefore, we mentioned the best automated software to resolve the email sending issue for the PST and OST data files. You can use these software to securely retrieve the corrupted Outlook data without any problems.