Outlook: no email receipt - what to do?

If it is not possible to receive email with Outlook, you can go to troubleshooting in three places. We'll show you how to rule out sources of error and try solutions.

Check email server

If sending and receiving emails doesn't work, the problem doesn't have to be Outlook. Check whether you can connect to your email service via your browser:

1. Go to the website of your email service. If the page does not load, you only have to wait and see, because the problem seems to be with your email provider. In this case, these practical tips about GMX may also help you.
2. If you can open the page, log in. If this does not work, your data is probably incorrect or your account has been blocked. In this case, contact customer service. For example as described here for GMX.
3. If the log-in works, you still have an emergency solution to send and receive e-mails. In this case, check your Outlook settings.

Outlook send and receive settings

In Outlook itself there are some settings that you can change in the event of problems.

1. Press [F9] to send and receive emails.
2. Navigate to Tools> Email Accounts> View or Edit Existing Email Accounts and click Next.
3. Select your email account and click on "Change ..." and then on "More Settings ...".
4. Compare the data entered here with the specifications of your email service. You can find these on the website of your e-mail service or in this or that list. Instructions for T-Online can be found in this practical tip.
5. Many services, such as Gmail, offer extensive support. Here you can find alternative ports for SMTP, for example, which you can enter and try out under the "Advanced" tab.
6. Standard ports for SMTP are "25" for TCP, "465" for TCP with SSL / TSL encryption and "587" for TCP for delivery by mail clients. The port for POP3 is usually "995" and for IMAP "993".
7. If mails are still not sent and received, you can check your firewall settings last

Check Internet connection from Outlook

If sending and receiving do not work, Outlook may be blocked by your firewall.

1. Open "Run" using [Windows] + [R] and enter "cmd" in the input window.
2. Now type "netstat -b". A list of connection calls appears.
3. If you are not an administrator, you can use this guide to generate the command as a batch file and then execute it as an administrator.
4. If "Outlook.exe" does not appear under "Active connections", Outlook may be damaged and can be repaired with a new installation.
5. If "Outlook.exe" appears, but is displayed as "Waiting", your firewall is probably blocking the connection to the Internet.
6. Unblock your firewall or temporarily disable it. We offer instructions for Avast and Windows 8.
7. Here you will find general help if Windows 8.1 apps cannot connect to the Internet.

The instructions refer to Office 2003. In other versions, the menu names differ in part. If you still have problems with Outlook, you can consider switching to Firebird.