Having Microsoft Outlook problems or just any email issue in general is an issue that Cryptic deals with almost on a daily basis and can be one of the most frustrating issues to have as most businesses use emails as their primary form of communication within their business and to communicate with customers. This is an issue however that can easily be fixed by following a few steps that we provide in this guide and that we use to troubleshoot issues with any customer that is having issues with their email not working.
Is your Internet Down or Working as Normal?
The first and most basic step is to ensure that your internet is active and working as your email will obviously only work if you have an active internet connection. You can check your internet by simply opening up your browser and making sure that you are able to visit random web pages or alternatively you can open your Windows command prompt and try to ping 8.8.8.8 which is the ip address of google. Just to note, a slow internet connection can also cause your emails to not working correctly so if your internet is really slow then you should check with your ISP on why this is happening
Have You Tried Turning It Off And On Again?
Another simple step to take is simply restart your PC and a lot of the times this may fix the issue as restarting the computer resets a lot of services that run in the background and will allow the computer to obtain a new ip address from the DHCP server. Restarting your PC may not only fix your email problem but may also fix any other issues you may have as this will allow Windows to install any automatic updates that had to be run which could be preventing any applications from running smoothly.
Are there Issues With Your Email Account Itself?
The next step to take is to check with your email account provider which could be Google, Microsoft or you may be hosting your emails with a provider that is also hosting your website which is common with most web hosting providers. Simply log into your browser and check if you are still able to send an receive emails through the web interface provided by your provider and if this isn’t working then the issue lies with your provider.
Are You Getting Any Error Messages?
Your next step to take is to check if you are getting any error messages with regards to your mailbox being full or having an incorrect username or password. Sometimes Windows can reset your outlook settings due to Windows Updates and Outlook will require you to confirm your username and password again.
Have You Done Any Software Updates Recently?
When doing Windows Updates or even Android or IOS updates, your settings can be offset and your app will require you to enter in your username and password again. We also advise that you check that your incoming and outgoing server settings are correct along with your username and password. If you are unsure of the mail server settings then it is best that you contact your Service Provider or IT Company if you have one to get a tech to confirm your mail server settings with you before making any changes.
Have You Checked If More Than One Person Is Receiving Your Mails?
If you are getting a certain person you are meant to communicate with saying that they are not receiving your mail, then you should first click on the “send and receive” button within Outlook to ensure that all your mail is up date. If this is getting stuck or the window is not closing then you should try emailing somebody else. If your email is being received by another person then that initial person is the issue and they would need to check if there is an issue on their end.
Is Your Anti-Virus Software Blocking Your Mail?
There are times when your Anti-virus solution will block your email from being received and this is common among some Anti-Virus software solutions which we don’t provide to our clients at Cryptic. To check if your Antivirus is the issue then you should try and disable it and this can most of the time be done through the Windows notification area. You can disable the AV programme temporarily and once done then you can check whether your emails are now being sent or received. If your emails are now working then it is time to consider switching to another Antivirus solution.
If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps above but find that your email is still not working then there is a chance that your profile is corrupt and you may need to remove the profile and set it up again. Make sure that your have the Outlook Data file and it is advised that you make a copy of this as this is where your all your previous emails are stored if you are using POP3.
If you are not feeling comfortable going any further then you should contact Cryptic and we will get a friendly technician to assist you with it.
Cryptic Solutions has outstanding customer service and our service levels are unmatched by our competitors. If you are having any IT related issue then Cryptic is the IT Company to help you get out of any sticky situation! Contact us today and let us help you.
