For some people Microsoft outlook is the daily task manager without it they can’t get things done. But sometimes it shows an error of “Outlook Cannot Connect to Server”. It makes the outlook completely useless as it will halt all the daily routine work. You can resolve the outlook connectivity issues by simply restarting it. If the issue persists, we have some other solutions to the outlook connection issues & through the Microsoft outlook repair tool.
you can also check How to Solve Outlook Login Problems?
Restart Outlook:
Just restart it, if Microsoft Outlook cannot connect to the server. The simple and the most common solution if outlook can’t connect. If it does not work you should restart the computer. The reason why I am saying that the internet connectivity issue might be causing the problem is that outlook won’t connect to the server.
You can find out the internet connectivity issue by trying to open a website. If it does not open then troubleshoot the internet connection.
Turn Off “Work Offline”
Another reason outlook cannot connect to server is that somehow it may be set to Offline mode. If you are using an older version and Outlook 2007 cannot connect to server, and then go to the File menu, uncheck Work Offline.
If outlook 2010 cannot connect to server, then follow the steps below to make it work & fix the outlook.
- Go to the Send/Receive tab in the menu.
- Find the Work Offline
- Now, click on the Offline button to make outlook work.
In the status bar, if it shows the status “Connected” then you have successfully resolved the issue.
Ensure Account Credentials or Exchange Server Name are Correct
Make sure that your account details or server name are correct. So, here are some steps that help you confirm your account record in Outlook.
- Go to Outlook on your system.
- Then, move to the “File” > “Info” > “Account & Social Network Setting” > “Account Settings.”
- After that, you have to select the account from the dialogue box, erase the existing account, and enter your correct account information again.
Disable the extensions
It could be possible that enabling your Outlook creates this issue. In most cases, all you have to do is to disable the extensions and then aim to connect. If it is accurate, then it means that there is an issue with the extension.
- Launch Outlook and then open the File > Options > Add-ins from the left menu.
- After that, tap on the “Go button” and uncheck all the extensions, then press the “Ok” button.
- Next, restart your Outlook to ensure the issue is solved or not.
Create New Outlook Profile:
Sometimes, your profile might be the reason why Outlook cannot connect to exchange server. So, You can recreate outlook profile to connect outlook to solve Microsoft exchange server problems. Just follow the steps below to create a new account and activate Microsoft outlook.
- Go to the Control Panel
- Go ahead and open Mail
- Click on Show Profiles.
- Click on
- Enter your Profile Name.
- Go through the Account Setup Wizard.
- After creating a new profile, it is your choice to delete the old account or keep it.
This method is often useful and can be successful if your outlook does not connect.
Repair Installation of MS Outlook:
If the problem persists and outlook is still unable to connect, then you should try the repair installation method of MS Outlook. This method can resolve the issues that standard solutions cannot. To do this there is a step-by-step guide mentioned below:
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Open Programs and Features.
- Find the Microsoft Office installation entry.
- Right-click on it and click Change.
- Select the Repair option from the next window.
- Click on the Continue
- After the repair process is finished, restart the pc.
- Start the outlook after the restart and see if the issue is resolved.
Rebuild Outlook Using Scanpst
There are two extensions of outlook data files .PST and .OST, and both are prone to errors and can be the reason why outlook will not connect. Follow the method below to solve the issue.
- Go to the control panel.
- Click on the Mail Icon.
- Click on the Data files in the next window.
- Find your data file and open the file location.
- Look at the extension of the data file if the extension is .OST then change it to .OLD. if the file extension is .PST then leave it like that.
- Now, close everything and open outlook.
If the extension of the data file is .PST then, follow the steps below to run scanpst to rebuild the outlook connection. In the first step open the locations depending on what version you use.
- For Outlook 2019 – GOTO C:\Program Files (x86), then go to Microsoft Office, then to root folder, then open Office16.
- And, For Outlook 2016 – GOTO C:\Program Files (x86), then go to Microsoft Office, then to root folder, then open Office16.
- For Outlook 2013 – GOTO C:\Program Files (x86), then go to Microsoft Office, then open Office15.
- And, For Outlook 2010 – GOTO C:\Program Files (x86), then go to Microsoft Office, then open Office14.
- For Outlook 2007 – GOTO C:\Program Files (x86), then go to Microsoft Office, then open Office12.
After opening the location, for further process follow the steps below:
- Run the SCANPST.EXE file.
- Click Browse.
- Find the .pst file
- Click on the start option.
To solve the “Outlook Cannot Connect to Server” issue, the scanpst will run 8-passes on the data file. The time is dependent on the file size. If the scanpst finds any kind of errors, then it will ask the user to repair. In addition, there is a suggestion I would like to make, make sure to create backups of your files just in case if something goes wrong or some important file goes missing. You should have a backup.
Conclusion
Hence, we discussed all possible solutions that a normal person can use to solve the Outlook connectivity errors. If the problem still persists, then it is time to call some IT professional. There could be various reasons why Outlook Cannot Connect to Server, and the problem could be out of the scope of some normal end-user like DNS issues, Microsoft Exchange Server issues etc.
