emails are not sending

Dayne Maxwell 20 Reputation points
2026-06-04T18:30:44.4533333+00:00

My emails are not sending. How do I fix this? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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John Jefferson Doyon 88,720 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-06-04T20:11:21.29+00:00

Yes I had my IT team access my computer to try and correct a connectivity issue with a smart card reader so they may have changed some settings

Thank you for letting me know. That makes sense.

Since your IT team recently made changes to the computer, that may be causing the issue.

I recommend contacting your IT team as they can review any Outlook, network, or security settings that may have been changed during the smart card troubleshooting.

If all is resolved, feel free to mark the answer for this thread. Otherwise, please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-06-04T18:32:06.34+00:00

    Try these steps in classic Outlook for Windows:

    1. Check Outlook’s connection status
    • Look at the bottom of the Outlook window.
    • If it shows Disconnected, Working Offline, or Trying to connect…, Outlook cannot reach the mail server.
    • Go to the Send/Receive tab and select Work Offline once to toggle back online.
    • Then select Send/Receive All Folders and see if messages send.
    1. Confirm internet connectivity
    • Open a browser and go to http://www.microsoft.com or http://www.bing.com.
    • If those pages do not load, fix the network connection first (for example, reconnect Wi‑Fi or network cable) and then return to Outlook and try sending again.
    1. Check for large or stuck messages
    • Go to the Outbox folder.
    • Open the oldest message that is stuck.
    • If it has large attachments (around 20 MB or more), remove some attachments or reduce their size, then send again.
    • If needed, delete the large message and try sending a smaller test email.
    1. Verify Outlook is not holding messages in Outbox
    • Select File > Options > Advanced.
    • In Send and receive, make sure Send immediately when connected is enabled.
    • Select OK, then try sending again.
    1. Check for recent password changes
    • If the email account password was changed on the provider’s website, update the same password in Outlook.
    1. Check antivirus and add-ins
    • If antivirus software scans email, it may block sending when it detects an issue; follow the antivirus help to clear any problems.
    • Start Outlook in safe mode to rule out add-ins: press the Windows key, type outlook.exe /safe, press Enter, then try sending. If it works in safe mode, repair the Outlook profile.
    1. Repair Outlook or the mail profile if needed
    • If messages still will not send, repair the Office installation and/or repair or recreate the Outlook profile using the documented steps.

    References:

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  2. John Jefferson Doyon 88,720 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-04T19:05:20.7966667+00:00

    Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

    Are you using Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, or the Outlook mobile app?

    When you try to send an email, do you get an error message? If yes, what does it say exactly?

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  3. John Jefferson Doyon 88,720 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-04T19:57:48.0766667+00:00

    Thank you for letting me know.

    Since you mentioned this started while you are overseas, it is possible that a recent sign-in from a different location triggered a security check on the account.

    Can you send emails through Outlook web https://outlook.live.com/mail using the same account?

    In the meantime, if you haven’t already already:

    • Go to the Send/Receive tab
    • Do you see “Work Offline” highlighted? If yes, click it once to turn it off

    If that’s already off, try this:

    • Close Outlook
    • Reopen it
    • Check the status at the bottom. Does it still say “Offline”?

    Check the Outbox:

    • Open Outbox
    • Try to open the stuck email > remove attachment or hit Send again.

    Start Outlook in Safe Mode:

    • Press Windows + R > type: outlook.exe /safe
    • Send a test email
    • If it works, likely an add-in issue

    Repair Outlook:

    • Control Panel > Programs > Microsoft 365 > Modify > Quick Repair.

    If the issue persists, please provide more details by answering my questions.

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