Figuring out why Outlook gets stuck offline really helps you fix it—and keeps it from coming back. This guide covers the usual suspects, troubleshooting steps, and a few advanced tricks to get your email flowing again. However, when Outlook cannot connect to the Exchange server, it automatically switches to Offline mode.

How to Fix Outlook Stuck in Offline Mode Issue? Simple Methods

Sometimes a VPN or firewall blocks Outlook, so try turning those off for a minute to see if it helps. If, in any case, you encounter Office 365 sync problems and login fixes any problems or issues in installing these updates, you must delete and uninstall all the updates and restart Outlook. By default, Outlook configures Exchange and Microsoft 365 accounts to only synchronize 12 months of your email.

My windows live mail is stuck in the work offline mode. I cannot send or receive emails using wlm. I can access my

All the modifications are stored locally in the OST data file before syncing with the mailbox server. Users can also utilize the 'Work Offline' option Outlook Not Sending or Receiving Email when there is an unreliable internet connection. How do you know when you're working offline or online in Outlook? There are visual cues, starting with the status bar at the bottom of your Outlook window. If either of the following status indicators are shown, it means Outlook isn't connected to your mail server. Profile or configuration mistakes cause trouble too.

Create or Repair Outlook Profile

Jamie Kaler, a technical writer at MailsWare, combines her Computer Science background with a passion for simplifying complex technical topics. She's dedicated to offering valuable insights and solutions in email data management, including migration, recovery, and client management. Jamie's commitment to making technology user-friendly is evident in her work, making her a valuable resource for readers in these domains.

• Now, on your keyboard, press the Send/Receive button.
• When Outlook switches between working online and offline in classic Outlook, all email accounts are changed.
• Jamie's commitment to making technology user-friendly is evident in her work, making her a valuable resource for readers in these domains.
• If Outlook asks if another Exchange server can manage your system, hit No unless it’s your main domain.
• When you keep everything updated, you cut down on the chances of file corruption.
• First, check to see if the Connected status is displayed or not.
• And thus, an Offline Storage Table (OST) file is created to save a local synchronized copy of mailbox items.

Setup Exchange Server Account Manually

Each profile should only connect to its own Office 365 tenant. This helps avoid cross-environment prompts that mess with your connection. If you’re on a company domain, make sure your DNS settings look right. Messed-up DNS can keep Outlook from finding the mail server. Flushing the DNS cache with ipconfig /flushdns sometimes clears up weird issues. Outlook needs Microsoft Exchange and Office 365 to stay connected.



Confusion happens when a device hooks up to more than one Office 365 environment. Autodiscover might send Outlook to the wrong Exchange server, so you can’t get to your mailbox. Now, on your keyboard, press the Send/Receive button. It should be switched from offline to online mode.





Don’t let secondary Exchange servers manage your device if you don’t have to. Accepting Outlook Login Issues Troubleshooting those prompts can shift control away from your main email domain and cause more offline issues. If your system connects to more than one Office 365 environment, Outlook might not know which Exchange server to use. That often sets off Autodiscover conflicts and lands you in offline mode. To keep Outlook from slipping into offline mode again, sort out account conflicts and keep your software up to date. The biggest problems usually involve too many Office 365 connections or outdated Microsoft Office components.

Making a new profile tends to work better, especially if your old one has lots of accounts or long-standing sync problems. If Outlook says Working Offline and won’t budge, you’re probably dealing with a network glitch, a bad setting, or a profile error. Tackling these one by one usually gets things back on track. Hybrid setups—where you’ve got both on-premises Exchange servers and Office 365—can run into DNS or Autodiscover problems.

Recreate OST File

When Outlook switches between working online and offline in classic Outlook, all email accounts are changed. Your offline settings determine which items are saved to your device and for how long. To set these, see the section below Update offline settings. When you're back online, new Outlook for Windows automatically updates the items that were saved to your device.