7 Quick Clicks to Fix “Outlook Not Receiving Emails” Issue

  • Written By  

  • Updated on April 29th, 2025

5/5 - (1 vote)

A newly onboarded employee at a mid-sized enterprise configures their Outlook for company email. Though the setup process completes successfully, they noticed that their Outlook not receiving emails. They are required to fix this issue right away to coordinate with multiple departments via email. The consequences of these misconfigurations include disrupted communication, delayed projects, and limited access to key data. How to resolve this issue? There are both a manual and an expert-recommended Outlook PST Repair Tool that recovers the Outlook data file. Continue to read this blog to learn about various solutions to fix the issue.

What Might be the Reason Outlook Email Not Receiving Emails?

  • An unstable or disconnected network can prevent Outlook from receiving emails.
  • A security software or a firewall setting could be interfering with the email delivery.
  • The incoming email messages might be automatically filtered into the spam folder or junk folder.
  • The Outlook account may not have been syncing correctly.
  • Invalid credentials or misconfigured settings might be blocking Outlook from connecting.
  • The mail server could experience downtime, making email access impossible.
  • A faulty plug-in may be preventing emails from loading.
  • A malicious software may have damaged Outlook’s ability to handle emails.

How to Fix the Outlook Not Receiving Emails Issue?

Now that we know the root cause, let’s move forward and explore the solutions to fix the error.

Check your Internet Connection

For Outlook to work properly and deliver new messages to your inbox, it needs access to the internet. If your device is offline, Outlook won’t be able to display the latest emails. 

  • A simple way to check your internet status is by opening a web browser and navigating to a site. If the page doesn’t open, you’re offline, which could be the reason your Outlook email not receiving emails. 

Check the Junk Folder

Outlook protects your inbox with advanced spam detection tools that identify and block suspicious links. If the message is harmful, it is redirected to the Junk folder automatically. But, they can sometimes label a legitimate email as spam mistakenly.

  • Regularly review your Junk Email section in your Outlook. If a legitimate email is there, mark it as “Not Spam”, move it to your inbox, and prevent future errors.  

Verify Outlook is Not in Offline Mode

MS Outlook provides a feature called Work Offline. It allows users to temporarily disconnect the app from the mail server. It is a great way to minimize distractions for a short break. However, make sure to turn it off to start receiving emails again.

  • To reconnect Outlook, click on the Go Online button at the top of Outlook. Your inbox will begin receiving emails automatically after some time.

Clear the Outlook Cache 

Not receiving emails in Outlook? Try clearing out Cached files. Outlook uses cache files to enhance performance and speed. Sometimes, these files get corrupted, which could prevent the emails from being receive. 

  1. First, close Outlook.
  2. Press Win+R and type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook, and hit Enter.
  3. Navigate to the RomCache folder.
  4. Save the content as a backup.
  5. Next, select all files, right-click on them, and tap Delete.

Update Outlook

Using an outdated version of Outlook may result in missed emails. Make sure to install updates regularly to fix bugs and resolve syncing issues. 

  • Navigate to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now

Create a New Outlook Profile

If Microsoft Outlook not receiving emails, your Outlook profile may be corrupted.

  • Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add and create a new profile.

Check the Other Tab

Outlook’s Focused Inbox feature splits your inbox into two categories. Focused on important emails, and Others for less important ones. Check the Other tab if you can’t find an email that you’re expecting. You can also update your settings to modify how Outlook filters your emails. 

  1. Right-click on the message in the Other tab.
  2. Choose Move to Focused/Always Move to Focused

Edit the Filter Settings 

Custom rules in Outlook allow users to manage their inbox efficiently. However, these rules can automatically deletes, archives or categorize incoming messages.

A misconfigured rule can cause problems to your emails being landed in the wrong folders.

To review and fix your Outlook email rules:

  • Go to Settings > Rules. Disable or delete any rule that is causing issues.

Check if you’re Near to Storage Quota

Outlook offers up to 100GB of mailbox storage. But if you have never deleted your old emails or large attachments, you might have reached to the maximum limit. 

  • If your Outlook inbox is full, incoming emails will be blocked. Therefore, delete old messages and move large files to cloud storage to free up space.

Expert-Recommended Tool to Fix Outlook Not Receiving Emails

The Outlook PST Repair Tool is a trusted solution for fixing corruption issues. It supports bulk recovery and offers both quick and deep scanning options. Users can also preview the recovered emails before saving them. With multiple saving options and strong security features, it’s an excellent choice for both personal and business use.

Quick step-by-step procedure to fix Outlook email not receiving emails:

  1. First, download and open the tool.
  2. Select Open and choose your corrupted PST File.
  3. Choose the type of Recovery Mode and click Ok.
  4. Wait for the scan to finish, and click on Ok to proceed.
  5. Preview the data and make sure the repair was successful.
  6. Press Save to save the repaired file at your desired destination folder.
  7. Click Ok to complete. 

Conclusion

To wrap things up, the Outlook Not Receiving Emails error may result from various issues. These may include a corrupted Outlook data file, working on an older version of Outlook, unstable internet connectivity, etc. Implementing the recommended fixes should effectively resolve the issue. If a corrupted Outlook data file is the root cause, use the Outlook PST Repair Tool to recover and restore the data. With these steps, ensure that your email communication remains uninterrupted. 

Related Guide: Outlook Not Connecting to Server.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q- How do I fix Outlook not receiving emails?

Ans- There can be multiple reasons, such as unstable network, filter settings, emails might have moved to the junk folder, etc. Some of the quickest ways to solve this are by verifying the internet connection, updating Outlook, upgrading the storage limit, etc.

Q- How do I clear the Outlook cache?

Ans- Close Outlook. Press Win+R and type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook. Go to the RomCache folder and select all the files, right-click on them, and tap the Delete button.

About The Author:

Raj is a skilled technical writer who makes complicated topics easy to understand. With experience in email and cloud migration, he creates clear and engaging content that helps readers learn about technology. His work is trusted by many and has been featured on well-known tech sites.

Related Post

© Copyrights 2017-2025 by FileRecoveryTips is an affiliate partner of Cigati Solutions - All Rights Reserved.