If your external DNS doesn’t match the internal setup, Outlook can lose track of where it’s supposed to connect. You may use outdated Office versions, which can lead to further problems. If any updates to Outlook or MS Office are pending, get them installed as soon as possible. Perfectly repair and recover corrupted Outlook PST & OST files.

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

As is known, we can switch from Offline to Online FixTechGuide fix for stuck folders Mode and vice versa in Microsoft Outlook 2010 and later versions. Once Outlook is configured with an Exchange account, the Cached Exchange Mode is enabled automatically. And thus, an Offline Storage Table (OST) file is created to save a local synchronized copy of mailbox items. You can't send or receive email until you reconnect.

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

If you set up your Outlook profile wrong, it might not log in to Microsoft Exchange or Office 365. Sometimes, people connect their system to several Office 365 environments without realizing it. That can confuse Outlook, especially with Autodiscover, and you end up stuck offline. diagnose Office activation conflicts Even a brief hiccup can kick Outlook into offline mode, and sometimes it just stays there until you do something about it.

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.

• If it gets corrupted, Outlook might not connect and just stay offline.
• Your mailbox data is safe on the Exchange server, but if you have local stuff that hasn’t synced, export it first so you don’t lose anything.
• That often sets off Autodiscover conflicts and lands you in offline mode.
• If it is not displayed, double-check your internet connection and re-examine it.
• It’s a good idea to turn on automatic updates in Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
• Sometimes Exchange server permissions or policies get set up wrong.
• Closing Outlook and reopening it helps clear up minor glitches.

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.

Role of Exchange Server and Office 365

Given below are just a few examples of possible reasons.

Status: Disconnected

Don’t let secondary Exchange servers manage your device if you don’t have to. Accepting diagnose Office activation conflicts 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.



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.