How to Resolve the "Error Occurs When You Send or Receive an Email Message in Outlook" Issue
Introduction
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used email clients in both personal and professional environments. However, like any software, Outlook can encounter issues, particularly when sending or receiving email messages. If you’re facing the dreaded error message such as "Error occurs when you send or receive an email message in Outlook," you are not alone. This is a common problem, and the root cause can vary, ranging from connectivity issues to account misconfiguration, file corruption, or even third-party software interference.
In this article, we'll go over the possible causes of this error, the specific error codes you might see, and most importantly, how to troubleshoot and fix the problem. By following the detailed steps outlined here, you can get your Outlook back on track and restore its ability to send and receive emails efficiently.
Common Causes of Send/Receive Errors in Outlook
Before diving into troubleshooting, it’s important to understand the common reasons why this issue may occur. Here are some of the most frequent causes:
Internet Connection Issues: If you’re not connected to the internet or the connection is unstable, Outlook cannot communicate with your mail server.
Incorrect Email Account Settings: Misconfigured IMAP/POP or SMTP server settings can prevent Outlook from sending or receiving emails.
Antivirus or Firewall Interference: Overly aggressive antivirus software or firewalls can block Outlook from connecting to the email server.
Corrupted Outlook Data Files (PST or OST): If your Outlook data files (PST or OST) become corrupted, Outlook might struggle to send or receive messages.
Outlook Add-ins: Sometimes, third-party add-ins can conflict with Outlook’s normal operations, leading to errors.
Email Server Issues: The issue might not be on your end—email servers could be experiencing downtime or facing other performance issues.
Large Email Attachments: Emails with large attachments that exceed the server's size limits can prevent successful sending or receiving.
Account Authentication Issues: Changes to your account credentials, such as password changes, can result in authentication failures and cause the send/receive process to fail.
Common Error Codes Associated with Send/Receive Issues
When sending or receiving emails fails, Outlook typically provides an error message that contains a specific error code. Some of the most common error codes include:
0x800CCC0E: Outlook cannot connect to the mail server.
0x800CCC0F: Connection to the server was interrupted.
0x800CCC13: Unable to connect to the network.
0x8004210A: The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving server.
0x8004210B: The operation timed out waiting for a response from the sending server.
0x800CCC79: Outlook cannot connect to the SMTP server.
0x8004010F: Outlook data file cannot be accessed.
0x80040600: Outlook PST file is corrupted.
Identifying the error code can help pinpoint the cause of the problem and guide your troubleshooting process.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting to Fix Send/Receive Errors
- Check Your Internet Connection
Since Outlook relies on a stable internet connection to send and receive emails, the first thing you should do is ensure that your internet connection is active and stable.
Steps:
Open a web browser and try to visit any website. If the page loads, your connection is active.
If the connection is slow or unreliable, restart your router or contact your ISP.
If you’re using a corporate network, check if there are any firewall or proxy issues that might block Outlook.
- Verify Your Email Account Settings
Incorrect email account settings are one of the most common causes of send/receive errors in Outlook. This includes incorrect incoming (IMAP/POP) and outgoing (SMTP) server details, ports, or authentication settings.
Steps:
In Outlook, click on File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
Select your email account and click Change.
Confirm that the incoming and outgoing server settings are correct. For example, here are Gmail’s settings:
Incoming Mail Server: imap.gmail.com (for IMAP) or pop.gmail.com (for POP)
Incoming Mail Port: 993 (IMAP with SSL) or 995 (POP with SSL)
Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.gmail.com
Outgoing Mail Port: 465 (SSL) or 587 (TLS)
Encryption: SSL/TLS
Ensure that My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication is checked.
If your email provider uses two-factor authentication (2FA), ensure you are using an App Password instead of your regular email password.
If you're using an email service other than Gmail, consult your email provider's website for the correct server settings.
- Clear the Outbox and Split Large Attachments
Large attachments or corrupt email drafts stuck in the Outbox can prevent other emails from being sent. Emails with large attachments might exceed the server's size limits, which usually range from 10 to 25 MB.
Steps:
Go to your Outbox in Outlook.
If any emails are stuck there, try deleting them or moving them to the Drafts folder.
If your email contains a large attachment, consider compressing the file using a ZIP program or uploading it to a cloud service (e.g., Google Drive or OneDrive) and sending a link instead.
Try resending the email without attachments to see if the error is resolved.
- Disable Antivirus or Firewall Temporarily
Overly aggressive antivirus programs or firewalls can block Outlook’s connection to the mail server, especially if they have email scanning features. Disabling these temporarily can help you identify whether they’re causing the problem.
Steps:
Open your antivirus software and disable the email scanning feature (or temporarily disable the entire antivirus program).
Similarly, disable any firewall settings that might be interfering with Outlook.
Restart Outlook and try sending or receiving emails again.
Note: Make sure to re-enable your antivirus and firewall after testing. If the problem is resolved, consider configuring exceptions for Outlook in your antivirus or firewall software.
- Repair Your Outlook Profile
A corrupted Outlook profile can cause synchronization issues, preventing the client from sending or receiving emails. Repairing your Outlook profile might fix the issue.
Steps:
In Outlook, click on File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
Under the Email tab, select your account and click Repair.
Follow the on-screen prompts to repair the profile.
Restart Outlook after the repair is complete and try sending/receiving emails again.
- Repair Corrupted Outlook Data Files (PST or OST)
If your Outlook data file (PST or OST) is corrupted, Outlook may fail to send or receive emails. You can use the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST) to fix corrupted PST files.
Steps:
Close Outlook completely.
Locate the SCANPST.EXE tool. Here’s where you can usually find it:
For Outlook 2016/2019 and Office 365:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\SCANPST.EXE
For Outlook 2013:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\SCANPST.EXE
Open SCANPST.EXE and browse to your PST or OST file location (usually in C:\Users[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook).
Select the file and click Start to begin scanning.
If errors are found, click Repair.
Once the file is repaired, restart Outlook and see if the send/receive issue is resolved.
- Start Outlook in Safe Mode to Disable Add-ins
Add-ins can interfere with Outlook’s normal functioning, sometimes causing send/receive errors. Running Outlook in Safe Mode disables all add-ins and can help determine if they are causing the issue.
Steps:
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type outlook.exe /safe and press Enter.
Outlook will open in Safe Mode.
Try sending and receiving an email.
If it works in Safe Mode, go to File > Options > Add-ins.
Under Manage COM Add-ins, click Go and disable all unnecessary add-ins by unchecking them.
Restart Outlook in normal mode and test again.
- Increase Server Timeout Settings
Sometimes, Outlook may time out while trying to connect to the mail server, especially on a slow network. Increasing the server timeout setting can give Outlook more time to connect and complete the send/receive operation.
Steps:
In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
Select your email account and click Change.
Click More Settings and navigate to the Advanced tab.
Under Server Timeouts, increase the timeout value by sliding the bar to the right.
Click OK and restart Outlook.
- Create a New Outlook Profile
If your current Outlook profile is corrupted beyond repair, creating a new profile can resolve the send/receive error.
Steps:
Close Outlook.
Open Control Panel and search for Mail.
Click on Mail (Microsoft Outlook) and then select Show Profiles.
Click Add, enter a new profile name, and set up your email account again.
Select Always use this profile and choose your new profile from the list.
Restart Outlook with the new profile.
- Contact Your Email Provider or IT Support
If none of the above methods work, the issue may lie with your email provider or the server itself. There may be server downtime or configuration issues that you cannot resolve on your own.
Steps:
Contact your email provider’s support team or your IT department to check if there are any known issues with the mail server.
If needed, they can guide you through advanced troubleshooting steps.
Summary
Send/receive errors in Outlook can be caused by a variety of issues, ranging from simple connectivity problems to more complex issues like corrupt data files or misconfigured server settings. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, you can systematically identify and resolve the problem.
Check your internet connection to ensure stability.
Verify your email settings to confirm that IMAP/POP and SMTP details are correct.
Use the Inbox Repair Tool (SCANPST) to repair corrupted data files, and start Outlook in Safe Mode to identify problematic add-ins.
If nothing works, creating a new Outlook profile may resolve the issue.
If the problem persists, contacting your email provider or IT department for further assistance is a good final step to ensure a server-side issue is not to blame.