Troubleshooting Emails Stuck in Outbox: Why They Appear on the Server but Not in Outlook

Published On - December 17, 2024 by Nasir Khan | Reading Time: 5 minutes

“I have been having a persistent problem with Outlook i.e., ‘emails stuck in outbox’ and won’t send. To resolve this, I deleted the user’s profile and recreated it. But this is happening too often already. Can you help me get out of this issue? Suggest some quick and reliable fix.”

Outlook is a widely used email service; however, it often encounters issues that disrupt its operation. One such Outlook issue is ‘email in Outbox not sending’. When this error arises, emails on the sender’s side appear to be sent. This can be frustrating, especially when happens frequently. Therefore, understanding the problem and its solutions can help fix this problem. One of the prominent reasons for this issue can be the corruption of PST files. Use the PST Recovery Tool to recover corrupt PST data. Explore other manual troubleshooting steps for desired results.

Understanding the Issue: Why Emails Stuck in Outbox Outlook?

When emails get stuck in the Outlook Outbox folder, it means they are not being received at the destination. Instead of being saved in the Sent Items folders, the emails remain in Outbox, waiting to be sent. This problem can interfere with communication and productivity, especially in a professional environment.

Before understanding the solution, it is equally important to figure out the possible causes behind this issue:

• Sending emails containing large attachments
• Any unwanted interruption in the network
• Outlook is set to work in offline mode
• Any corruption in the Outlook profile or the settings
• Faulty programs such as add-ins, or antivirus applications
• Wrong logging credentials or issues with the server

So, these could be possible causes for the Email in Outbox not sending error. Knowing the reasons will help you get rid of the issue sooner.

Effective Methods to Fix Emails Stuck in Outbox

Here are multiple troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue. First, find out the real cause of the error and perform steps accordingly. Let us begin with the basic one.

Method 1: Resend the Stuck Email

One of the most basic solutions that you can try is re-sending the email saved in Outbox. This method makes it possible to re-queue the email for delivery removing potential hitches. All you need to do is:

1. Open the Outbox folder in the Outlook application.
2. Select the stuck email, and click on the Send/Receive tab.
3. Then, click Send All and wait for it to try sending the email again.

In case this does not work, move the email to the Drafts folder, open it, and click on Send again. If you still cannot fix emails stuck in Outbox error, move ahead.

Method 2: Check Internet Connection

A consistent connection is required to avoid hitches in sending or receiving any email to or from the mail server. Do as mentioned:

1. Confirm the internet connection status on your device.
2. Check for a connection speed test using online tools.
3. If the troubleshooting is successful, restart your router and resend the email.

Method 3: Install Updates for Outlook and Office Applications

It is often seen that outdated software may cause performance issues. So, updates of software or programs may be a solution. They include bug fixes that can resolve known issues like email messages stuck in Outbox. Follow the steps below:

1. Launch Outlook then click File > Office Account.
2. Click on the Update options then click on Update Now.
3. Wait until the update is completed, and restart the Outlook application.

Method 4: Run Outlook in Safe Mode

Sometimes, faulty add-ins may interfere with sending emails. So, you might solve this issue by running Outlook in Safe Mode. It starts the program with a minimal set of features and disables faulty add-ins. The problems associated with add-ins, adjustments to certain settings, or damaged configurations can be solved. Follow the steps:

1. Open Run (press Win+R) and then enter outlook.exe /safe.
2. Click on OK to start MS Outlook in Safe Mode.
3. Now, try re-sending emails in Outlook safe mode.

Has the error ‘emails stuck in Outbox and won’t send’ resolved? If not yet, move to other troubleshooting methods.

Method 5: Reduce Attachment Size

As stated before, large attachments can hinder the sending and receiving process. Smaller attachments decrease the burden on Outlook, hence the smooth sending of emails. Therefore, you need to reduce the size of attachments sending:

1. Zip or split the oversized attachments into smaller parts instead.
2. Alternatively, share attachments with email-friendly cloud storage such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
3. Remove the large attachments and try to send the email again without them.

Method 6: Verify Email Account Settings

Correct username and password ensure establishing proper communication with the email server. Thus, incorrect account configuration or an old password might be the reasons causing ‘all emails stuck in Outbox’. To fix this issue, follow the procedure:

1. In Outlook, click on File > Account Settings.
2. Choose the email account and click on Change.
3. Update your current password and verify the server details.
4. Finally, click Next and then Finish to apply the changes.

Method 7: Remove or Rebuild Send/Receive Settings

If the sending error is caused by corruption of settings, this solution may work. Therefore, rebuilding or resetting the settings can eliminate the possible causes of the problem. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to File > select Options > then, click on Advanced.
2. Under Send/Receive, click Send/Receive Settings.
3. Delete the current group and create a new one with default settings.
4. At last, restart the Outlook application and try sending the email.

Did any of these procedures work? If not yet, the problem may be with the Outlook PST file. Let us see how to resolve PST file corruption.

Method 8: Repair Corrupt PST File

ScanPST.exe is an in-built tool to scan and repair PST file errors in the Outlook application. This tool is easy to run and works for most minor problems. However, in case of severe damage, this tool may not give the desired results or might fail to fix the problem.

Therefore, we alternatively suggest Regain PST Recovery Tool to repair PST and fix the ‘email messages stuck in Outbox’ error. This tool can recover deleted or lost information, and keep your Outlook PST file safe. No matter what the level of corruption is, this tool will fix it to a great extent. In such cases, it is better to use such a professional and reliable tool as it provides a more comprehensive and effective solution.

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Steps to Repair and Recover Corrupt PST Files:

1. Install the PST Recovery Software. Start it on your PC.
2. Next, browse and select the PST file to repair.
3. The tool thoroughly scans and shows a preview of the mailbox.
4. Choose a destination format or email client to restore PST data.
5. At last, to save recovered PST data, click on ‘Convert Now’.

Hence, this is the ultimate solution to fix the Outlook error, if caused by PST file corruption.

Conclusion

The Outlook error ‘emails stuck in Outbox’ can completely disrupt the workflow. Therefore, we have outlined various troubleshooting steps above. Each solution provided depends on a specific cause, therefore, it is important to find out the correct cause. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of data loss. However, if the error is caused by PST corruption, then using a professional Outlook PST recovery tool is the best option. Try all these fixes to establish normal functionality and effective communication in Outlook.