Outlook users, at times, face a situation where their application fails to connect to the server, thus disrupting the synchronization of mail items and affecting the email communication and workflow. Although connectivity problems in Outlook are usually associated with connection or internet issues, the problem can also occur due to multiple other factors and reasons. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the potential reasons behind the Outlook Exchange Server connection failure issue and provide some effective solutions to resolve the issue.

 

Understanding the Reasons behind Outlook Exchange Server Connection Failure Issue

Here are some possible reasons that can cause connectivity issues between Outlook and Exchange Server.  

• Network/internet connectivity issues 
• Outdated Outlook application 
• Incorrect Outlook account configuration 
• Corrupted Outlook data file (OST)
• Firewall or antivirus program interference 
• Incompatible or faulty add-ins
• Corrupt or damaged Outlook installation files

 

Solutions to Resolve the Outlook Exchange Server Connection Failure Issue

Most often, a simple restart of the computer helps resolve some minor bugs or glitches. So, close your Outlook application and then restart your computer to see if helps fix the connection issues between Outlook and server. Additionally, you can also verify if the Work Offline mode is enabled in Outlook. If it is, then you have disable it. You can do this by going to the Send/Receive tab and tapping on Work Offline option. If the issue is still there, follow the solutions mentioned below.

1. Check Internet Connectivity 

Poor, unstable, or no internet connectivity is one of the major reasons for the Outlook Exchange Server connection failure issue. It is obvious what you need to do. Check and confirm that you have a stable internet/network connection. You can open any random website. If the website fails to open, then it is confirmed there is a problem with your internet connection. Check your Wi-Fi or router. Else, immediately contact your internet service provider (ISP) for the resolution. 

2. Update Outlook 

Have you not updated your Outlook application for quite some time? Then there is a chance that it might have developed bugs or glitches that is causing issue while connecting to the server. If this is the case, then check and update Outlook. Follow these simple steps: 

• First, launch Outlook. 
• Then, go to File > Office Account. 

• Under Product Information, click on the update options and select Update Now. 

 

• Wait for Outlook to search for and install the recent updates. 
• When done, restart Outlook and see if the issue is resolved. 

3. Verify your Outlook Account Configuration

If the account configuration is incorrect or mismatches, then Outlook may fail to authenticate with the mailbox server, leading to failed connection. In this case, the solution is quite simple - verify your email account settings and make sure these are correctly configured. To know how to do, follow these steps:

• Double-click on the Outlook icon on your computer and open it. 
• Go to the File menu, then click on Account Settings, and select Account Settings.

• Now, click on Change and verify your email account information (such as email ID or username) is entered correctly, and restart Outlook.

4. Disable Incompatible Add-ins

At times, add-ins can interfere with Outlook functionality, if these become faulty or incompatible. If your Outlook Exchange connection failure is due to any problematic add-in, here’s how to identify it and fix the issue: 

• Launch Outlook in safe mode. For this, press the Windows and R keys at once. In the Open field in the Run app, enter outlook.exe /safe, and click OK.

 

 

• Click on File and go to Options.

 

• Click Add-Ins and then click the Go button besides Manage: COM Add-Ins.

 

• Uncheck all Add-Ins and then click OK.

 

• Now, restart your Outlook in normal mode. 

If the issue is resolved, then it is clear that a faulty add-in was causing the issue. Now, enable the add-ins one at a time and restart Outlook to identify the faulty add-in which was causing the problem.

5. Check Firewall and Antivirus Settings

At times, your Firewall or antivirus program blocks the ports that Outlook would be needing for connecting to the Exchange Server. This can cause the connection failure issue. To know if this the case, disable the Firewall or antivirus software for the time being. If now your Outlook is connecting properly with the server, then make the processes related to Outlook as exceptions in your Firewall/antivirus settings. Else, install an antivirus program, which is fully-compatible with your Outlook.   

6. Repair or Reinstall Microsoft Office

In might be the case that the problem isn’t with your account or the server at all—it’s with Outlook or MS Office program itself. If the installation files are damaged or corrupted, Outlook won’t work properly and you may experience connection failure problem. To fix the issue, you can try repairing the MS Office program. Here are the steps to do it: 

• First of all, open the Control Panel. 
• Then, go to Programs and click on Uninstall a Program. 

• From the list of programs, choose Microsoft Office and click on Change.

• Select Repair and then click Continue. Follow the wizard to repair the MS Office.

• Open MS Outlook. If this does not resolve the issue, you can reinstall the MS Office.

7. Rebuild or Recreate the OST File

Most often, issues with the Outlook data file (OST) can cause synchronization problem with the server. If your OST file is having issues, recreate it. Here is how: 

• Close your Outlook application. After that, go to the location where your OST file is stored. If you don’t know the OST file location, then right-click on your account name in Outlook and click Open File Location. 
• Rename your OST file or move it to another folder for creating its backup. 
• Now, right-click on your OST file and select Delete.
• When the file is deleted, start your Outlook again. This will create a new OST file and synchronize all your mailbox items available on the mailbox server. 

When the OST file is created, you need to also ensure that it contains all the items which were there previously. It might happen that some mailbox items are not synchronized when the connectivity is not there. If you found any missing items, you can restore those items from the backup OST file (created before recreating). If you’re wondering how? Then, just use a professional OST to PST converter tool. Stellar Converter for OST is one such reliable tool that can assist you. It is designed to extract mailbox items (all or selectively) from the orphaned/inaccessible OST files and save them in PST file format. You can scan your backup OST file with this tool, search for the missing items, and save them in PST. This PST file you can import into your Outlook to restore the missing items. 

Conclusion

In this article, you have understood the reasons for Outlook Exchange Server connection failure issue. You can follow the solutions – mentioned in this article – to resolve the issue, based on the cause. In case of issues with the OST file, you can recreate the file. For this, take a backup of your OST file and then delete it. When you start your application, a new OST file will be created at the default location. As synchronization was not proper due to connection failure, there are chances that you find some missing items in the newly created OST file. As you’ve already took a backup of your old OST file, you can use Stellar Converter for OST to recover the missing items from the backup file. You can save the recovered items in PST file and import it into your Outlook profile to restore the items.