When using Outlook, you may face issues, such as “Outlook is not syncing with the server” or “Outlook is not sending, receiving, or downloading new emails.” There are several reasons that can cause syncing issues in Outlook. In this article, we will discuss the potential reasons that may lead to syncing issues in Outlook and the solutions to fix the syncing issues.
Why does the ‘Outlook, not Syncing Issue’ occur?
The ‘Outlook is not syncing with the server’ issue can occur due to one or more of the following reasons.
- Poor network connection
- Large OST files
- Corrupted Outlook profile
- Faulty or incompatible add-ins
- Hardware/software issues
- Incorrect POP or IMAP configuration settings
How to Fix Synchronization Issues in Outlook?
Follow the below-mentioned solutions to fix the Outlook is not syncing with the server issue.
Fix 1: Check the Internet Connection
Microsoft Outlook may not function properly if the network connection is poor or unstable. In such a case, you can try reconnecting your internet connection. You can open Outlook on the web to check the server connectivity. You can also reboot the router or update the drivers of the network adapter.
Fix 2: Check Email Sync Frequency
When the emails are synced after a long time, it may lead to sync errors. In this case, you can update the frequency of email syncing. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Step 1: Launch Microsoft Outlook and go to the Send/Receive tab.
- Step 2: Choose the Send/Receive Groups option and select ‘Define Send/Receive Groups’ from the dropdown menu.
- Step 3: Select the checkbox ‘Schedule an automated send/receive every 30 minutes.’ You can also change the number of minutes (minimum to 1) in the column as per your needs. When you select this option, Outlook will update the send/receive emails every 30 minutes or the frequency you’ve specified.
- Step 4: Click the Edit option in the right corner of the window.
- Step 5: Check the ‘Include the selected account in this group’ and ‘Download the offline address book’ checkboxes.
- Step 6: Go to your email account name and right-click on it.
- Step 7: Select ‘Check All Subfolders’ to sync all the folders of your email account and click OK.
Fix 3: Use Sync Slider to Manage the Size of the OST File
If the OST file size is large, you may face syncing issues in Outlook. So, you can reduce the size of the OST file by using the Sync Slider Settings. Outlook offers a Sync Slider that can be used to adjust sync time (in days, months, or years) and the online mailbox data that you want to download or store in the OST file. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Step 1: Launch Outlook and go to File > Info > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Step 2: Select your email account or Outlook profile in the Email tab and click Change.
- Step 3: In the Change Account window, look for the ‘Mail to keep offline’ slider (Sync Slider).
Note: The Sync Slider setting will only work when the Use Cached Exchange Mode option is enabled. If you are using online mode to access your emails, the Sync Slider setting will be unavailable.
- Step 4: Move forward or backward to adjust the synchronization timer and choose the data to be synchronized. You can choose the duration from 3 days to 5 years, depending on how much data you want to keep offline.
Note: Sync slider settings can be adjusted at any time as per your requirements. If you want to view the messages not synced in the OST file, choose the View on Server option.
Fix 4: Repair OST File
Corrupted or damaged OST files can also lead to sync issues in Outlook. To repair the OST file in Outlook 2003 and 2007, you can use SCANOST.exe. Follow the below steps:
- Run ScanOST.exe.
- Select the Outlook profile name where the sync issue has occurred and click Connect.
- Click Repair Errors and begin the scan.
In Outlook 2010 and later versions, follow the below steps to repair the OST file.
- Launch ScanPST.exe.
- Click Browse and select the OST file related to your Outlook profile.
- Click Start to begin the scan. When the scan is finished, click Repair.
- The tool will fix the errors and inconsistencies in the OST file.
- Restart Outlook to see if the sync issue is fixed.
Fix 5: Repair Microsoft Outlook Account
If your Outlook profile is corrupted, emails may not sync properly. In this case, you can repair your email account to resolve the problem. Follow the below steps to repair your account:
- Step 1: Launch Microsoft Outlook and go to the File menu.
- Step 2: Go to Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Step 3: Select the email account and click Repair.
- Step 4: Verify the account details and click Next.
- Step 5: Once the process is finished, restart Outlook and check if the issue has been resolved.
Fix 6: Remove Faulty/Incompatible Add-ins
Incompatible or faulty add-ins can also lead to the Outlook not syncing issue. Follow the below steps to remove the add-ins:
- Step 1: Launch Microsoft Outlook and choose the File option.
- Step 2: Go to Info and then click Options.
- Step 3: Click Add-ins in the pop-up window.
- Step 4: Go to Manage, click COM Add-ins, and then click the Go button.
- Restart your Outlook application.
Fix 7: Update Outlook Application
An outdated Outlook application may also lead to sync issues. Follow the below-mentioned steps to update Outlook to the latest version:
- Step 1: Launch Outlook and go to the File menu.
- Step 2: Click Office Account.
- Click on Update Options and select Update Now.
Fix 8: Rebuild Outlook Data File (OST)
If the Outlook sync issue has occurred due to a corrupt or damaged OST file, you can rebuild the OST file to fix the issue. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Step 1: Open Outlook. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings and click on the Data File tab.
- Step 2: Choose your email account and click ‘Open file location’. You will be redirected to the location where the default OST is stored.
- Step 3: Close Outlook. Now, copy the default OST file to any other location for backup.
- Step 4: Delete the OST file and restart Outlook. It will automatically recreate a new OST file and start synchronizing the mail items from the server.
After recreating the OST file, check for any missing emails and other items. If you do not find any emails and other items, you can use a professional OST to PST converter tool, such as Stellar Converter for OST. It can extract the mail items from the backup OST and save them in PST format. You can then import this PST into Outlook. This will help you restore your missing mail items securely. Moreover, the tool can also convert orphaned, inaccessible, or encrypted OST files into PST. It also allows to export of OST file data directly to an existing Outlook profile, live Exchange mailbox, or Office 365 with 100% integrity.
Conclusion
You can come across synchronization errors in Outlook due to various reasons. In this article, we have covered various manual fixes to solve the syncing issues in Outlook. If the OST file is corrupt/damaged, you can take a backup of the file and rebuild it to resolve the issue. If you found any missing items in the new OST file, then use a professional tool, like Stellar Converter for OST to extract missing items from the backup OST file.
