How To Troubleshoot Outlook Working Offline Issue?

With the Outlook 2010 version, Microsoft has allowed Outlook users to work offline and online. This is for all those accounts that employ a Microsoft Exchange server. When working offline, Outlook does not get any incoming emails or send them. It does all these things once it’s back online. But if you find your Outlook working offline and it has been stuck in this mode, then it’s important to fix the problem. Not doing so will prevent you from carrying out email communication. There are several ways to reconnect to the server and kickstart email sending and receiving. Keep reading to learn about them.

Why Is Outlook Working Offline?

The outlook may not get past the offline mode because of many factors. Know about them to troubleshoot the glitch.

• The mail server has an issue, so your Outlook will show disconnected status. 
• Your account is configured incorrectly.
• Your Outlook profile is damaged or corrupt.
• You cannot find the Work Offline button.
• A third-party add-in is causing Outlook working offline issue. You are entering incorrect login credentials.
• It’s likely that you haven’t installed the latest Office updates.
• Weak internet connection.

Fixes to Use on Finding Outlook Working Offline

You can use many simple to advanced fixes to resolve the problem. These techniques are suitable for various Outlook versions, starting from Outlook 2010 to Outlook 2019. 

1. Fix the Problem With Your Internet Connectivity

If you have unstable internet connectivity, you will find Outlook displaying the offline status. Until you fix the internet connection, Outlook will remain in offline mode. Here are some ways to improve the connectivity. 

• Restart your router and modem. Also, restart your computer. 
• Examine your wires and cables. Ensure that the cables are connected to both the wall outlet and modem. Also, examine the cables for damage. 
• Connect with your Internet Service Provider if the problem doesn’t go away. 

2. Reconnect by Resetting the Work Offline Option

You can find the option of ‘Work Offline‘ below the ‘Send/Receive tab in Outlook. Tap this option to reset work offline mode. Now you can reconnect to the Exchange server. After that, examine the status. Hopefully, it will display ‘Connected.’ But if it still doesn’t, perform these steps again. 

3. Use Outlook in Safe Mode and Disable Add-Ins

As mentioned before, third-party add-ins can make Outlook go offline. So, you must disable them by first opening Outlook in Safe Mode. For doing so, open the ‘Run‘ dialog by pressing the Windows and R keys. Input’ Outlook.exe /safe’ and hit Enter. 

• Now, head to ‘File‘ followed by ‘Options.’ 
• Choose ‘Add-ins.’
• Go to the ‘Manage‘ area and pick ‘COM Add-ins.’
• Select ‘Go.’
• Uncheck the add-ins that you think are conflicting and select ‘OK.’
• Now, press the ‘Send/Receive button and look at the status bar. It should show ‘Online.’

4. Install The Latest Updates

There might be pending updates that you haven’t installed. So, an effective Outlook working offline fix is to check for updates. You can easily examine it by going to ‘File‘ in Outlook. After that, choose ‘Account‘ and tap ‘Office Updates.’ It will be present under the ‘Product Information area.

After installing Office updates, your Outlook will likely show online status, and you will be able to carry on your email communication.

5. Make a New Profile

A corrupt Outlook profile can be the reason behind your Outlook getting stuck in offline mode. In order to resolve the problem with the damaged profile, you can create a new one. Here is how this can be accomplished in different Outlook versions. 

• In Outlook, tap ‘File‘ followed by ‘Account Settings.’
• From here, choose the ‘Manage Profile‘ option. 
• Now tap the option of ‘Show Profiles‘ followed by ‘Add.’
• Input your profile name and tap ‘OK.’
• After that, switch to the new profile by going to ‘File.’
• From there, choose ‘Account Settings‘ followed by ‘Change Profile.’
• You will find Outlook closing. 
• Restart it and from the dropdown, select the newly made profile. 

6. Configure the Exchange Server Account

Yet another thing to try when you find Outlook working offline is to manually configure the Exchange server account. It will allow you to link to the network. 

• In Outlook, go to ‘File‘ and choose ‘Account Settings.’
• Now tap the option of ‘Account Settings.’
• Look under the ‘Email‘ tab and tap your Microsoft Exchange server account. 
• Now, tap ‘Change.‘
• After that, click the ‘More Settings button. 
• Tap the option of ‘Manually control connection state.’
• Now choose the ‘Connect with network‘ option. 
• Tap ‘OK‘ followed by ‘Next.’
• After that, click ‘Finish‘ and exit the window. 
• Lastly, tap ‘Close‘ to close the window of Account Settings.

7. Find The Missing Work Offline Button

Sometimes, you may be unable to locate the ‘Work Offline‘ button if your email account doesn’t employ a server compatible with Microsoft Exchange. But the problem can also occur even if you are using a compatible mail server. You can find this button by following these points.

• Head to ‘File‘ from the main window of Outlook.
• Choose ‘Info’ followed by ‘Account Settings.’
• Now, select your account name and then ‘Sync Settings.’
• In the window that comes up, tap ‘More Settings.’
• Hit the ‘Advanced‘ tab.
• Now, place a tick on the checkboxes of ‘Download Shared Folders‘ and ‘Use Cached Exchange Mode.’

8. Make The OST File Again

An issue with the Outlook OST file prevents Outlook from syncing with the mailbox server. So, an ideal solution will be to recreate the OST file.

• Click ‘File‘ after opening Outlook.
• Head to ‘Account Settings and click the same option in the dropdown.
• Next, click ‘Data Files.’
• Choose your Outlook profile and hit the button ‘Open File Location.’
• Now, copy the file to a specific place and exit Outlook.
• You can now remove this OST file.
• After that, launch Outlook again. The action will recreate the OST file.
• Simultaneously, your Outlook will get past the offline mode error.

Wrapping Up

When you find Outlook working offline, it means there’s an issue with your profile, add-ins, or internet connectivity. So, you can use all the measures above to fix the underlying cause. However, in case the offline mode error persists, it’s better to take the help of experienced technical support experts.