Email problems are frustrating. You click send, nothing happens, and suddenly you’re stuck. Or worse, you find out hours later that important messages never arrived.
Email issues account for nearly 1 in 4 support tickets we handle at Kwik Support. That’s more than any other single problem. The good news? Many common email problems have quick fixes you can try yourself before calling for help.
This guide covers what to check when your email stops working, whether you’re using Outlook, webmail, or mobile devices. We’ll walk through the most common symptoms and practical steps to get your email flowing again.
When email stops working
Email problems rarely happen at convenient times. You might notice the issue when you’re trying to send an urgent proposal, or when you realise you haven’t received any messages all morning.
Here’s what we see most often in support tickets:
- Messages sit in your outbox and won’t send
- You can send but nothing comes in
- Attachments fail or get rejected
- Password errors when you try to log in
- Everything works on your computer but not your phone
- Email is extremely slow to send or receive
The first step is figuring out exactly what’s broken. That tells you where to look for solutions.
Check 1: Is it just you, or is it everyone?
Before you dive into troubleshooting, check whether the problem is on your end or something bigger.
For Microsoft 365 users, visit the Microsoft 365 Service Health dashboard. Log in with your work account and check for any active incidents affecting Exchange or email services. If Microsoft is having problems, you’ll see notifications there.
Ask colleagues if they’re experiencing similar issues. If multiple people can’t send or receive email, the problem is likely with your email server or internet connection, not your individual setup.
If it’s just you, the issue is probably with your device settings, password, or local configuration.
Check 2: Are you actually connected to the internet?
This sounds obvious, but we’ve seen countless tickets where email problems turned out to be network issues.
Try opening a website in your browser. If web pages won’t load, your internet connection is down and that’s why email isn’t working.
Check your Wi-Fi connection. Sometimes your device shows connected but isn’t actually communicating with the network. Try disconnecting and reconnecting, or switch to a different network if available.
If you’re working remotely and using a VPN, try disconnecting it temporarily. Some VPN configurations can interfere with email connections.
Check 3: Email not sending – look in your outbox
When messages won’t send, they usually get stuck in your Outbox folder. Open Outlook or your email client and check there.
Common reasons messages get stuck:
Large attachments: If you’re trying to send files over 25MB, most email systems will reject them. Remove the attachment, use a file sharing link instead, and try sending again.
Too many recipients: Sending to hundreds of people at once can trigger spam filters or exceed your sending limits. Break large distributions into smaller groups.
Offline mode: In Outlook, check the bottom of the window. If it says “Working Offline”, click it to reconnect. Your stuck messages should send immediately.
Corrupt message: Occasionally a single message becomes corrupted and blocks everything behind it. Try deleting the stuck message (you can save it as a draft first) to clear the queue.
If messages are stuck, don’t keep clicking send. That creates duplicates. Fix the underlying problem first, then send once.
Check 4: Email not receiving – check your storage
When you stop receiving email, the most common culprit is a full mailbox.
Most Microsoft 365 accounts have 50GB of storage, but it fills up faster than you’d think. Large attachments, old calendar items, and years of archived messages all count against your limit.
Check your mailbox size:
- In Outlook, right-click your mailbox name and choose “Data File Properties”
- In Outlook on the web, click the settings gear and look for storage information
If you’re over 90% full, email will stop arriving. Delete old messages, empty your Deleted Items folder, and remove large attachments you’ve already saved elsewhere.
Another receiving issue is overzealous junk mail filters. Check your Junk Email or Spam folder. If important messages are landing there, mark them as “Not Junk” to train your filter.
Check 5: Password and login problems
If you’re getting password errors, don’t just keep trying the same password. After too many failed attempts, your account may get locked for security reasons.
First, verify you’re using the correct password. Try logging into your email through a web browser. If that works, the password is fine and the problem is with your email client setup.
If you genuinely can’t remember your password, use your organisation’s password reset process. For Microsoft 365, that’s usually through your company’s self-service portal.
After resetting your password, you’ll need to update it everywhere you access email – Outlook on your computer, your phone, your tablet. Each device stores credentials separately.
Common password-related issues:
- Your password expired and needs changing
- Two-factor authentication is required but not set up
- Your account was locked after suspicious activity
- Saved passwords in your browser or email client are outdated
If you keep getting password prompts even after entering the correct password, the credential cache might be corrupted. On Windows, search for “Credential Manager” and remove stored credentials for your email account, then sign in fresh.
Check 6: Mobile and multiple devices
Email should work the same everywhere, but each device has its own potential problems.
If email works on your computer but not your phone:
Check your email settings: Mobile devices often use different connection protocols. Verify the incoming server (IMAP or Exchange), outgoing server (SMTP), and port numbers are correct.
Remove and re-add the account: Sometimes the quickest fix is deleting your email account from your phone completely, then adding it back fresh. Make sure you know your password before doing this.
Update your apps: Outdated email apps can have compatibility problems with modern email servers. Check for updates in your app store.
Check sync settings: Your phone might be set to only sync recent messages or only when on Wi-Fi. Check the account sync settings.
If email works on mobile but not your computer, the problem is likely with your Outlook installation or local settings.
Check 7: Attachment problems
Attachment issues come in several flavours, each with different solutions.
“File size exceeds the allowable limit”: Most email systems limit attachments to 25MB total. Compress large files or use OneDrive, SharePoint, or another file sharing service instead.
“This file type is not allowed”: For security reasons, many organisations block executable files (.exe, .bat, .com) and other risky formats. Zip the file or use a file sharing link.
Recipients say they didn’t receive your attachment: Check that the file actually attached before you sent. Sometimes clicking send before the upload finishes means the message goes without the file.
You can’t open attachments you receive: This might be a permissions issue with shared files, or security software blocking the download. Try saving the attachment to a different location.
For sharing large files regularly, ask your IT team about OneDrive or SharePoint. These integrate with Outlook and let you send links instead of actual files, avoiding size limits entirely.
When to call for help
Some email problems need professional support. Here’s when to pick up the phone:
Your email has been compromised: If you see sent messages you didn’t write, or your password changed without your knowledge, contact IT immediately. This is a security incident.
Nothing above worked: If you’ve tried these steps and email still isn’t working after an hour, there’s likely a deeper configuration problem.
Multiple people are affected: If your whole team or department can’t send or receive email, this is a server or service issue requiring IT intervention.
You’re getting error codes: Messages like “0x800CCC92” or “550 5.7.1” indicate specific server problems that need technical diagnosis.
Email works but is extremely slow: Persistent performance problems might indicate database issues, synchronisation conflicts, or server problems.
At Kwik Support, we handle email and Microsoft 365 issues daily. Our remote support team typically resolves email problems the same day, with an 83% same-day resolution rate across all ticket types.
Preventing future email problems
Once you’re back up and running, a few proactive steps can prevent repeat issues:
Keep your mailbox under 70% capacity: Set a calendar reminder to clean out old messages quarterly. Archive important emails to a PST file or delete what you don’t need.
Use email authentication: If you send email from your own domain, proper SPF, DKIM and DMARC records prevent your messages being marked as spam. Our BEACON platform monitors these settings continuously for R150 per month.
Keep software updated: Enable automatic updates for Outlook and your operating system. Many email bugs are fixed in regular updates.
Document your settings: Take screenshots of your email account settings. If you need to rebuild your profile, you’ll have the exact configuration details.
Test on multiple devices: After any email system changes, verify email works on your computer, phone, and webmail. Catching problems early is easier than troubleshooting later.
Get help when you need it
Email problems disrupt your entire day. If you’ve tried these steps and you’re still stuck, we can help.
Kwik Support offers comprehensive email and Microsoft 365 support across all our managed service plans. We monitor email flow, handle configuration, and troubleshoot issues before they impact your work.
For immediate assistance with email problems:
- Call our support line: 087 550 5945
- Emergency help: Use the Panic Button on our website for instant triage
- Plan options: View our managed IT plans at /plans/
- Break-fix support: If you’re not on a plan, we offer remote support at R650 per hour
Our team has decades of combined experience with Microsoft 365 environments. We know email systems inside out because we work with them every single day.
Visit /contact/ to get started, or call us now if your email needs urgent attention.
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