One of the common steps for troubleshooting when you cannot receive email in Outlook is setting up a new profile to use. Sometimes this takes care of whatever is wrong in the mail delivery system, but if it does not, there are other steps you can take. Have you checked if the connection uses TCP/IP? This needs to be the default protocol for mail to go in or out, so ensuring this is in the configuration is where you should start.
First, go to Network Connection Properties. To get there in XP or Windows 2000, perform the following steps depending on the version of Windows you are on.
- Hit Start and then Run.
- Type cpl in the text field and hit Enter. This will bring up the Network Connections window.
- Here find the connection you are on and right click it, then hit Properties.
For later version, you simply need to type Network Connections in search and then select the properties of the connection. If you have more than one connection in this window, the one you are using will likely say Connected, so chose this one.
Making Sure Outlook Is Using TCP/IP
- Go to the General tab and make sure that the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) option is selected. If it is not, leave a check in the box beside the label, and hit OK.
- If you are asked to restart the computer, click on Yes.
After this is done, try out the connection to see if it works – send yourself an email and see if it arrives. If that is working fine, you have solved the mail receiving problem.
Other reasons cannot receive email in Outlook are:
- Your internet address or connection settings were not typed in correctly. The error could be as small as a capitalization mistake, which counts.
- Your internet email settings are not configured right. Check what you have entered in Outlook with your ISP, and if there is any difference between the two, correct your configuration accordingly. People commonly type in a DNS address or a news server address in the mail server field, so check if you have done the same.
- Your remote mail configurations may also act up. Doing this is known to disrupt existing connections, with email not being sent or received as it should be.
That was on setting up TCP/IP as your default protocol in Outlook, and alternate factors, which might be preventing mail from coming in.