Microsoft Outlook Takes a Long Time to Download Emails: How to Fix It
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email client apps in the world. It offers many features to manage your messages, tasks, and appointments. However, sometimes it may run slow or stop working properly. One of the common issues that many users face is that Outlook takes a long time to download emails from the server. This can be frustrating and affect your productivity.
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In this article, we will explain what causes Outlook to be slow in downloading emails and how to fix it. We will also provide some tips on how to troubleshoot other common Outlook problems.
Introduction
Outlook is a powerful and versatile app that can handle multiple email accounts and sync with various services. However, like any software, it can also encounter errors and glitches that can affect its performance. One of the most annoying issues that many users experience is that Outlook takes a long time to download emails from the server. This can happen for various reasons, such as:
An Exchange Online server issue
A local network issue
A large or corrupted Outlook data file
An outdated or incompatible Outlook version
A faulty or conflicting add-in
A damaged or misconfigured Outlook profile
A problem with Skype for Business Online integration
A large number of RSS feeds
A disabled Cached Exchange Mode option
An enabled hardware acceleration feature
A large number of messages on the server
Fortunately, there are some solutions that you can try to speed up Outlook performance and fix the issue of slow email downloading. In the next section, we will show you how to do that.
How to speed up Outlook performance
If you are facing the issue of Outlook taking a long time to download emails, here are some steps that you can follow to improve its performance and resolve the issue:
Update Windows and Outlook
One of the first things that you should do is to make sure that your Windows and Outlook are up-to-date. Sometimes, outdated or missing patches can cause problems with the app. To check for updates, follow these steps:
Open Settings on your Windows 10 device.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the Check for updates button.
If there are any available updates, install them and restart your device.
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Office Account.
Click the Update Options button located on the right-side.
Click the Update Now option.
If there are any available updates, install them and restart Outlook.
Disable add-ins
Add-ins are extensions that enhance the functionality of Outlook. However, some add-ins may be faulty or incompatible with your Outlook version and cause it to run slow or crash. To disable add-ins, follow these steps:
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Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Options.
Click on Add-ins.
In the Manage drop-down list, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
Uncheck the boxes for the add-ins that you want to disable and click OK.
Restart Outlook and check if the issue is resolved. If not, repeat the steps for other types of add-ins, such as Outlook Add-ins, Exchange Client Extensions, etc.
Reduce the size of Outlook data files
Outlook data files are where Outlook stores your emails, contacts, calendars, and other items. These files can grow large over time and affect the performance of Outlook. To reduce the size of Outlook data files, you can do the following:
Delete or archive old or unwanted items from your mailbox.
Empty the Deleted Items and Junk Email folders regularly.
Compact your Outlook data files to remove any unused space. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Account Settings and then Account Settings again.
Click on the Data Files tab.
Select the data file that you want to compact and click Settings.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Click on the Outlook Data File Settings button.
Click on the Compact Now button and wait for the process to complete.
Click OK and close the dialog boxes.
Repair or create a new Outlook profile
An Outlook profile is a set of settings and information that Outlook uses to connect to your email account. Sometimes, your Outlook profile may get corrupted or misconfigured and cause problems with Outlook. To repair or create a new Outlook profile, follow these steps:
Close Outlook if it is running.
Open Control Panel on your Windows 10 device.
Type mail in the search box and click on Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
Click on Show Profiles.
Select the profile that you want to repair and click Properties.
Click on Email Accounts.
Select the email account that you want to repair and click Repair.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the repair process.
If the repair does not fix the issue, you can try creating a new profile by clicking on Add in the Mail dialog box and following the steps to set up a new email account.
Once you have created a new profile, you can set it as the default profile by selecting it and clicking on Always use this profile in the Mail dialog box.
Disable Skype for Business Online integration
If you are using Skype for Business Online with Outlook, you may notice that it slows down Outlook performance. This is because Skype for Business Online integrates with Outlook and syncs your contacts, presence status, and conversation history. To disable Skype for Business Online integration, follow these steps:
Open Skype for Business Online and click on Tools.
Click on Options.
Click on Personal.
Uncheck the box for Update my presence based on my calendar information.
Uncheck the box for Save IM conversations in my email Conversation History folder.
Uncheck the box for Save call logs in my email Conversation History folder.
Click OK and close Skype for Business Online.
Disable RSS feeds
RSS feeds are web feeds that allow you to subscribe to updates from your favorite websites. Outlook can also display RSS feeds in your mailbox. However, if you have too many RSS feeds or they are not updated frequently, they can slow down Outlook performance. To disable RSS feeds, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Options.
Click on Advanced.
In the Send and receive section, click on Send/Receive...
Click on the Edit button next to the All Accounts group.
Uncheck the box for Receive RSS Feeds in this group and click OK.
Click on the RSS Feeds tab.
Select the RSS feeds that you want to remove and click Remove.
Click OK and close the dialog boxes.
Enable Cached Exchange Mode
If you are using an Exchange account with Outlook, you can enable Cached Exchange Mode to improve Outlook performance. Cached Exchange Mode allows Outlook to store a copy of your mailbox on your local device and sync with the server periodically. This way, you can access your emails faster and reduce the network traffic. To enable Cached Exchange Mode, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Account Settings and then Account Settings again.
Click on the Email tab.
Select your Exchange account and click Change.
Check the box for Use Cached Exchange Mode and click Next.
Click Finish and restart Outlook.
Disable hardware acceleration
Hardware acceleration is a feature that allows Outlook to use your device's graphics card to improve its performance. However, sometimes hardware acceleration can cause issues with Outlook, such as slow or distorted display. To disable hardware acceleration, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Options.
Click on Advanced.
In the Display section, check the box for Disable hardware graphics acceleration and click OK.
Restart Outlook and check if the issue is resolved.
Move or delete some messages from the server
If you have a large number of messages on the server, it can take a long time for Outlook to download them. To speed up Outlook performance, you can move or delete some messages from the server. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on Send/Receive.
Click on Download Headers in the Send/Receive Groups drop-down list.
Select the folder that contains the messages that you want to move or delete from the server.
Select the messages that you want to move or delete from the server and right-click on them.
Select Move or Delete from the context menu and choose a destination folder or confirm the deletion.
Export to an Outlook for Mac archive file
If you are using Outlook for Mac, you can export your emails to an archive file to reduce the size of your mailbox and improve Outlook performance. An archive file is a separate file that stores your emails and other items. You can access it anytime by opening it in Outlook. To export to an archive file, follow these steps:
Open Outlook for Mac and click on Tools.
Click on Export...
Select Items of these types: Mail and click Continue.
Select a location to save the archive file and click Save.
Wait for the export process to complete and click Finish.
How to troubleshoot common Outlook problems
Besides the issue of slow email downloading, there are some other common problems that you may encounter with Outlook. Here are some of them and how to fix them:
Cannot start Microsoft Outlook
Sometimes, you may not be able to open Outlook at all. This can happen due to various reasons, such as a corrupted data file, a faulty add-in, or a damaged profile. To fix this problem, you can try these solutions:
Run Outlook in safe mode by holding down the Ctrl key while launching it. This will disable any add-ins or customizations that may be causing the problem. If Outlook opens in safe mode, you can disable or remove any suspicious add-ins as described above.
Repair your Office installation by going to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Microsoft Office > Change > Repair. This will fix any corrupted or missing files that may be affecting Outlook.
Reset the navigation pane by running the command outlook.exe /resetnavpane in the Run dialog box. This will clear any corrupted settings that may be preventing Outlook from opening.
Create a new Outlook profile by following the steps described above. This will eliminate any profile-related issues that may be causing the problem.
Outlook send/receive errors
Another common problem that you may face with Outlook is that you may not be able to send or receive emails. This can happen due to various reasons, such as a network issue, a server issue, a security issue, or a configuration issue. To fix this problem, you can try these solutions:
Check your internet connection and make sure that it is working properly. You can try to restart your router or modem, or use a different network if possible.
Check the status of your email server and make sure that it is not down or undergoing maintenance. You can contact your email provider or visit their website for more information.
Check your email settings and make sure that they are correct. You can verify your account information, server settings, port numbers, encryption methods, etc. by going to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Email > Change > More Settings.
Check your antivirus or firewall software and make sure that they are not blocking Outlook from sending or receiving emails. You can try to disable them temporarily or add Outlook as an exception in their settings.
Check your Outlook data file and make sure that it is not corrupted or full. You can repair or compact your data file as described above, or delete some items from your mailbox to free up some space.
Outlook data file access denied
Sometimes, you may not be able to access your Outlook data file due to a permission issue. This can happen if you have moved your data file to a different location, or if you have changed your user account or password. To fix this problem, you can try these solutions:
Locate your Outlook data file by going to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files and note down its path.
Close Outlook and open File Explorer on your Windows 10 device.
Navigate to the folder where your data file is stored and right-click on it.
Select Properties and then Security.
Click on Edit and then Add.
Type your user name in the Enter the object names to select box and click Check Names.
Click OK and then select Full Control in the Allow column.
Click OK and then Apply.
Restart Outlook and check if you can access your data file.
Cannot open Outlook attachments
Another common problem that you may encounter with Outlook is that you may not be able to open attachments in your emails. This can happen due to various reasons, such as a security issue, a compatibility issue, or a file association issue. To fix this problem, you can try these solutions:
Check the file type of the attachment and make sure that you have the appropriate program to open it. For example, if the attachment is a PDF file, you need a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it.
Check the security settings of Outlook and make sure that they are not blocking attachments from opening. You can go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Attachment Handling and uncheck the box for Do not save encrypted files to disk.
Check the file association settings of Windows 10 and make sure that they are not corrupted or changed. You can go to Settings > Apps > Default apps and click on Choose default apps by file type. Then, scroll down to find the file type of the attachment and select the program that you want to use to open it.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained what causes Outlook to take a long time to download emails and how to fix it. We have also provided some tips on how to troubleshoot other common Outlook problems. We hope that this article has been helpful for you and that you have been able to improve your Outlook performance and resolve any issues that you may have faced with it.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Outlook performance and issues:
How do I speed up Outlook 2016?
To speed up Outlook 2016, you can try some of the solutions mentioned in this article, such as updating Windows and Outlook, disabling add-ins, reducing the size of Outlook data files, repairing or creating a new Outlook profile, disabling Skype for Business Online integration, disabling RSS feeds, enabling Cached Exchange Mode, disabling hardware acceleration, moving or deleting some messages from the server, or exporting to an Outlook for Mac archive file.
How do I fix Outlook not responding?
To fix Outlook not responding, you can try some of the solutions mentioned in this article, such as updating Windows and Outlook, disabling add-ins, repairing or creating a new Outlook profile, or repairing your Office installation. You can also try to end the Outlook process in the Task Manager and restart it, or start Outlook in safe mode by holding down the Ctrl key while launching it.
How do I recover deleted emails in Outlook?
To recover deleted emails in Outlook, you can try to restore them from the Deleted Items folder or the Recoverable Items folder. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on the Deleted Items folder.
Find the email that you want to recover and right-click on it.
Select Move and then Other Folder.
Select the folder where you want to move the email and click OK.
If you cannot find the email in the Deleted Items folder, click on the Home tab and then Recover Deleted Items from Server.
Select the email that you want to recover and click Restore Selected Items.
Click OK and check the folder where you moved the email.
How do I sync Outlook with my phone?
To sync Outlook with your phone, you can use the Outlook app for Android or iOS, or use the built-in email app on your phone. To do this, follow these steps:
Download and install the Outlook app from the Google Play Store or the App Store on your phone.
Open the app and sign in with your email account and password.
Follow the instructions on the screen to set up your account and sync your emails, contacts, calendars, and other items.
If you want to use the built-in email app on your phone, go to Settings > Accounts > Add account > Email on your Android device, or Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account on your iOS device.
Select Exchange or Outlook.com as the account type and enter your email address and password.
Follow the instructions on the screen to set up your account and sync your emails, contacts, calendars, and other items.
How do I backup my Outlook emails?
To backup your Outlook emails, you can export them to a PST file or an archive file. A PST file is a personal storage file that contains all your Outlook items. An archive file is a separate file that stores your older or less frequently used items. To backup your Outlook emails, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Open & Export and then Import/Export.
Select Export to a file and click Next.
Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
Select the folder that contains the emails that you want to backup and click Next.
Select a location to save the PST file and click Finish.
If you want to create an archive file instead of a PST file, select Items of these types: Mail in step 3 and select a location to save the archive file in step 6.
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