All emails on Outlook have disappeared and cannot receive or send

Question

All emails on Outlook have disappeared and cannot receive or send

Michael B 0

Attempts to open Outlook are unsuccessful. Message says "loading but nothing happens. I have left it running for up to 10 hours but nothing. I can get email omn my phone but not on my laptop.

Instructions to fault find are beyond my comprehension as an old man. I desperately need help

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3 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Michael B 0

I appreciate every one’s suggestions but my Outlook is part of a home version of Office for Mac, and unfortunately the instructions suggested are not Mac orientated.

I followed suggestions from the company that handles my email and installed Outlook with the intention of reinstalling it after rebooting my computer. Unfortunately, I now cannot reinstall it. When I try, I am asked to pay but I already pay annually for my original Office installation.

it’s become a nightmare .

Teddie Dang 1,180 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-08T05:36:02.08+00:00

Hi @Michael B

Since you mentioned that you pay annually for your original Office installation, I recommend checking which product you actually own before paying for anything again.

Please go to: https://account.microsoft.com/services?

Sign in with the Microsoft account you originally used to purchase Office.

If your Office product is listed there as active, you should be able to reinstall it without purchasing another license.

If you tell me exactly what product is shown under Subscriptions, I can help you determine which version you have and what you should do next.

Also, just to clarify, the troubleshooting steps I provided in my earlier replies were already intended specifically for Outlook for Mac. You may have missed that part of my previous reply, as I understand you were concerned that the instructions were Windows-specific.
Teddie Dang 1,180 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-09T00:17:28.1566667+00:00

Hi @Michael B

May I know if you have got any chance to review my reply? If you need further assistance, please feel free to let me know. Thank you!
Michael B 0 Reputation points

2026-09-09T07:34:45.3666667+00:00

As I use. Mac and have lowest version of Office for personal use, I’m afraid most of the answers I’ve been receiving are of little help. Sorry

Answer 2

Michael B 0

Thanks for the response. Yes, I can see messaged on webmail. Unfortunately my software is Office for Mac so the other instructions are not applicable.

don’t where to go from here and I have limited understanding of a lot of the technical terminology.

Teddie Dang 1,180 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-07T02:55:36.7966667+00:00
Hi @Michael B

Thank you for confirming that you can see your emails in webmail. This means your emails are still safely in your mailbox, and the issue appears to be with Outlook on your Mac.

Could you please provide the following details about your Mac environment?

Outlook for Mac version (Outlook > About Outlook)

macOS version (Apple icon> About This Mac)

How was Outlook installed?

Was it downloaded from the Mac App Store?

Or was it installed from the official Microsoft portal

In the meantime, please try the following:

1.Quit Outlook

Click Outlook in the top-left corner of your screen.

Select Quit Outlook.

Wait about 30 seconds.

If Outlook does not close:

Press Command + Option + Esc together.

Select Microsoft Outlook.

Click Force Quit.

2.Restart your Mac and open Outlook again.
Teddie Dang 1,180 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-08T01:19:54.4166667+00:00

Hi @Michael B

Is there any update on this thread? If you need further help, please provide more detailed information so that I can offer more accurate suggestions.

Answer 3

Hi @Michael B

Since your email still works on your phone, your emails should still be safely stored in your mailbox. The issue is most likely with Outlook on the laptop itself.

Let's try the simplest steps first:

1.Check if Outlook works in a web browser

Open a web browser (Edge, Chrome, or Firefox).
Go to: https://outlook.office.com
Sign in with the same email account.

-If you can see your emails there, your mail has not disappeared and the issue is only with the Outlook program on the laptop.

-If you cannot sign in or see emails there either, please tell me what happens.

2.Completely close Outlook

Right-click the Windows Start button.
Select Task Manager.
Find Microsoft Outlook in the list.

User's image

Click it once.
Click End task.
Close Task Manager.
Then try opening Outlook again.

3.Open Outlook in Safe Mode

Press the Windows key + R together on your keyboard.
A small Run box should appear. Type or copy: outlook.exe /safe and paste to the box.

User's image

Click OK.

If Outlook opens in Safe Mode, please let me know.