why is outlook no working

Check Microsoft’s Service Health Status page first: https://status.cloud.microsoft/m365/referrer=serviceStatusRedirect — if Outlook shows an active incident, no local repair will resolve it, and service should be retried after Microsoft marks it healthy. Microsoft specifically directs Outlook.com users there when they cannot access the service.^1^

User reports indicate that Microsoft 365 may currently be experiencing problems, but those reports do not confirm an official Microsoft outage.^2^

If the status is green

Determine whether the failure is isolated:

1. Open Outlook.com in a private or incognito browser window.
2. If you cannot sign in, use Microsoft’s sign-in troubleshooter. Account blocking or an identity-verification request can prevent access.^3^
3. If you can sign in but mail does not load, try another device or network.
   • Works elsewhere: the problem is likely limited to the original browser, app, device, or network.
   • Fails everywhere for only your account: contact Outlook.com support.
4. In Outlook.com, select Help → Help, enter the issue, press Return, and—if the suggested answers do not resolve it—select Still need help? → Yes.^4^

For a work or school mailbox, contact the organization’s Microsoft 365 administrator; they can check tenant-specific service health and incidents unavailable on the public page.

References

1. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
2. Microsoft 365 down? Current problems and outages | US
3. How to sign in to Hotmail | Microsoft Support
4. How to get support for Outlook.com | Microsoft Support