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Written By Rohan Wiese
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Updated on April 16th, 2026
Fix Outlook Emails Stuck in Outbox Error Easily [2026 Guides]
Microsoft Outlook is the top choice of most of the enterprises and organizations for business communication. However, there are several issues encountered by IT professionals while operating it. One of these issues is the “Outlook emails stuck in outbox” error. This error triggers due to poor internet connection, incorrect SMTP server settings, and many other issues discussed below. If these issues are not resolved, they may lead to permanent communication delays in organisations, which eventually result in disruption of business workflow. Thus, this blog covers the causes, symptoms, and effective methods to resolve this issue, including the Aryson Outlook PST Repair Tool for quick and efficient recovery. Download Now Purchase Now
User Query:
Outlook_Sam on Microsoft Community Asked: I have been using Microsoft Outlook for my official emails for a long time. Since yesterday, every email I try to send just remains in the Outbox and never reaches the recipient. I have already tried restarting Outlook multiple times, but the messages are still stuck there, showing a “Pending” status. I have a couple of urgent client emails that need to go out immediately, but nothing seems to work.
Can you suggest a reliable fix to resolve the “Outlook emails stuck in Outbox” error without losing any of my important emails?
Difference Between Outbox & Sent folder in Microsoft Outlook
The Outbox is a temporary area where emails wait before being transmitted to the mail server. When the user clicks the Send button, the message queues in the Outbox until Outlook successfully dispatches it. In case any issue takes place, such as a lost connection or oversized attachment, the email will remain stuck there only.
The Sent folder, on the other hand, stores all emails that have been successfully delivered to the outgoing mail server. An email is moved from the Outbox to the Sent folder only when Outlook confirms a successful transmission.
In short, Outbox means trying to send, and Sent means successfully sent.
Root Causes of the “Outlook Emails Stuck in Outbox” Error
Among several triggers of the Outlook issue, some of the common ones are listed below.
- A poor internet connection may prevent Outlook emails from reaching the mail server.
- Emails that carry large attachments exceed the sending limit of Outlook.
- Perhaps Outlook is accidentally set to Work Offline mode; blocked all outgoing emails.
- The third-party add-ins may conflict with the email sending process.
- Probably, any of your OST or PST files is corrupted, which left the messages unsent.
- An outdated or incorrect account password causes authentication failure with the server.
Top Solutions to Fix “Outlook not Sending Emails” Error
After knowing all the possible causes of the problem, it is easy for the user to resolve this error. Let’s proceed further to understand the detailed process of resolving the “Outlook message stuck in outbox 365” error. In this section, we will explore some of the most straightforward yet effective solutions.
- Change the Work Offline Mode
- Delete or Reduce Large Attachments
- Repair the OST/PST File Using ScanPST
- Using Advanced Software
Read through each method carefully and try them as per the cause of your problem. If manual troubleshooting does not help, use the automated software mentioned at the end.
Fix 1: Disable Work Offline Mode
If Outlook is set to Work Offline, it will consist of all outgoing messages in the Outbox without sending them. To resolve this issue, simply switch back to the Online mode immediately to resume the normal mail flow and clear the stuck queue.
Simple Steps to Disable Work Offline Mode are as follows:
- Open Microsoft Outlook on your system.
- Click on the Send / Receive tab in the top ribbon.
- Look for the Work Offline button in the Preferences group.
- If the button appears highlighted or blue, click it once to toggle back online.
- Check the bottom status bar of Outlook – it should now display Connected.
- Click Send / Receive All Folders or press F9 to resend all pending messages.
Fix 2: Delete or Reduce Large Attachments
The large or oversized attachments frequently stall in the Outbox, especially when there is a poor network connection. To pass them efficiently, you just have to remove or compress the attachment. Now, follow the steps below to remove the large attachments.
Simplified Steps to Fix “ Outlook Emails Stuck in Outbox” Error
- First, click on the Send / Receive tab >> select Work Offline to pause sending temporarily.
- After that, navigate to the Outbox folder in the left panel.
- Now, double-click on the stuck email in order to open it.
- Next, click on the large attachment >> press the Delete key to remove it.
- Either attach a smaller compressed file or upload the file to OneDrive and insert a sharing link.
- Go back to Send / Receive and click Work Offline again to go online.
- At last, click on the Send button to resend the updated message.
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Note: As you have reached the end of this article, it is quite evident that none of the above manual methods resolved the Outbox sending error. This indicates that the issue might reside in the PST file itself. To fix it, you can either use the ScanPST tool or the automated software discussed below. |
Fix 3: Repair the OST/PST File Using ScanPST
A corrupted Outlook data file is a common reason email not sending from Outbox. Microsoft provides its users with a built-in tool called ScanPST.exe (Inbox Repair Tool). The purpose of this tool is to scan & repair the damaged PST or OST files without any data loss.
Steps to Repair PST Using ScanPST
- To begin, completely close the Outlook application.
- Navigate to the ScanPST.exe file on your system. It is typically located at:
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C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ |
- Double-click SCANPST.EXE to launch the Inbox Repair Tool.
- Click the Browse button and select your Outlook data file (.pst or .ost).
- Click Start to begin scanning the file for errors.
- If errors are detected, click Repair to fix the data file.
- Once the repair completes, reopen Outlook and try sending the stuck email again.
- In the Right corner of the screen, Outlook views the connection status. If it is connected, then there is a problem with the server status.
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Note: Since the ScanPST tool can only resolve minor corruption, to handle severely corrupted PST files, you should opt for the Aryson Outlook PST Repair software discussed below. |
Fix 4: Advanced Software to Fix Outlook Emails Stuck in Outbox
The Aryson Outlook PST Repair Tool is the most effective solution used to repair deeply corrupted Outlook data files. Moreover, this software restores all emails, attachments, contacts, and calendar items with full accuracy. Organisations rely on this software to convert batches of PST files. Additionally, it works well with all versions of MS Outlook. It provides the user with a preview window to cross-verify the email content before recovering it. With the help of the same software, you can recover emails from an encrypted PST File. Not just this, the software consists of three different recovery modes for different levels of corruption.
How to fix Outlook Outbox Problem Using the Aryson Recovery Software
- Firstly, download and install the Aryson Outlook PST Repair Tool on your system.
- Run it as an administrator, click on the Browse button to load the corrupted PST file.
- As per the level of corruption, choose the required scanning mode.
- Click on the Start button to begin the scanning process.
- Next, preview the recovered emails & data after scanning.
- Select the required items & choose your preferred output format & click OK.
- This exports the repaired data to the desired location on your system.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the potential causes behind the “Outlook emails stuck in Outbox” error. We also explored multiple manual troubleshooting methods, including disabling Work Offline mode, removing large attachments, enabling send settings, disabling add-ins, and using ScanPST. Additionally, we covered how an advanced PST Repair Tool can fix severe data file corruption. Now, the choice of method is up to you. As per your requirements, you can choose the relevant solution, and if you pick the automated software, contact the tech support to resolve your doubts.
FAQs
Q1. Why are my Outlook emails stuck in the Outbox and not sending?
Ans- Emails usually get stuck in the Outbox due to a poor internet connection, Outlook being in Work Offline mode, oversized attachments, incorrect account passwords, or a corrupted PST/OST file.
Q2. How do I force Outlook to send emails stuck in the Outbox?
Ans- Go to the Send/Receive tab and click Send/Receive All Folders or press F9. Also, make sure the Work Offline mode is disabled so Outlook can connect to the mail server.
Q3. Can a corrupted PST file cause emails to remain in the Outbox?
Ans- Yes, even a damaged PST or OST file can block the email sending process. Use Microsoft’s ScanPST.exe or an advanced PST Repair Tool to fix the corruption and restore normal sending.
Q4. Does disabling antivirus help fix emails stuck in Outlook Outbox?
Ans- Yes, some antivirus programs scan outgoing mail and cause sending timeouts. Temporarily disabling the email scanning feature of your antivirus can help resolve the issue.
About The Author:
Rohan Wiese is a Technical Writer at Aryson Technologies. He is an expert Email Forensic, Cloud Computing, and a passionate nerd with over 10 years of experience in technical content writing. He writes about Cloud Migration, Database Recovery, Email Backup, Windows, Mac, and Tech.
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