How to troubleshoot and fix issues adding a new email account to Outlook App for Windows
Adding a new email account to Outlook is normally straightforward.
By entering the correct email address and password once Outlook is reopened you see the newly added account on the left.
However, things don’t always go to plan, it can be very frustrating. Here are 4 things to check.
Check 1 – Test your password is correct
Test your password is correct by opening up a browser and accessing the webmail version of the account
Examples:
- iiNet Webmail login: https://webmail.iinet.net.au/login
- Westnet Webmail login: https://webmail.westnet.com.au/login
- Bigpond/Telstra Login: https://email.telstra.com/
- Outlook.com or Hotmail.com Login: https://outlook.com
- Gmail/ Googlemail Login: https://gmail.com
- Apple iCloud Login: https://icloud.com
If you cannot access webmail, reset the password by clicking on “Forgot My Password“. Once reset and you have access to webmail, go back to Outlook and try the new password.
Check 2 – Create an App Specific Password
Telstra, Optus and iCloud accounts now need to have an “App Specific Password” for Outlook.
You have to create the App Specific Password by logging into Webmail from a browser with your normal account password first.
Check out the following articles:
How to setup a Optus email in Microsoft Outlook 365 App
How to setup a Bigpond email in Microsoft Outlook 365 App
How to setup iCloud email in Microsoft Outlook 365 App
Once you have created the “App Specific Password” in webmail, copy it, then go back into the Outlook App, add the account again but this time use the “App specific password”, not your normal login password.
Check 3 – Make sure Windows is fully updated
Follow this guide > Is Windows fully updated?
If you are still running Windows 10, the updates maybe fully updated but there is a bug that has only been addressed in Windows 11. Update to Windows 11 and try again. However, goto Check 4 first and try the suggested fix.
Fixes for common Microsoft Office issues
- Fix 3.1 – Look for Account Errors
- Fix 3.2 – Run Updates
- Fix 3.3 – Download Office from Microsoft Account
- Fix 3.4 – Repair or Reinstall the installed Office App
- Fix 3.5 – Purchase latest version of Office (Microsoft 365 or Office 2024)
Check 4 – Check Office Updates
If you followed the instructions above, running Windows updates “should” also update Microsoft Office, including Outlook and other Microsoft Office products, but it seems it does not always work!!!
So to force Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, excel etc) to update to the latest version and to fix problems that have failed every other solution, follow this procedure.
Open Outlook
Click on File > Office Account and look at the information on the right hand side and the box called “Update Options”
Select “Update Now”
The update program will try and close Outlook and any Word or Excel programs open, and it will then run the updated program. After a few minutes you will see the following message.
Now try opening Outlook and adding the account again
Check 5 – Turn Off Wi-fi !!!
Don’t ask me why this sometimes works…. it just does!!!!
If all else has failed, the issue could be that something in your wi-fi network is blocking the connection.
Try disconnecting your computer from the current wi-fi network and either connecting to another one or tether to your phones hot-spot with using the mobile network. ( Make sure your phone is not connected to your wi-fi)
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