“I have used Microsoft Outlook from the last three months. Yesterday, I was working on Outlook profile, and all of sudden I got an error message like Outlook is Showing Working Offline. I tried to resolve this error many times, but I unable to do so. Now, my Outlook account has become inaccessible. Please, can anyone suggest me a reliable approach to fix this issue.”

Sometimes, if your OST file is damaged, Outlook may have issues working in Offline mode. To resolve Outlook error, you can delete the old.ost file and re-create the file. To delete the old.ost file, follow the steps below. Close Outlook and open ‘Run’ by pressing ‘Windows + R’ keys. Cause 1: Outlook is in the offline state. Solution: Make sure that Outlook is working in online mode. This can be done by: On the menu of Outlook, you have to ensure that the option of Work Offline is not selected. Cause 2: Outlook is not connected to the server that is executing MS Exchange Server.

When users try to use Microsoft Outlook, sometimes they may encounter an issue that they cannot send or receive email messages. This can be annoying, especially when users want to send or receive something very important. Before go ahead and remove an account or uninstall the existing application, the first thing users must do is to determine whether Outlook client can connect to the internet or not. When Microsoft Outlook is offline, it gets disconnected from a server of email provider and would not be able to restore or send a new message. Therefore, in the upcoming section, we are going to discuss a step-by-step procedure to fix Outlook is showing working offline in a clear way.

Manual Steps to Disable “Work Offline” in MS Outlook

Follow the below described steps to fix Microsoft Outlook error efficiently. The steps will help to resolve Microsoft Outlook is showing up working offline issue. Follow below-mentioned steps:

Fix: Outlook is showing Working Offline

The below given methods will help you to resolve Outlook showing offline issues. Follow the steps carefully wthout making any mistakes.

Open MS Outlook in Your System

1. Firstly, go to the Start Menu. Click on the Start button at the left side corner of the window to open it.
2. Now, you have to choose Microsoft Office from the given list. Select “All Programs” from the Start Menu bar and you can view the MS Office folder.
3. Choose “Microsoft Outlook” within the folder. It will access the Outlook program on desktop.

Disabling Outlook Work Offline Setting

1. Now, click on the Send/Receive tab from the menu of MS Outlook window.
2. After this, you can disable the Work Offline setting in Outlook. If MS Outlook is now disconnected from the server, users can see the “Work Offline” with red “X” mark shown on it along the left section of the toolbar. Select this option to turn off the Work Offline settings to resolve Outlook is showing working offline.

• Once users have selected the button, the “X” mark will disappear, notice that the Work Offline has been disabled.
• Take note that users can only view this option on Send/Receive tab if MS Outlook is offline or may be disconnected.
• Check the internet connection. Users can send the test email to themselves or to other contacts to verify if MS Outlook is currently online and start working again.

Bottom Line

In this modern era, email is an integrated communication platform. MS Outlook is one of the most preferable email clients being used for business or professional purpose. However, sometimes users may encounter an error message Outlook is showing working offline. Thus, in this blog, we have covered a manual solution to resolve Outlook error problem. Make certain to follow each and every method very cautiously.

When Microsoft Outlook account faces error messages and error code, most probably it can be caused by PST file issues. In case, Outlook PST data file is corrupted or damaged, it is necessary to repair PST file using a reliable application. A software provides 100% guarantee to resolve MS Outlook errors and other issues efficiently.

Outlook can be used even when you’re not connected to the internet using ‘Offline mode’. In the ‘Offline mode’, you can perform tasks such as read and compose email messages, edit your calendar and contacts etc. This mode is particularly useful when you are traveling or when you have limited internet connectivity.

Working ‘Offline’ in Outlook is possible with the help of files called ‘OST’. They store a copy of the information on the server on your local computer. This information is what allows Outlook to be used without Internet connection. Once internet connectivity is established, the OST file synchronizes with data on the server mailbox.

Outlook For Mac Working Offline

Error – ‘Cannot open Outlook when Offline’

Although Offline mode is useful, some users complain about issues when using it. This article focuses on a common error about ‘Outlook not starting when Offline’ and potential solutions. The error reads:

‘Cannot start Microsoft Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook window. The set of folders cannot be opened. The operation cannot be performed because the connection to the server is offline’.

Before we go into solutions for the error, an important point to consider is that this situation mostly occurs when you are offline and try to start Outlook. It is not seen when you already have Outlook open and switch to offline mode.

Solution 1: Uncheck Favourites in Mail Navigation

Usually, when your folders are on your favorites list (mainly IMAP folders), Outlook waits for the server to be connected and thus create problems when Outlook is ‘Offline’. To resolve this, turn ‘OFF’ Favourites on your Email navigation.

To do so, go to ‘View’ menu and uncheck ‘Favourites’ in the folder pane. This helps resolve your issue in some cases.

Solution 2: Re-create OST file

Sometimes, if your OST file is damaged, Outlook may have issues working in Offline mode. To resolve Outlook error, you can delete the old .ost file and re-create the file. To delete the old .ost file, follow the steps below.

1. Close Outlook and open ‘Run’ by pressing ‘Windows + R’ keys
2. Then type ‘%LOCALAPPDATA%MicrosoftOutlook’ and hit ‘Enter’
3. Select the ‘.ost’ file and hit ‘Delete’ to delete the file

Once you have deleted the old.ost file, you can create a new OST file easily by following the steps below.

1. Go to ‘File’ menu and click on ‘Info’
2. Select ‘Account Settings’ > ‘Microsoft Exchange’ > ‘Settings’
3. Click on ‘More Settings’ and choose ‘Advanced Tab’ > ‘Offline folder file settings’
4. Choose a destination to save your OST file and choose ‘Ok’.
5. If you receive an error ‘.ost file couldn’t be found. Would you like to re-create it’? Click ‘Yes’ and proceed.

This will create a new OST file. Now restart ‘Outlook’ and check if the issue is resolved.

Outlook For Mac Working Offline Software

However, if you do not want to go through the hassle of deleting your old .ost file and re-creating a new one, you can use OST to PST converter. This will help you repair OST file and convert it to PST. After conversion, all Outlook items such as emails, contacts, calendars etc. will be saved to the new PST file.

The software is designed to work with all versions of Outlook including Outlook 2016. It can be used to repair .ost files that are damaged due to synchronization issues or due to hardware or software errors in only a few clicks.

Avoid corruption in .ost files

Working Offline In Outlook For Mac

To avoid corruption in .ost files, make sure you terminate Outlook properly. Also, make sure you don’t try syncing files with the server when the internet connection is too slow. Make sure the .ost file is within the size limit to avoid any corruption or damage. Additionally, if you have been dealing with large-sized PST file issues. Click to learn how to fix a pst file that is too large.