Why my Outlook is not Updating the Emails Automatically?

Outlook, when connected to internet and server, regularly synchronizes the emails and other items to and from the mailbox server to keep the mailbox updated. However, at times, you face an issue where Outlook won’t update the emails and other mailbox items automatically. When this happens, you can experience delay in receiving and sending emails, impacting your workflow. This article will explore the reasons why Outlook is not updating the emails automatically and provide solutions to help you resolve the issue.

Causes of Outlook is not Updating the Emails Automatically Issue

There are several reasons that can lead to such an issue in Outlook. Some common reasons are:

• Poor network or internet connectivity.
• Lack of storage space on disk where Outlook data file is stored.
• Incompatible or faulty third-party add-ins.
• Some applications, like anti-virus or firewall, are conflicting with Outlook processes.
• Corrupt or damaged Microsoft Outlook installation files.
• Corrupt or large-sized Outlook data file.

How to Fix Outlook is not Updating the Emails Automatically Issue?

Follow the methods given below to resolve the Outlook is not updating the emails automatically.

Method 1: Check Network Connectivity

If your network or internet connectivity is poor or unstable, Outlook may take time in updating the mailbox to and from the server. Therefore, it is critical to check your internet connection. If there is a problem, you can restart/reset your router or contact your internet service provider for assistance.

Method 2: Check Storage Space on Local Drive

If the storage space on the drive (where Outlook data file is stored) is low, then Outlook might be unable to store new mail items in the data file, resulting in the updating issue. So, you can check the available free storage space on your local drive, where Outlook stores your mailbox data. This is usually Local Disk (C:) by default. If the available storage is low, you can free up some storage by deleting unwanted data or moving the data to another drive. 

Method 3: Check and Remove Faulty or Incompatible Add-ins

If some third-party add-ins are damaged or not compatible with Outlook, they might interfere with normal functioning of Outlook. To check if the issue is caused by a problematic add-in, follow the steps given below:

• Close Outlook and then press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type Outlook /safe and click Enter to start Outlook in Safe Mode. 

If Outlook starts downloading/synchronizing emails in Safe Mode, this means that a faulty add-in was responsible for the issue. You can now disable the add-ins by following the below steps:

• Click File > Options. This will open the ‘Outlook Options’ window.
• Click ‘Add-Ins.’                                                                                                                                 

• Find the ‘Manage’ option at the bottom of the screen, select ‘COM Add-ins,’ and click ‘Go.’ This will open the list of all add-ins.                                                               

• Uncheck all the add-ins and click ‘OK’ to disable them.
• Now, restart Outlook normally.

To identify the problematic add-in, enable one add-in at a time and restart Outlook. Follow this process until you find the problematic add-in. When found, remove the add-in permanently to resolve the issue.

Method 4: Disable Security Applications Temporarily 

Security applications, such as Windows Defender, Firewall, or antivirus software, can interfere with the normal functioning of Outlook, resulting in the updating emails issue. To check this, you can temporarily disable your firewall or antivirus software and see if Outlook is updating the emails. If the issue is resolved, it indicates that your security application is conflicting with Outlook or blocking access to the data file. In this case, consider adding Outlook and its related processes to the exception list in your security application or switch to a security program that is fully compatible with Outlook.

Method 5: Repair or Reinstall Microsoft Office

Since Outlook is a part of the MS Office installation, corruption in MS Office installation files might cause various issues, including the Outlook is not updating emails automatically. To resolve the issue, you can repair MS Office program using the following steps:

• Open Control Panel on your system.                                                                                       

• On the Control Panel window, select Programs > Programs and Features.                                           

• From the list of programs, find your Microsoft Office version and right-click it. Then, click Change.

• After that, select the Repair option and follow the prompts to complete the repairing process.

Now restart Outlook and see if it is able to automatically update the emails. If not, you can reinstall the program using the Office Deployment Tool.

Method 6: Repair Outlook Data File (For POP3 Accounts)

When you configure POP3 account in Outlook, it creates a Personal Storage Table (PST) file. However, if this file gets corrupted, you may encounter various issues, including the Outlook is not automatically updating the emails. In such a situation, you can repair the corrupted PST file using the Inbox Repair Tool, also known as SCANPST.exe. Follow the given steps:

1. Close Outlook and find SCANPST.exe on your system. The location of the tool varies depending on the version of Outlook you’re using.
2. Open SCANPST.exe and click Browse to select the PST file.
3. Now, click Start to initiate the scan. The Inbox Repair Tool takes time to scan the file depending on the size of file and level of corruption.
4. Once the scan is complete, the Inbox Repair Tool shows the number of inconsistencies found in your file. In addition, SCANPST.exe also creates a backup of the PST file in the same folder before performing the repair. 
5. After the completion of repair, start Outlook and check if the issue is resolved.

Although the Inbox Repair tool can repair your PST file, it might freeze or crash while repairing the corrupt PST file. This can occur due to several factors, such as large PST file size and severe corruption. In such a scenario, you can use a professional Outlook PST repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Outlook. This tool can repair severely corrupt PST file of any size with highest level of precision and maintaining the data integrity. After repairing the file, it provides you a preview of your mailbox data. After preview, you can save the repaired data in a new PST file. You can import this repaired PST file into your Outlook profile using the Import and Export wizard.

Conclusion

If Outlook fails to update the emails automatically, you may miss important emails or appointments. To fix this issue, you can follow the solutions mentioned in this post. The issue may also occur due to corruption or inconsistencies in the Outlook data file (OST or PST). In this case, if you are using a POP3 account, you can repair the PST file using the ScanPST.exe or Stellar Repair for Outlook. 

On the other hand, if you are using an IMAP, Exchange, or Microsoft 365 account, you can recreate the OST file after taking its backup. After recreating, if you find any mailbox items missing, you can use Stellar Converter for OST to extract the missing items from the backup OST file.