The issue of an Outlook inbox not updating can stem from server problems, conflicts with antivirus or firewall settings, and outdated software. Other potential causes include a poor network connection, an oversized local cache, damaged or corrupted PST files, or synchronization issues between offline and online items. Simple actions such as restarting your computer, verifying your internet connection, or relaunching Outlook can often resolve the error of the Outlook inbox not updating. The following are some solutions that may help you address this issue:
1. Clean Up a Folder
An overloaded email inbox may lead to the Outlook Inbox not updating. Thus, cleaning up unnecessary emails or folders can free up space for new messages. Note that redundant emails are transferred to the Deleted Items folder.
2. Create a New Outlook Profile
A corrupted profile could be causing the problem. Creating a new one might resolve the issue, allowing you to toggle between the old and the new account, thus updating emails and recovering any missing data.
3. Clear OST Files
Corrupt or damaged OST files can prevent your Outlook Inbox from updating. Deleting these files may alleviate the problem and create additional storage space for incoming emails.
4. Increase Inbox Refresh Rate
Outlook is configured by default to automatically refresh every 30 minutes when connected. During this time, it downloads incoming messages and sends any messages in your outbox. This interval might be causing your Outlook inbox not to update your emails promptly. However, this interval might be too slow for some users. You can increase the refresh rate, but be cautious not to set it below five minutes, as Outlook could be interrupted mid-download.
5. Enable Send Immediately Option
In Microsoft Outlook, the option to send emails immediately is crucial, as without it, emails may remain in your inbox until a set schedule. Enabling this option can rectify the issue of the inbox not updating since emails might be stuck in the outbox.
6. Verify Outlook Settings
It’s essential to ensure that email credentials and account settings are correctly configured to connect with the mailbox server and synchronize mail items.
7. Repair Your Microsoft Office
If Microsoft Office itself is corrupted or damaged, this could be impacting Outlook’s ability to update the inbox. Repairing Microsoft Office might solve this issue. If these steps fail to correct the issue, you may seek further assistance by contacting the Microsoft Support team.
