Email Sync Problems

How to Fix Outlook Email Account Not Updating on Windows or Mac

Natalie Taylor Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to troubleshoot an Outlook email account that has stopped syncing on their computer but continues to function normally on their mobile device.

How to Fix Outlook Email Account Not Updating

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: Windows and macOS
Scenario: Receiving and syncing new emails in the desktop email client.
Observed behavior: The email account fails to update or download new messages on the computer's Outlook application, despite working properly on a smartphone.

Before you start

Before modifying your profile settings, log in to Outlook on the web (Outlook.com) to verify that your account credentials are correct and that new emails are successfully arriving on the server.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a New Outlook Profile on Windows

Creating a fresh Outlook profile is the most effective way to bypass corruption in your current configuration and restore email synchronization on a Windows PC.

A damaged Outlook profile is one of the most common reasons why an email account stops updating on a desktop computer. By generating a completely new profile, you force Outlook to establish a fresh connection with the email server.

Open Mail Settings

Open the Windows Control Panel, search for 'Mail' in the top right corner, and click on the Mail icon to open the setup window.

Access Profiles

In the Mail Setup window, click on the 'Show Profiles' button to view your current Outlook configurations.

Add New Profile

Click 'Add', enter a distinctive name for the new profile, and follow the on-screen prompts to re-add your email account credentials.

Test and Import

Once configured, open Outlook with the new profile to test the synchronization. If successful, you can export your old messages from the previous profile and import them into the new one.

Data Safety: Creating a new profile does not delete your old profile or the emails stored on the server. You can always switch back to the old profile if needed.

Solution 2

Rebuild the Outlook Profile on Mac

If you are using macOS, you can resolve sync problems by using the hidden Outlook Profile Manager to create a new profile.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Outlook not syncing emails on my computer but works on my phone?

This typically happens due to a corrupted Outlook profile or incorrect account synchronization settings on the desktop application. Mobile apps use different connection protocols, which is why they often continue to work unaffected by desktop software issues.

Will creating a new Outlook profile delete my old emails?

No, creating a new profile does not delete your emails from the mail server. Once you successfully connect the new profile to your account, it will automatically download your existing emails from the server. You can also export local data from your old profile to ensure nothing is lost.

How can I quickly check if the issue is with my computer or the email server?

The fastest way to isolate the problem is by logging into Outlook on the web (Outlook.com) or your specific webmail provider. If your emails are up-to-date and syncing normally in the web browser, the server is fine, and the issue lies specifically within your computer's Outlook software.

Outlook & Email Problems