How to Fix the “Outlook Account Settings Out of Date” Issue?
Written By: Sarthak Poswal 
Updated On October 12, 2026 Written By: Sarthak Poswal Updated On October 12, 2026 Quick Answer: To fix the “Outlook account settings out of date” issue, first identify which Outlook app shows the message. If it appears in the old Windows Mail app, switch to New Outlook for Windows, as Microsoft ended support for Windows Mail, Calendar, and People in December 2024. If you use Classic Outlook, check your account password, update Microsoft 365, repair the Outlook profile, verify your account settings, or create a new Outlook profile.
Try these Solutions in this Order:
Microsoft Outlook automatically synchronizes its data with the server and presents the updated data to its users. But sometimes, when you open the Outlook application, it displays a pop-up notification that ‘Your Outlook account settings are out of date.’ You can also see the same messages in the Action Center. If you click the notification, it will provide you with two options: Fix Account or Dismiss.
When you click the Fix Account option, Windows will start diagnosing and rectifying the issue related to the notification. After resolving the issue, you can access Outlook and work on it. However, if the Fix Account option fails to resolve the issue, then don’t worry. Several methods exist that you can try to fix the “Outlook account settings out of date” issue.
The "Outlook account settings are out of date" message usually means Outlook, or the Windows Mail app cannot properly authenticate or connect to the email account. The cause can vary based on the Outlook version you use.
For the old Windows Mail and Calendar apps, however, the situation is different. Microsoft has ended their support, so changing passwords, SSL settings, PINs, or network settings is not a permanent solution. Microsoft recommends moving to new Outlook for Windows or Outlook.com.
The reason depends on the Outlook application. However, we are mentioning some of the common reasons for the Outlook account settings are out of date issue:
Select a suitable method below that matches your Outlook version on your computer to fix this issue:
If the “Outlook account settings out of date” notification appears in the old Windows Mail or Calendar app, moving to new Outlook is the recommended solution.
Microsoft has introduced a new Outlook for Windows as a replacement for Windows Mail and Calendar. You can install it from the Microsoft Store or open new Outlook if it is already installed on your Windows PC.
Steps to switch to new Outlook:
Step 1: Open Start and search for Outlook.
Step 2: Open Outlook for Windows.
Note: If new Outlook is not installed, install it from the Microsoft Store.
Step 3: Open Outlook and select Add account.
Step 4: Enter your email address.
Step 5: Follow the sign-in prompts.
Step 6: Check whether your emails and other mailbox data are available
Important: Do not treat the old Windows Mail app as a supported email client. Microsoft recommends new Outlook or Outlook.com instead of Windows Mail.
A changed password can cause Outlook to stop authenticating an account. If you recently changed your Microsoft, Gmail, Yahoo (connected with Outlook), or work account password, sign in to the provider's website first and confirm that the new password works.
For Classic Outlook, you can update the account credentials from the account settings:
Step 1: Open Outlook on your system.
Step 2: Click on File.
Step 3: Select Account Settings > Account Settings.
Step 4: Select the affected email account.
Step 5: Check the available account or server settings.
Step 6: Enter the current credentials if Outlook requests them.
Step 7: Finally, restart your Outlook application.
Note: Microsoft also provides account and server settings through File > Account Settings > Account Settings in classic Outlook.
If you use Classic Outlook and the account still shows the Outlook account settings out of date message, repair the Outlook profile. Microsoft provides a built-in profile repair option for supported classic Outlook versions.
Steps to repair an Outlook profile:
Step 1: Open Outlook on your system.
Step 2: Click on File.
Step 3: Select Account Settings > Account Settings.
Step 4: Open the Email tab and select the affected account or profile. Click Repair.
Step 5: Follow the instructions shown by Outlook.
Step 6: Restart Outlook and check whether the error is fixed.
Note: The Repair option is not available for every Outlook/account combination, so its absence does not necessarily indicate another problem.
An outdated Outlook or Microsoft 365 installation can cause account and authentication problems.
To update your Outlook:
Step 1: Launch Outlook and click on File > Office Account.
Step 2: Under Product Information, select Update Options, and click Update Now.
Step 3: Allow Microsoft 365 or Office to install available updates.
Step 4: Finally, restart your Outlook application.
Things to Know: If Update Options is not available, your organization may control Office updates through Group Policy or another management system.
If new Outlook is installed but the account still does not synchronize correctly, remove the account from Outlook and add it again.
Microsoft's current new Outlook interface provides account management under Settings > Accounts > Your accounts.
Removing an account from Outlook does not delete the email account itself. However, Microsoft warns that removing an account can delete its offline cached content from the Outlook app. Review the account and data before you proceed.
Step 1: Open new Outlook.
Step 2: Select View > View settings.
Step 3: Select Accounts > Your accounts.
Step 4: Find the affected account and click Manage.
Step 5: Now, select Remove and follow the confirmation prompt.
Step 1: Open Settings in new Outlook.
Step 2: Select Accounts > Your accounts.
Step 3: Select Add Account from the given options.
Step 4: Enter your email address and complete the authentication process.
Step 5: Open the mailbox and check synchronization.
Often, the content of Outlook Profile Folder can be corrupted due to an event like virus attack and can lead to the error “Outlook account settings out of date.” You can clean up the profile folder to fix this problem. Follow the Steps below:
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows Icon on the extreme left of your taskbar and click on ‘File Explorer.’ Alternatively, you can press Win+E on your keyboard to open File Explorer.
Step 2: In the address bar on the top, paste the ‘%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Protect’ and press Enter.
Step 3: This will take you to your Microsoft Outlook profile folder.
Step 4: Take a backup of your profile folder by copying and then pasting the folder to a different location, such as Desktop or Documents folder.
Step 5: Once the backup has been taken, delete the Protect folder.
Step 6: Restart your machine and then reopen Outlook.
Another method to fix “Outlook account settings out of date” issue is to update your system date & time. An incorrect date or time zone can be the reason behind this issue. To access your system date & time, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Press Win + R and type ‘Control Panel’, then click OK.
Step 2: In the Control Panel, select Date and Time.
Step 3: Update the date and time zone accordingly.
Step 4: Reboot system and launch Outlook again.
Or
Step 1: Open Settings in your system.
Step 2: Select Time & language.
Step 3: Select Date & time.
Step 4: Turn on Set time automatically.
Step 5: Confirm the correct Time zone.
Step 6: Restart Outlook.
Some users have reported that disabling login through PIN has fixed the issue for them. You can follow the simple steps below to implement the same.
Step 1: Click on the Windows icon on the bottom left of your PC and then go to Settings.
Step 2: Click on Accounts and then navigate to ‘Sign-in options.’
Step 3: Go to ‘Windows Hello Pin.’
Step 4: Click on the Remove Pin option.
Step 5: It will prompt for your Microsoft Account password.
Step 6: Enter your password and press Ok.
If the problem is not time-related, then you can try another method, which is checking the security certificate. If there is no SSL certificate setting, follow the upcoming steps:
Step 1: Go to Settings, then click Manage Accounts.
Step 2: Select the account which is showing the issue and click Change mailbox sync settings.
Step 3: Select the option Advanced mailbox settings from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Check the options ‘Require SSL for incoming email’ and ‘Require SSL for outgoing email’ then Save it.
If you are using your Microsoft account to log in to Windows as well as Outlook, then you can use a different local account to log in to Outlook. It may remove the notification issue as stated by some users. Here is how it can be done:
Step 1: Go to the Settings option in the application menu.
Step 2: Go to Account Settings and select the Other Account option.
Step 3: Choose the option ‘Add an account’ and then choose the option ‘Sign in without a Microsoft account.’
Step 4: Input the user credentials of a local account and then click the Finish button.
Step 5: Restart Outlook and try to login with the new account.
An issue with your network settings might be causing this problem in your email client. Check if a proper internet connection is established. If an issue is found but you can’t determine the cause, then resetting your network will help. For this, we will use the netsh command. Follow the upcoming steps to do so:
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Step 2: Run the cmd netsh winsock reset. This will reestablish the connection required by your system and network.
Step 3: Then run the cmd netsh int ip reset. This will bring the network configuration to its default settings.
Step 4: Restart the email app to verify the issue is resolved.
Accessing emails with another email client is also a feasible option to try. If you cannot solve the issue in the Mail app and don’t want to get troubled with this annoying message repeatedly, then access your email from another email client like Outlook Web App (Outlook.com). Or you can try other top alternatives for the default Windows email app.
If the above-mentioned methods are not working and you still face the “Outlook account settings are out of date” error, then your local PST file might be corrupted. Try to repair your PST file using the Inbox Repair Tool or use professional PST Repair software to fix severely corrupted PST files.
Several reasons exist for the occurrence of the “Outlook account settings out of date” issue, as discussed above. Diagnosing the problem and implementing a workable solution is tedious. Moreover, as seen above, damaged Outlook files can also introduce this issue. Any kind of damage or corruption in the Outlook data file will ultimately lead to data loss; therefore, a quick and reliable solution should be applied immediately. You should get assistance from professional recovery software to secure your crucial data files.
Kernel for Outlook PST Repair is a top-quality software that can access the corrupted PST file from its location and recover whole mailboxes. It also recovers deleted items and saves them to the exact folder they were saved in earlier. You can save the recovered item in a new PST file and access it in Outlook instantly.
Ans: The cause depends on your Outlook version. In the old Windows Mail and Calendar apps, the main reason is that Microsoft ended support for these applications on December 31, 2024. In classic Outlook, the message can relate to account credentials, profile configuration, synchronization, or authentication issues.
Ans: If the message appears in Windows Mail, move to new Outlook for Windows because Windows Mail and Calendar are no longer supported. If you use classic Outlook, check the password, update Microsoft 365, repair the Outlook profile, and create a new profile if necessary.
Ans: No. Microsoft ended support for Windows Mail, Calendar, and People on December 31, 2024. Microsoft recommends new Outlook for Windows or Outlook.com instead.
Ans: Not at all. First, check the password, account connection, Outlook updates, and profile repair first. If you use new Outlook and need to remove and add the account again, review Microsoft's warning about offline cached data before removing it.