Outlook is a widely used email client, preferred by corporations due to the highly reliable Exchange Server. Yet, Outlook might come across some unwanted issues, like Outlook not receiving emails from a specific sender. The problem could be at the user-end or at the server-end. Outlook may be blocking email from that sender for security reasons, or there could be something wrong with the sender's email address. In this post, we'll walk you through the methods to help get your email flowing again.
Before directly moving on to the solutions, checkout common reasons why Outlook is not receiving fresh emails.
Outlook Not Receiving Emails: Common Reasons for the Issue
Here are a few reasons because of which users are experiencing such an error:
- Low internet bandwidth, making Outlook to server connection unstable.
- Your emails are being received in Junk Email folder and not in the Inbox.
- The mails are reaching the serve but not getting synced with Outlook.
- Aggressive anti-virus tools or firewall rule can interfere with the Outlook incoming emails.
- Your Outlook storage is full, leaving no room for new emails.
- Microsoft 365 may flag the email as high-risk and stop it from reaching to your server.
- A transport rule may be redirecting your emails to another server.
- Corrupt OST or PST file inferring in the process of email sync.
Note: To pinpoint the exact reason, you should use the Message tracking feature of Exchange.
Quick troubleshoot to fix Outlook not receiving emails?
Before making changes to the Outlook configuration, try these hacks:
- Restart your Outlook software. And if that doesn’t work, reboot the system. Believe me, a simple restart can do wonders.
- Check the internet. Make sure you have stable bandwidth. A disturbance in the network may prevent email delivery.
- Sometimes, you are receiving emails, but Outlook is not displaying them at the top, and you think my Outlook email is not receiving emails. To fix it, open the inbox folder and sort the items by data in ascending order. Also, switch to All email mode from Focus mode.
How to fix ‘Outlook not receiving emails from a particular sender?’
I have analyzed a dozen or more articles, forums, and Microsoft pages. And based on it, one of the solutions given below will fix your issue.
Method 1: Check the Junk Folder in Outlook
If you're not receiving email from a particular sender, the first thing you should check is your Junk Folder in Outlook. Email from unknown or unverified senders is often routed to the Junk Folder, so it's possible that the message you're expecting is there. And if it is there, you must add the sender to the safe list to receive email in the inbox folder.
To check your Junk folder:
Step 1: Launch Outlook, and under the Home tab and select the Junk option.
Step 2: Select Junk Email Options from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Select the Safe Senders tab.
Step 4: Click the Add option on the right side to add the email of the particular sender you wish to receive emails from. Click OK.
Step 5: Also check the option “Also trust e-mail from my Contacts” so that Outlook will not move the emails to the Junk folder that are received from anyone on your contact list. Then, click Ok to save the change. .
Method 2: Emails not getting synced
If the junk folder is empty, go to the web version of Outlook (Outlook.com). Check the inbox or search for emails from that particular sender. If the emails are there, then everything is working on the server side. The issue is with your Outlook desktop client app, causing the emails to not sync.
It could be due to a corrupt OST file that is failing to connect and sync email correctly with the Exchange Server. In such a situation, you have to recreate the OST file in Outlook. Creating a new OST file will force Outlook to download the latest emails from the server, fixing the Outlook not receiving email issue.
Method 3: Check if the Outlook Inbox is full
If your Outlook will not receive emails but will send, one of the first things you should check is whether your Outlook inbox is full. If it is, you won't be able to receive any more emails until you delete some of the messages that are already in there.
A full mailbox storage will reject or bounce the email. To fix the problem, just delete some of the messages in your inbox to make room for new ones. You can go to Junk/Spam/Inbox or any folder and delete all the unwanted emails. Or you can use the Clean Up function of Outlook.
Step 1: Go to the Home tab and select the Clean Up option.
Step 2: Under the drop-down menu, you can either select Clean up Conversation, Clean Up Folder, or Clean Up sub-folder.
Step 3: After that, restart Outlook to remove the problem of Outlook not receiving emails from a particular sender.
Note: You have to ask the sender to send the emails again after clearing up the storage.
Method 4: Release the email from quarantine
Exchange Server allows you to create a quarantine mailbox and automatically move spam emails to it using the Content Filter agents. When the Exchange Server quarantines the email, you will not see it in your inbox.
You have to ask your server admin to check if the Outlook email not receiving emails is due to the quarantine feature. If it is, release the emails to the original receiver and reconfigure the filter agent to allow messages from this sender.
Method 5 Check the Work Offline mode in Outlook
The Work Offline mode disconnects your Outlook from the server. In this mode, you cannot send or receive any email. Use these steps to check and disable the Work Offline mode:
Step 1: Open your Microsoft Outlook application.
Step 2: Then go to the Send/Receive tab and click on the Work Offline option.
Step 3: After that, you can confirm whether to work offline or online.
Step 4: Once you are done with it, restart your Microsoft Outlook application and see if the problem is solved or not.
Method 6: Check the Blocked User list
The blocked user list includes the users that you have specifically blocked from sending you emails. When my Outlook email is not receiving emails from a particular sender, I always check the Blocked User list. To check this list:
Step 1: Under the Home tab in Outlook, select Junk.
Step 2: Click on Junk Email Options.
Step 3: Select the Blocked Senders tab.
Step 4: If the email address from the particular sender is present, click on the name and select Remove. Click OK.
Method 7: Check Outlook Rules
The Outlook rules can forward, delete, or move the email to a specific folder. I have literally seen my colleagues to setup and forget an email forwarding rule. Then they sit for hours wondering why Outlook email not receiving emails. You can check the Outlook rules with these steps:
Step 1: Select the File tab in Outlook.
Step 2: Under the Info tab, select Manage Rules & Alerts.
Step 3: Under the Email Rules tab, look out for the rules that alter the incoming emails. Uncheck the box corresponding to it. Click OK.
Method 8: Clear Outlook Cache
Clearing your Outlook cache will delete any temporary files that may be causing the email delivery issue. To clear your cache:
Step 1: Press Win + R and type “%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook“. Then, press Enter.
Step 2: Find and open the RoamCache folder.
Step 3: Select all the files inside the folder and delete them.
Step 4: Restart the Outlook and ask the sender to resend the email.
Method 9: Create a new Outlook profile
A damaged Outlook profile can also lead to Outlook not receiving email. Events like power failure, virus attacks, etc., can cause it. Treat it as a last resort, as it involves reconfiguring your Exchange account in Outlook. You can create a new Outlook profile like this:
Step 1: Open Outlook, and under the File tab option, go to Info. Select Account Settings. 
Step 2: Click the Show Profiles option. Then click Add button, provide a profile name, and click OK.
Step 3: Enter your account information, click Next, and provide the account password. Then, click Sign in.
Step 4: Outlook will test connection and configure the account. When the process is completed, click Finish..
Method 10: Check the sender side
If you have a firewall enabled on your computer, make sure that it's not blocking outgoing traffic on port 25. To do thisIf none of the methods work for you, then there is a high probability that the issue is not at your end but at the sender’s side. You must ask the sender to do the following:
- Make sure he or she is not attaching an attachment larger than the email attachment limit of Outlook.
- Check if they have not reached the Outlook sent email limit.
- Verify if there is an Outlook rule or an Exchange Server email transport rule stopping the message to deliver.
How I Solved the Outlook Not Receiving Emails Issue in My Outlook?
In my case, the issue was a damaged Outlook Profile. I recreated the profile and Outlook automatically made a new OST file and restored the email flow. But the profile corruption damaged my PST file too. I am not sure how it happened. I think the frequent crashing or freezing of Outlook due to corruption disturbed the read / write operation of PST file multiple times and thus damaged it.
The OST file data was on the server, so it came back. But the PST file was always offline. The only way to get back my emails is to repair the PST with a Outlook PST repair software. First, I tried the ScanPST.exe tool, but no luck. The PST header file was severely damaged. Such damage can only be undone with professional repair software.
The Kernel for Outlook PST Repair specializes in restructuring the PST file header and restoring it to its original state without losing a single bit of data. You can add multiple PST files of any size and repair them all simultaneously. After the repair, you can save the recovered data in PST or other email formats. And if required, you can also upload your PST files to Office 365 or another IMAP server directly.
Conclusion
Most of the time, the issue of not receiving emails from a particular sender in Outlook often gets resolved with the above-mentioned methods. If corruption in the OST file or the Outlook profile damages your PST files, use the recommended PST Repair tool to repair them instantly. The tool even allows grouping multiple PSTs together or splitting large PST files into smaller ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I take backup of the OST file before recreating it?
A: OST file is a replica of data already present on the Exchange Server, and in your case, it is missing emails. So, I would suggest skipping the backup. However, check these 2 things before you rebuild the OST file: make sure Outlook is not syncing, any email and the Cached Exchange Mode is enabled.
Q: Is Outlook Junk folder same as email quarantine?
A: No, the Outlook moves the suspicious emails into the Junk folder, and you can view them anytime. But the emails quarantined by the server never reach your inbox. Only admin can view them.
Q: Why does my Outlook say "Connected" but I’m not receiving mail?
A: This means there is a synchronization issue between the OST file and the Exchange Server. Check for internet issues, clear cache, or verify if the server is up and running.
