Outlook regularly synchronizes mailbox data from/to Outlook data (OST) file to/from mailbox on the server when connected to internet/server. It stores all the changes in the local OST file (when offline) and then synchronizes them to the mailbox on the server (when comes online). Similarly, any new mails or changes on the mailbox server are synchronized and downloaded to the local OST file.
Sometimes, when trying to manually sync the mailbox folders in Outlook or sending emails, you may encounter the 0x800ccc0e error.
The error indicates synchronization issues or problems between Outlook and the mailbox server. This can happen due to various reasons and factors. In this post, we will look into the reasons for the 0x800ccc0e error in Outlook and the solutions to troubleshoot and resolve it.
Reasons for the 0x800ccc0e Error in Outlook
Below are some reasons that may impact the synchronization in Outlook and lead to the 0x800ccc0e error:
- Network connectivity issues
- Incorrect email account settings
- Authentication related issues
- Mailbox server issues
- Corrupt Outlook profile
- Inconsistent or inaccessible Outlook (.OST) data file
- Conflict with antivirus or firewall
- Incompatible or faulty third-party add-ins
- Oversized or large mailbox or Outlook data file (.OST)
Solutions to Troubleshoot and Resolve the 0x800ccc0e Error in Outlook
Follow the solutions discussed below to troubleshoot and resolve the error 0x800ccc0e in Outlook.
1. Check Network and Internet Connectivity
The first thing you need to do is check and ensure that you have a stable network and internet connection. For this,
- Open a web browser window and then visit any website to check if the internet is available and working.
- Check the internet stability and reliability by visiting Fast.com.
- Make sure you are using public DNS, such as 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4, and not some custom DNS server.
- In case the internet is not stable, you can try to restart your router or reach out to your service provider for more help.
2. Check Email Server Status
You can check whether your mailbox server is online or not. You can do this by visiting the web app URL and entering your login credentials. If you can log in and access emails on the web, it means the server is online. If not, then wait or contact the administrator for more information as to when the server will be back online.
3. Update Outlook
Updating Outlook helps get rid of any bugs or incompatibility issues that may lead to 0x800ccc0e error in Outlook. To update Outlook,
- Open Outlook and go to File > Office Account.
- Choose Update Options.
- Select Update Now. This will check for and install any available Outlook updates.
4. Disable Firewall or Antivirus Temporarily
Sometimes, firewall and security apps, such as antivirus may also conflict with Outlook leading to the synchronization error 0x800ccc0e. To check this, you can temporarily disable your firewall or antivirus software. Then, check if the error 0x800ccc0e is resolved. If yes, make sure to add or allow Outlook as an exception in the security app.
5. Verify Server Settings
Make sure the server settings are correct. In case there are new updates to the server details, you must update them. The steps are as follows:
- Open Outlook.
- Go to File > Info > Account Settings.
- Select Account Settings from the dropdown and then under the Email tab, select your email account.
- Click Change.
- Then, under the Outgoing mail server (SMTP), check the server address and port settings.
- Ensure that My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication or Requires login using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) is checked. This is located under the More Settings tab.
- Once all the details are updated, save the changes and restart Outlook.
- Then, try sending an email or click Update Folders under Send/Receive to see if the error persists.
6. Repair Outlook Profile
A corrupt or damaged Outlook profile can also be a cause behind the synchronization issue as it contains all the information of the mailbox server, credentials, etc. To resolve this, you can repair your profile or create a new profile.
The steps to repair the profile are as follows:
- In Outlook, navigate to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Choose your email profile under the Email tab and click Repair.
-
- Follow the wizard to repair the profile.
- Make sure to click the Repair button again to proceed. This may take a while to complete and you may need to re-enter the username and password to fix the issue.
After the repair is complete, restart Outlook and then check if the error 0x800ccc0e is resolved or not.
To create a new profile, follow these steps:
- Open Control Panel and click on Mail > Show Profiles > Add.
- Type a profile name and click OK.
- Continue to follow the onscreen instructions and sign in using your same Exchange or Office 365 (Microsoft 365) email account. Click Next > Finish.
- Go back to the Mail dialog box and choose ‘Prompt for a profile to be used,’ if you want to keep the old profile.
- You may also select ‘Always use this profile’ and then select your new profile name to make it default.
- Click Apply > OK and launch Outlook with your new profile.
7. Recreate Outlook OST File
Inaccessible or inconsistent Outlook OST file can also lead to synchronization errors, such as 0x800ccc0e. By recreating the OST file, you can replace the old OST with a new healthy OST file and resolve the error. The steps are as follows:
- Close Outlook and go to Control Panel > User Accounts.
- Click on Mail to open the Mail (Microsoft Outlook) dialog box.
- Then, click on Data Files and choose the Outlook (.OST) data file that is linked to your email account.
- Click Open File Location.
- Right-click the OST file and choose Rename. You can add the .bak extension to rename the file. This helps create a backup copy of the original OST file.
- Once done, open Outlook. As you have renamed the OST file, Outlook will automatically create a new OST file.
- Outlook will then synchronize and download all mail items and folders from the mailbox server.
This way, you can permanently fix the synchronization issues that are caused by inconsistency or damage to the OST file.
After rebuilding the OST, check for any missing mail items. In case there are any, you can use an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST, to recover mailbox items from the backup OST file and save them to a new local PST file. You can then import this PST into your new OST file via the Import Export wizard.
It might also happen that OST file rebuild fails. This happens when the user profile is deleted or disabled from the Exchange Server or Microsoft 365. In such a case, you can use this software to recover mail items from the inaccessible or orphaned OST file. Alternatively, you can also use the software to directly export all the mail items from OST file to an existing Outlook profile, live Exchange Server, or Microsoft 365.
Conclusion
The error 0x800ccc0e in Outlook prevents you from sending emails or uploading changes to the mailbox server or downloading mail items. Therefore, it’s critical to resolve this error to restore email connectivity and communication. You can follow the solutions discussed in this guide to troubleshoot and resolve the error and restore synchronization between Outlook and the mailbox server.
It’s important to note that the error may also occur due to damage or inconsistencies in the OST file where all mail items are stored. In such cases, you can rebuild the OST after taking its backup. If there are any missing mail items in the new OST, you can use an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST to extract the mail items from back-up OST and save them to a local PST file.
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