How to Fix Error – “Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server”?

Microsoft Outlook client displays the connectivity status in the status bar located at the bottom of the window. When connected to the mailbox server, it shows the status as Connected to: NameOfTheServer. For instance, Connected to: Microsoft Exchange.

However, when there is a connectivity issue or network problem, the status bar changes to ‘Trying to Connect’.

Outlook will continue to try connecting to the on-premises Exchange Server mailbox and establish a connection if your system and the mailbox server are online. However, if it fails to connect, it displays a ‘Disconnected’ warning status in the status bar, indicating a problem with your system, server, or Outlook.  

In this blog, you will get to know the reasons behind the Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server issue and the solutions to fix the problem.

Reasons for Outlook Disconnected from Exchange Server

Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server is a common error that can occur due to various reasons. Some common causes are as follows:

• No internet or poor connectivity
• Corrupt Outlook profile
• Damaged Outlook data file (OST)
• Faulty add-ins
• Certificate issue (HTTP/HTTPS)
• The server is down for maintenance or network issues
• Exchange Database storing your mailbox on the server is dismounted or corrupt

Solutions to Fix Outlook Disconnected from Exchange Server Issue

Follow the solutions below to troubleshoot and fix the Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, or 2019 disconnected from the Exchange Server issue.

1. Check Connectivity and Mailbox Server Status

The first thing to do is check your system’s network status. It should be online and connected to the Internet. For this, open a web browser and visit any website. Also, try to log in to Exchange Online or Outlook Web app to check the server status. If you can’t log in, contact the administrator for more help. If you can log in to the Exchange Server via OWA, it indicates that the server is online and the problem is with your Outlook client, system, or network.

2. Restart System

You can try restarting the system and the router. Doing this will fix any glitch that may have occurred temporarily and caused the issue with the connectivity. Similarly, restarting the router can help reset the network connection and resolve any temporary connectivity-related problem that might be causing the issue.

3. Check Work Offline Status

Outlook features a Work Offline option that allows users to disconnect Outlook from the Exchange Server and continue their work offline without getting disturbed by incoming emails. This also comes in handy when the network is unreliable or poor. If the Work Offline option is enabled accidentally or deliberately, Outlook will show the disconnected from the Exchange Server status. To resolve this,

• Go to the Send/Receive tab.
• Check if the Work Offline is enabled. If yes, click on it to disable it.

You can also flush the DNS to ensure Outlook connects to the Exchange Server. For this, press the Windows + R key, type ipconfig /flushdns, and press the Enter key.

For more details and to learn more, read How to Switch from Working Offline to Working Online in Outlook.

4. Remove Faulty Add-ins

Due to faulty or incompatible add-ins, Outlook may slow down or stop working. To ensure add-ins are not causing the Outlook and Exchange Server disconnection issue, follow these steps:

• Close Outlook and press Windows + R.
• Type Outlook.exe /safe and press the Enter key.

• Click Add-Ins and then click the Go button.

• Here, uncheck all add-ins and then click OK. This will disable all the add-ins in Outlook.
• Now, close the safe mode and start Outlook normally.
• In case you are asked or prompted, enter your login password and then check the status bar.

• If it displays Connected to: Microsoft Exchange, it means a faulty or conflicting add-in was causing the issue.
• You enable one add-in at a time and then observe Outlook for disconnected status.
• Once the faulty add-in causing the issue is found, remove the add-in from Outlook.

5. Repair or Reinstall Outlook/MS Office

Repairing Outlook can help fix problems like damaged program or driver files that might be preventing Outlook from working properly. For this, you need to repair MS Office. The steps are as follows:

• Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a program.

• Select Microsoft Office program and then click Change.

• Select ‘Repair’ and then click ‘Continue’ to repair the MS Office.

After a successful repair, open MS Outlook. If it connects to the Exchange Server, you can start using it. However, if this does not resolve the Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server issue, you can try reinstalling the MS Office.

Steps to completely uninstall MS Office from the system and install it from scratch are as follows:

• Download and install the official Microsoft Support and Recovery tool. After the installation, launch the program.

• Select the Office version you want to uninstall and click ‘Next.’

• Follow the wizard to uninstall MS Office and then restart your system.
• The tool will reopen automatically and finish the uninstall process.
• Then, select the MS Office version you want to install and follow the wizard.

6. Fix Certificate Issue

Issues with Security certificates may also prevent Outlook from connecting to the on-premises Exchange Server. Further, when you log in or authenticate using your email credentials in Outlook to access your on-premises Exchange Server mailbox, you may encounter certificate expiration or invalid warning error. If you continue, you may find that Outlook is not connected or disconnected from the server. To troubleshoot and fix this Security Certificate issue, you need to contact the administrator.

7. Create a New Outlook Profile

A corrupt Outlook profile can also lead to the Outlook disconnected issue. You can create a new Outlook profile to fix the issue. The steps are as follows:

• Close Outlook and open Control Panel.
• Find and click Mail.

• In Mail Setup, click Show Profiles and then click Add.

• Type a profile name and click OK.

• Follow the wizard and configure your email profile.

• After the setup, a new Outlook profile is added. Then, your Outlook will connect to the Exchange Server and synchronize all the mail items.
• After the synchronization, restart Outlook and check if the status is now ‘Connected‘ or ‘Disconnected‘.

Once the issue is fixed, you can remove the corrupt profile from your Outlook.

8. Update Outlook

Updating Outlook fixes any bugs or incompatibility issues due to security-related concerns that may be causing the disconnection between Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server. To fix this, simply check and update Outlook by following these steps:

• Open Outlook.
• Go to File > Office Account (or Account in some versions).

• Under Product Information, select Update Options and then click Update Now.

If the Update Now option is not available in your Outlook client, you can download and install Windows Updates to get the latest bug fixes and updates for MS Office, including Outlook.

9. Rebuild Outlook Data File

When nothing works, rebuild your Outlook data file, i.e. OST, as it may have become inconsistent and caused the Outlook connection issue. To rebuild an Outlook data file, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook and right-click on your email profile.
• Choose Open File Location. This opens the default Outlook data file (OST) location.

• Close Outlook.
• Copy the OST file to a safe location for backup and then delete the default OST file.
• Restart Outlook normally and then wait for a while.
• The Outlook will reconnect to your mailbox on the Exchange Server and synchronize the mail items. This may take a while, depending on the mailbox size.

Note:

After synchronization, you should check your mailbox for any missing items. Since Outlook was disconnected from the Exchange Server, there are chances that any changes made during that time may not have synchronized with the mailbox server. In such a case, you can use an OST to PST converter tool, such as Stellar Converter for OST. The software can extract mail items from inaccessible or damaged OST files and save them to Outlook importable PST format. Besides, you can also export the extracted mail items from the OST file directly to Microsoft 365 or a live Exchange Server.

Learn more: How to Import OST data directly to Office 365?

Some Additional Solutions

• Make sure no antivirus or firewall is blocking Outlook

You can temporarily disable antivirus program and firewall to check if they are conflicting with the Outlook functionality or preventing it from connecting to the Exchange Server. If yes, make sure to add Outlook as an exception or replace the current antivirus program with a better one that is Outlook-aware.

• Use SARA

Microsoft provides Support and Recovery Assistant (SARA) tool that you can use to troubelshoot and resolve the connectivity issues with Exchange Server. The steps are as follows:

• Download SARA tool and launch it.
• From the options, choose Outlook.

• Select Outlook keeps saying “Trying to Connect” or “Disconnected”.

• Click Next.
• Select Yes.

• Complete the tasks, such as entering username and password or making suggested changes to resolve the Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server issue.

Conclusion

Above, we have mentioned the reasons behind the Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server issue and how to troubleshoot and fix the issue. In most cases, replacing a corrupt profile or rebuilding a new Outlook data file can fix such issues with Outlook. However, you should be cautious before deleting your profile or Outlook data file as it permanently removes the mail items stored in the data file from the system. Thus, any mail items that didn’t sync with the mailbox server will be permanently lost. Always backup OST before removing the profile or deleting OST. You can use OST to PST converter software, like Stellar Converter for OST, to retrieve the missing emails from backup OST file and restore them to your Outlook profile.

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About The Author

Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.