Why Shared Mailbox is Not Updating In Outlook?

A Shared Mailbox uses a generic email address, mostly used to communicate with customers or the public, as multiple users can monitor and reply to the queries. A user can add a Shared Mailbox after the administrator has added the user as a member of the Shared Mailbox.

Although the user mailbox and Shared Mailbox uses two different mailboxes, the OST files are linked together, which can significantly increase the OST file size and cause performance issues. Oversizing can also cause integrity issues, leading to synchronization issues, outdated Shared Mailbox, etc.

However, you can follow the steps discussed below to resolve the issues and fix outdated Shared Mailbox issues in Outlook.

Steps to Fix Shared Mailbox Not Updating Issue in Outlook

Follow these steps in the given sequence to troubleshoot and fix the Shared Mailbox not updating issue in Outlook.

 Step 1: Check Server Status

Sometimes Exchange server may go down due to maintenance or scheduled backups. A poor network connection can also be a reason that can prevent Outlook from synchronizing and updating the Shared Mailbox with Exchange Server.

To fix this, re-plug the network cable or reconnect to your Wi-Fi network and open a web browser.

Access the Outlook web app (OWA) to check if the server is available and online. If you can access your Outlook account via OWA, it indicates the server is online, and there is an issue with your system, the Outlook app, or Outlook data file, i.e., OST.

You can further check your antivirus and firewall settings, which may obstruct Outlook from synchronizing the Shared Mailbox with Exchange Server.

Step 2: Manually Synchronize the Shared Mailbox

You can perform manual synchronization to update the Shared Mailbox in Outlook. The steps are as follow,

• In Outlook, click on the ‘Send/Receive’ tab
• Then click the ‘Update Folder’ option. This will synchronize the user and Shared Mailbox with the Exchange server and update the folders.  

However, this is a temporary solution, and you may need to perform this operation every time to update the Shared Mailbox manually. To fix this problem permanently, you must enable automatic sync (if not enabled already).

Step 3: Auto-Sync Shared Mailbox

To enable automatic synchronization and update Shared Mailbox in Outlook, follow these steps,

• In Outlook, navigate to File>Options>Advanced.
• Enable the ‘Send immediately when connected’ option.

• Click on the ‘Send/Receive’ button and then enable ‘Perform an automatic send/receive when exiting’ option

• Click ‘Close>OK’ and then restart Outlook.

Step 4: Disable Download Shared Folders Caching

Disabling the ‘Download shared folders’ option forces all shared folders to go online. All changes made are updated directly on the server. The steps are as follow,

• In Outlook, navigate to File>Account Settings>Account Settings
• Click ‘Data Files’ and select your Outlook OST data file where the Shared Mailbox is configured
• Click ‘Settings..’ and click ‘Advanced’ Tab

• Uncheck the ‘Download shared folders’ option and click ‘Apply>OK.’
• Close all dialog boxes and restart Outlook.

Step 5: Reconnect Shared Mailbox

You may also try disconnecting and reconnecting the Shared Mailbox to fix the issue. The steps are as follow,

• In Outlook, go to File>Account Settings>Account Settings…
• Select the mail account and click Change…
• Click More Settings under Offline Settings
• Click Advanced and then click Remove>OK

This disconnects the shared mailbox, to reconnect, follow these steps,

• In Outlook, go to Account Settings>Delegate Access
• Click Add and then click OK
• Make changes in Delegate Permissions and click Calendar>choose Editor
• Right click on Shared Mailbox
• Select Data File Properties… and then click Permissions tab
• Choose Full Details and check the Folder Visible option
• Click Add to choose user and then click OK

Step 6: Recreate the OST File

Lastly, you can recreate or rebuild the OST file to fix the Shared Mailbox not updating issue. The steps are as follow,

• Open Outlook and go to File>Account Settings>Account Settings
• Click on the ‘Data File’ tab and then choose the OST file associated with Shared Mailbox
• Click ‘Open file location….’ And then create a backup of the OST file (simply copy the OST to a different location)
• Close Outlook and then delete the OST file
• Restart Outlook. This will automatically create a new OST file and fix the Shared Mailbox not updating issue (if caused by a faulty OST file).

After recreating the OST file, if you find missing emails, convert the backup OST file to PST using Stellar Converter for OST and then import the converted PST to your Outlook account via Import Export wizard.

To Wrap Up

Synchronization issues, such as Shared Mailbox not updating, may arise due to many reasons. It could be due to large OST file size, damaged Outlook profile, incompatible add-ins, etc. However, you can resolve the issue by following the methods discussed in this post. In case the problem is not fixed and the Shared Mailbox is still not updating, you may need to recreate the OST file and reduce the OST size to prevent this issue. An easier way to do this is to convert the large inaccessible or problematic OST file using Stellar Converter for OST software.

The software can extract mail items from large OST files and split or compress the file into multiple smaller PST files based on date range or size. You can then import the PSTs or open them directly in your Outlook to access the mail items. This can help you reduce the OST file size significantly and save you from common sync issues due to large OST files.

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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.