topic Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic in Email

Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

slowtime — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:38:29 GMT

I have just purchased a new PC. This one has Windows 11. My old Windows 10 PC had a version of Microsoft Outlook on it that wouldn't work on my new PC. I downloaded Outlook Classic. The window appears but there are no messages in it.

How do I get my messages to load from my Plusnet webmail?

Any ideas or experience?

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Kristy — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 11:12:57 GMT

I too am having the same problems which appear to be with the server and it reaching it. How do we resolve this?

Not ideal to have an email address we are unable to access.

Can someone please help?

I've tried everything...

Thank you

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

PhilipHeyes — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:26:12 GMT

Have you configured your email accounts with Credentials and Encryption for both email servers ?

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Kristy — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:22:51 GMT

Please can you tell me how I do that? Thank you Philip

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

slowtime — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:28:41 GMT

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. I used the credentials from the Plusnet website.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Gel — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:56:39 GMT

Until you sort your OUTLOOK settings, access e mails via OUTLOOK.COM.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Kristy — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:47:29 GMT

I did to using the imap settings advised on Plusnet

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

jab1 — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 16:00:59 GMT

@Gel wrote:

Until you sort your OUTLOOK settings, access e mails via OUTLOOK.COM.

@Gel That only works for 'outlook.com' accounts, not xxx@xxx.plus.com ones.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

slowtime — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:44:02 GMT

Thank you for your message jab1. I have an xxx@xxx.plus.com account so I can't use the outlook.com workaround unfortunately. I have checked my setting again and they are all correct. I prefere MS Outlook but I have downloaded a copy of Mozilla Thunderbird and the same credentials work fine for that. It must be an issue with Outlook Classic, I think.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

jab1 — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:55:33 GMT

@slowtime It is an 'Outlook' - of any flavour - issue. I have been using Thunderbird for longer than I can remember now, and even that, if you do it as a totally new install, tries to 'help' you set it up, although selecting the manual install option allows you to configure it correctly, but it is a bit fiddly. Fortunately, I have not had to do that, as when I switched to a new laptop and OS, I was able, with help, to copy the TB profile across.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

stuck — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:40:15 GMT

@slowtime wrote:

Thank you for your message jab1. I have an xxx@xxx.plus.com account so I can't use the outlook.com workaround unfortunately. I have checked my setting again and they are all correct. I prefere MS Outlook but I have downloaded a copy of Mozilla Thunderbird and the same credentials work fine for that. It must be an issue with Outlook Classic, I think.

Try this:

1) with Outlook closed, open the Control Panel, yes, the control panel, not Settings

2) in the Control Panel, open the 'Mail' applet

3) configure the settings for Outlook and OK out of everything

4) Open Outlook

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Dinalt — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:08:19 GMT

I have this problem with Outlook as well - it just doesn’t work with Plusnet (both mobile and desktop versions). It’s not a question of settings as alternative programs work fine. I suspect its the Plusnet servers being so slow that Outlook times out but I’ve got no proof

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

jab1 — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:10:51 GMT

@Dinalt Is your issue setting up Outlook (which version?) or not receiving emails?

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Dinalt — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:18:47 GMT

I posted about a similar issue a few weeks ago - Outlook no longer works with Plusnet - either the server is broken or the program. As Thunderbird works perfectly on desktop and Apple Mail works on mobile it implies Outlook is at fault. On desktop Outlook will download the folder structure but won’t populate the inbox. To be honest I gave up trying to sort it. I will try again when I get migrated to Greenby in case a new server with hopefully better hardware helps but life is too short to keep on flogging a dead horse…

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

jab1 — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:21:50 GMT

I fail to see how the Plusnet servers can be blamed when other mail clients don't have issues - your problem points to Outlook.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

slowtime — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:08:27 GMT

Thanks for your message stuck. This is what I did:

Closed Outlook

Control panel>User accounts>Mail>Email accounts>change.

The account settings were all correct.

Tried to open Outlook Classic (But it wouldn't open!)

The Outlook tests (Incoming and send) both showed as completed and the results popped up in my Thunderbird account.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Jones — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:36:37 GMT

I use Plusnet mail with Outlook Classic all the time, which suggests that the problem isn't with Outlook.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

jab1 — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:39:06 GMT

Well - I never have a problem, but there again I don't use Outlook. So, where is the problem?

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Townman — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:02:52 GMT

For those seeking help, it helps little to say “I have a problem with outlook” but to then not describe the problem (with the encountered error messages) nor the version of outlook being used.

There’s good versions of outlook which set the gold standard for email clients and there are bad versions - the latter being the free one(s).

As the product(s) have “evolved” they have sought to treat users as idiots under the guise of making things simpler for those who know nothing. In reality such just makes life difficult.

The more recent versions assume settings and inhibit (or make difficult) modifying those settings once configured. Sometimes the only pragmatic answer is to delete the configuration and start again, ensuring manual set up is chosen. That’s safe enough for IMAP clients, but potentially catastrophic for POP3 clients (yet another sound reason for not using POP3 at all).

eM Client is an excellent alternative free email clients, though the free version only supports two email addresses.

Re: Problems With Microsoft Outlook Classic

Dinalt — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:34:00 GMT

I use the paid version (Office 365) and it no longer works work via desktop or mobile ( iOS). Either they’ve changed something in a recent update or there is a fundamental mismatch between the server and Outlook. As it still works with older / legacy installs it seems to be something not when setting up accounts on the client side. MS are trying to move everyone to ‘new’ Outlook but has been forced to admit that it is not fully functional. I have no problem swapping to an alternative email program but it is worrying that my backups aren’t accessible except via Outlook