IT-Questions.com

12 guides

Email & Calendar

Outlook setup, mail flow, signatures, shared mailboxes, calendar invites, and a slow inbox.

How to set up Outlook on a new computer

Add your work mailbox so mail, calendar, and contacts appear on a newly issued laptop.

EasyAbout 10 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Outlook asks you to add an account
  • The inbox is empty on a new device
  • Only the old computer still has mail
  1. 01

    Open Outlook and add your work account

    Launch Outlook. When the account wizard appears, enter your work email. Sign in with your company password and complete MFA. Do not add a personal Gmail or Hotmail as the primary profile.

  2. 02

    Let the mailbox download

    The first sync can take several minutes. Status text in the bottom bar should move from “Disconnected” to “Connected to Microsoft Exchange” or Microsoft 365.

  3. 03

    Add any shared mailboxes you need

    If you also use a team inbox, add it after the primary mailbox is online. Shared mailboxes often appear automatically once IT has granted access.

  4. 04

    Set your signature and time zone

    Recreate your signature from the company template and confirm File → Options → Calendar time zone matches your location.

Emails are not sending

Messages sit in the Outbox, bounce, or never reach the recipient.

ModerateAbout 8 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Mail stays in Outbox
  • You receive a non-delivery report
  • The Send button does nothing
  1. 01

    Check the Outbox and your connection

    Look in Outbox. If items are stuck, confirm Outlook shows Connected. Work offline mode is a common cause. Toggle it off from the Send/Receive tab.

  2. 02

    Open a stuck message and resend

    Open the item, confirm there is at least one valid To address, then Send again. Oversized attachments above the company limit will bounce until you use a link instead.

  3. 03

    Read any bounce message

    A non-delivery report usually says mailbox full, address not found, or blocked by policy. Fix the address or remove a blocked attachment type such as .exe.

  4. 04

    Restart Outlook in a clean window

    Quit Outlook fully from the system tray and reopen. If mail still will not send, try Outlook on the web to see whether the problem is only the desktop app.

A message is stuck in the Outbox

One message will not leave the Outbox and may be blocking mail behind it.

EasyAbout 6 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Outbox shows (1) or more
  • New mail will not send
  • Outlook says Working offline
  1. 01

    Turn off Work Offline

    On the Send/Receive tab, make sure Work Offline is not enabled. Then click Send All.

  2. 02

    Open the stuck item

    Open the message. If the attachment is very large, remove it, upload the file to OneDrive, and send a link instead.

  3. 03

    Delete and recreate if it is corrupted

    Copy the text, delete the stuck Outbox item, and compose a new message. Corrupted drafts can block the queue.

  4. 04

    Restart Outlook

    Quit from the tray icon so the process actually ends, then reopen and send again.

How to create a company email signature

Add a standard signature so your name, title, and contact details appear on new mail.

EasyAbout 6 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • New messages have no signature
  • Your signature looks different in replies
  • You need the current brand template
  1. 01

    Get the official template

    Use the signature block from the intranet or brand site. Do not invent logos, motivational quotes, or extra confidentiality banners.

  2. 02

    Create it in Outlook

    Go to File → Options → Mail → Signatures, or Settings → Mail → Compose and reply on the web. Paste the template and fill in your details.

  3. 03

    Set defaults for new mail and replies

    Apply the signature to new messages. Many teams use a shorter version for replies so threads stay readable.

  4. 04

    Create it in both places if you use both clients

    Desktop Outlook and Outlook on the web store signatures separately unless your company pushes them centrally.

How to add a shared mailbox

Open a team or department mailbox you have been granted access to.

EasyAbout 6 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • You were added to a team inbox but cannot see it
  • Mail to the shared address never appears
  • You can see it on the web but not in the desktop app
  1. 01

    Confirm access is already granted

    Shared mailboxes do not appear until IT or the mailbox owner adds you. Wait a few minutes after the access email, then restart Outlook.

  2. 02

    Let it auto-map, then add it manually if needed

    Many shared mailboxes appear automatically in the left folder list. If not, in Outlook on the web use Open another mailbox, or in desktop Outlook add it from Account settings → Change → More Settings → Advanced → Add.

  3. 03

    Send a test from the shared address

    When composing, choose From and select the shared mailbox. If From is missing, you have read access only.

  4. 04

    Keep personal and shared mail separate

    Create rules on the shared mailbox, not your inbox, so team mail does not vanish into your personal folders.

How to set an out-of-office automatic reply

Turn on an automatic reply so people know you are away and who to contact instead.

EasyAbout 4 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • You are going on leave
  • People say they did not know you were out
  • A reply is still sending after you returned
  1. 01

    Open Automatic Replies

    In Outlook, go to File → Automatic Replies, or in Outlook on the web use Settings → Mail → Automatic replies.

  2. 02

    Set the date range and message

    Turn replies on, set start and end dates, and write a short message: when you return, what you will not monitor, and a backup contact. Use the company tone of voice.

  3. 03

    Decide who receives it

    Send one message inside the organization and a shorter one outside if you work with vendors or customers. Do not include personal cell numbers unless that is your team’s practice.

  4. 04

    Turn it off when you return

    If you set end dates, it should stop on its own. Confirm it is off on your first morning back.

I am not receiving emails

People say they wrote to you, but nothing new appears in your inbox.

ModerateAbout 10 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Inbox looks stale
  • Only some senders get through
  • A teammate’s message to you bounced
  1. 01

    Search the whole mailbox

    Search for the sender or subject across All Mailboxes, including Junk, Deleted, and Focused/Other. Rules and Focused Inbox hide a surprising amount of mail.

  2. 02

    Check rules, forwarding, and Focused Inbox

    Open Manage Rules & Alerts and look for a rule that moves or forwards everything. Turn off Focused Inbox temporarily. Disable unexpected forwarding.

  3. 03

    Confirm your address with the sender

    Ask them to send a one-line test to your exact work address and to check for a bounce. A typo or an old alias is common after a name change.

  4. 04

    Compare desktop Outlook with the web

    If web mail has the message and the desktop app does not, the local profile is stuck. If neither has it, the message never arrived.

How to recover a deleted email

Bring back a message you deleted by accident, including items that left Deleted Items.

EasyAbout 6 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • A message is gone from the inbox
  • Deleted Items is empty
  • You need a message someone else deleted from a shared mailbox
  1. 01

    Check Deleted Items first

    Open Deleted Items and sort by date. Drag the message back to the inbox. Search Deleted Items if the folder is large.

  2. 02

    Recover items already emptied

    In Outlook on the web, open Deleted Items → Recover items deleted from this folder. Select the message and Recover. This works for a limited retention window.

  3. 03

    Look in archive or online archive

    Older mail may have moved to Archive or In-Place Archive rather than being deleted. Search there before assuming it is gone.

  4. 04

    Check a shared mailbox separately

    Recover from the shared mailbox’s own Deleted Items. Recovering from your personal mailbox will not bring back team-inbox mail.

Calendar invites are not showing on my calendar

You received a meeting email, but the appointment never appears on your calendar.

ModerateAbout 8 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Invite is in the inbox but not on the calendar
  • The time looks wrong
  • A recurring meeting vanished
  1. 01

    Accept the invite from the meeting message

    Open the invite and choose Accept or Tentative. Some mailboxes do not auto-add invitations until you respond.

  2. 02

    Check the right calendar

    Make sure your default calendar is selected and overlay calendars are not hiding it. Shared calendars can look like “your” day at a glance.

  3. 03

    Confirm time zone and working hours

    A wrong time zone shifts meetings by several hours so they look missing. Set the calendar time zone to your current location.

  4. 04

    Look for cancelled or updated copies

    Search the mailbox for the meeting subject. An update or cancel from the organizer can remove the item. Ask the organizer to resend.

How to share my calendar

Give a colleague or assistant permission to see or edit your calendar.

EasyAbout 5 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • A teammate cannot see your availability
  • An assistant needs to book for you
  • You shared a calendar and they still see only free/busy
  1. 01

    Open Calendar permissions

    In Outlook, right-click your calendar → Sharing and permissions, or use Share in Outlook on the web.

  2. 02

    Choose the right permission level

    Can view when I’m busy is enough for most coworkers. Can view all details shows subjects. Can edit is for assistants. Owner is rarely needed.

  3. 03

    Add the person and send the sharing invite

    They must accept the sharing email. If they already had an old permission, remove it and share again.

  4. 04

    Open it on their side

    They should add your calendar from the sharing mail or Open calendar. If they only need to schedule with you, viewing free/busy in Scheduling Assistant is often enough.

I received a suspicious or phishing email

Handle a message that asks for passwords, payments, or urgent action without putting the company at risk.

EasyAbout 5 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Unexpected password reset or invoice
  • A link looks almost like a company site
  • The sender name does not match the address
  1. 01

    Do not click, open, or reply

    Do not open attachments, do not enter your password, and do not call any phone number in the message. Hover only if you need to describe the link to IT.

  2. 02

    Report it with the company button

    Use the Report Phishing or Report Message button in Outlook. That sends the original message to security with headers intact.

  3. 03

    If you already clicked, stop and write down what happened

    Disconnect from VPN if you entered a password, change your password from a device you trust, and note the time, the site, and whether you typed credentials or opened a file.

  4. 04

    Warn the people it named, not the whole company

    Tell your manager and IT. Do not forward the phishing mail to a large distribution list.

Outlook is slow or freezing

Outlook hangs on send, takes minutes to open, or shows Not Responding.

ModerateAbout 12 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Splash screen lasts a long time
  • Scrolling the inbox stutters
  • Not Responding appears in the title bar
  1. 01

    Close extra mail windows and large attachments

    Quit Outlook, reopen one window, and avoid opening huge PSTs. Disable the Reading Pane briefly to see if that helps.

  2. 02

    Start with add-ins off

    Hold Ctrl while starting Outlook and choose Safe Mode, or disable non-Microsoft add-ins from File → Options → Add-ins. CRM and PDF add-ins are frequent culprits.

  3. 03

    Trim what is stored locally

    In Account settings, shorten the mail to keep offline slider if your OST is huge. Archive or delete oversized Sent items.

  4. 04

    Repair Office

    Use Apps → Installed apps → Microsoft 365 → Modify → Quick Repair. If the profile is corrupt, IT may recreate it.