Microsoft Outlook: Tips and Tricks to Speed Up Email Downloading
Microsoft Outlook Takes a Long Time to Download Emails: How to Fix It
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email client apps in the world. It offers many features to manage your messages, tasks, and appointments. However, sometimes it may run slow or stop working properly. One of the common issues that many users face is that Outlook takes a long time to download emails from the server. This can be frustrating and affect your productivity.
In this article, we will explain what causes Outlook to be slow in downloading emails and how to fix it. We will also provide some tips on how to troubleshoot other common Outlook problems.
microsoft outlook takes a long time to download emails
Introduction
Outlook is a powerful and versatile app that can handle multiple email accounts and sync with various services. However, like any software, it can also encounter errors and glitches that can affect its performance. One of the most annoying issues that many users experience is that Outlook takes a long time to download emails from the server. This can happen for various reasons, such as:
An Exchange Online server issue
A local network issue
A large or corrupted Outlook data file
An outdated or incompatible Outlook version
A faulty or conflicting add-in
A damaged or misconfigured Outlook profile
A problem with Skype for Business Online integration
A large number of RSS feeds
A disabled Cached Exchange Mode option
An enabled hardware acceleration feature
A large number of messages on the server
Fortunately, there are some solutions that you can try to speed up Outlook performance and fix the issue of slow email downloading. In the next section, we will show you how to do that.
How to speed up Outlook performance
If you are facing the issue of Outlook taking a long time to download emails, here are some steps that you can follow to improve its performance and resolve the issue:
Update Windows and Outlook
One of the first things that you should do is to make sure that your Windows and Outlook are up-to-date. Sometimes, outdated or missing patches can cause problems with the app. To check for updates, follow these steps:
Open Settings on your Windows 10 device.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the Check for updates button.
If there are any available updates, install them and restart your device.
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Office Account.
Click the Update Options button located on the right-side.
Click the Update Now option.
If there are any available updates, install them and restart Outlook.
Disable add-ins
Add-ins are extensions that enhance the functionality of Outlook. However, some add-ins may be faulty or incompatible with your Outlook version and cause it to run slow or crash. To disable add-ins, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Options.
Click on Add-ins.
In the Manage drop-down list, select COM Add-ins and click Go.
Uncheck the boxes for the add-ins that you want to disable and click OK.
Restart Outlook and check if the issue is resolved. If not, repeat the steps for other types of add-ins, such as Outlook Add-ins, Exchange Client Extensions, etc.
Reduce the size of Outlook data files
Outlook data files are where Outlook stores your emails, contacts, calendars, and other items. These files can grow large over time and affect the performance of Outlook. To reduce the size of Outlook data files, you can do the following:
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Delete or archive old or unwanted items from your mailbox.
Empty the Deleted Items and Junk Email folders regularly.
Compact your Outlook data files to remove any unused space. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Account Settings and then Account Settings again.
Click on the Data Files tab.
Select the data file that you want to compact and click Settings.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Click on the Outlook Data File Settings button.
Click on the Compact Now button and wait for the process to complete.
Click OK and close the dialog boxes.
Repair or create a new Outlook profile
An Outlook profile is a set of settings and information that Outlook uses to connect to your email account. Sometimes, your Outlook profile may get corrupted or misconfigured and cause problems with Outlook. To repair or create a new Outlook profile, follow these steps:
Close Outlook if it is running.
Open Control Panel on your Windows 10 device.
Type mail in the search box and click on Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
Click on Show Profiles.
Select the profile that you want to repair and click Properties.
Click on Email Accounts.
Select the email account that you want to repair and click Repair.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the repair process.
If the repair does not fix the issue, you can try creating a new profile by clicking on Add in the Mail dialog box and following the steps to set up a new email account.
Once you have created a new profile, you can set it as the default profile by selecting it and clicking on Always use this profile in the Mail dialog box.
Disable Skype for Business Online integration
If you are using Skype for Business Online with Outlook, you may notice that it slows down Outlook performance. This is because Skype for Business Online integrates with Outlook and syncs your contacts, presence status, and conversation history. To disable Skype for Business Online integration, follow these steps:
Open Skype for Business Online and click on Tools.
Click on Options.
Click on Personal.
Uncheck the box for Update my presence based on my calendar information.
Uncheck the box for Save IM conversations in my email Conversation History folder.
Uncheck the box for Save call logs in my email Conversation History folder.
Click OK and close Skype for Business Online.
Disable RSS feeds
RSS feeds are web feeds that allow you to subscribe to updates from your favorite websites. Outlook can also display RSS feeds in your mailbox. However, if you have too many RSS feeds or they are not updated frequently, they can slow down Outlook performance. To disable RSS feeds, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Options.
Click on Advanced.
In the Send and receive section, click on Send/Receive...
Click on the Edit button next to the All Accounts group.
Uncheck the box for Receive RSS Feeds in this group and click OK.
Click on the RSS Feeds tab.
Select the RSS feeds that you want to remove and click Remove.
Click OK and close the dialog boxes.
Enable Cached Exchange Mode
If you are using an Exchange account with Outlook, you can enable Cached Exchange Mode to improve Outlook performance. Cached Exchange Mode allows Outlook to store a copy of your mailbox on your local device and sync with the server periodically. This way, you can access your emails faster and reduce the network traffic. To enable Cached Exchange Mode, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and click on File.
Click on Account Settings and then Account Settings again.
Click on the Email tab.
Select your Exchange account and click Change.
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