How to Fix Outlook Error 500: ‘Something Went Wrong’?
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most dependable and widely used email clients that provides a convenient platform for managing emails, calendars, and contacts. However, like any software, Outlook may encounter errors from time to time. One common issue users face is the Outlook Error 500, which displays the message “Something went wrong.” This error can be frustrating, but there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve it.
This tutorial is going to show you the causes of this error as well as how to troubleshoot and fix it.
Outlook Error 500 Causes: Something Went Wrong
Outlook Error 500, accompanied by the message “Something went wrong,” can be caused by various factors. Comprehending these causes is essential for proficient troubleshooting. Here are some common causes for Outlook Error 500:
- Server-Side Issues: Users may face disruptions when utilizing Outlook or logging into their email accounts through a web browser when the mail server experiences internal issues or needs repair. The error 500 is caused by server-related problems that stop Outlook from establishing a connection to the mailbox.
- Internet Connection Problems: Error 500 may arise due to Outlook’s inability to communicate with the servers efficiently due to a weak or unreliable internet connection.
- Browser Issues: OutlookError 500 can also occur when attempting to view your email through a web browser that has accumulated a cache.
- Excessive or huge OST file: To ensure constant performance, larger OST files (~10 GB or greater) require additional processing power and memory. However, an OST file that is excessively big may cause performance problems and result in an error of 500.
- VPN or Proxy Issues: If you are using a virtual private network (VPN) or a proxy server, it might interfere with the communication between your device and the Outlook servers. Temporarily disabling the VPN or proxy can help determine if they are the cause.
- Corrupted Browser Configuration: Corrupted settings in your web browser can lead to errors in accessing Outlook. Resetting or reinstalling the browser may help resolve configuration-related issues.
- Inaccurate or incompatible add-ins: Error 500 might be brought on by malfunctioning add-ins that impede Outlook’s operations and functionalities.
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Methods for Fixing Outlook Error 500: Something Went Wrong
Troubleshooting Outlook Error 500, with the message “Something went wrong,” involves a systematic approach to identify and address potential issues. Here are step-by-step solutions to help you resolve the error:
1. Verify the Status of the Server
The first thing you need to do when facing an Outlook error 500 is to examine the health and service status of the server. The Microsoft 365 server may experience a brief outage.
To verify this,
- Click the Health option after visiting https://admin.microsoft.com.
- After selecting Service Health, select All Services.
Next, see how Microsoft 365 is doing. You can wait for a while for a mistake to be fixed if you see one. Once fixed, the error 500 ought to vanish.
Note: The administrator has access to these parameters. Use the following options if you are a user without access to a global administrator account.
2. Check the attachments from emails.
If you are experiencing issues with sending emails, make sure you are not sending excessively large or numerous attachments. In such a case, consider sending the email with zero or few attachments. This will assist you in determining whether the error is brought on by one or several large or numerous attachments. Once the issue is fixed, you can send an email with fewer files at first, and subsequently larger attachments in later emails.
Additionally, you have the option to upload the attachments to the cloud and provide the addressee with the cloud link. Alternatively, you can raise the attachment size restriction by contacting the administrator.
3. Update the Outlook Program
Outlook updates assist in resolving compatibility problems that could address error 500: Something went wrong. You could attempt an Outlook update. The following are the steps to follow:
- Launch Outlook.
- Select Office Account under File.
- Select Update Now under Update Options. This will search for any newly released updates.
- To download and install the most recent Outlook updates, if they are available, follow the directions.
After the update, restart the computer to see if the Outlook problem has been fixed.
4. Empty the Cache and Cookies
Try cleaning off the cookies and cache in your web browser. For Microsoft 365, try removing them. You can, however, erase the cache and cookies for all websites and try logging into your Microsoft 365 account again if this does not resolve the issue.
5. Locate and Turn Off Unsuitable or Defective Add-Ins
Outdated or conflicting add-ins might cause Outlook to stop working properly. This can result in an error of 500. To solve the problem, turn off and delete these add-ins. The following are the necessary steps to take:
- The Run dialog box can be opened by pressing Windows + R.
- After typing outlook.exe /safe, hit the Enter key or click OK. Outlook will launch in safe mode as a result.
- Click File > Options > Add-ins after that.
- Press the “Go” button.
- To disable all of the add-ins, unselect them all from the list and press OK.
- After disabling the add-ins, open Outlook as usual.
- Activate each add-in individually after the problem 500 has been fixed.
- Turn on Outlook again and check the email client.
- Outlook is to blame if the error 500 appears shortly after an add-in has been activated. To fix the issue, remove it right away.
6. Make a Fresh Account
Outlook connectivity problems may also be caused by a corrupted Outlook profile, which may result in the error 500. You can fix this by making a new profile and configuring your email under it. Next, delete the previous profile. The following are the steps to establish a new profile in Outlook:
- Close the Outlook window.
- Open the Control Panel.
- Navigate to Mail > Show Profiles > Add under User Accounts.
- Type in the name of your profile. Press OK.
- Using the same email account credentials that are causing the error 500, follow the process to log in to this new email profile.
- Select Finish by clicking Next. A new profile will be made as a result.
- Select “Prompt for a profile to be used” from the Mail Setup box. Alternatively, you can make this new profile the default and delete the previous one.
- Click Apply > OK after that.
7. Fix or Reinstall Outlook
Another option is to think about fixing the Outlook software. The actions to take are as follows:
- Get the Control Panel open.
- Select Program and Features > Remove an application.
- From the list of programs, locate and choose Microsoft Office 20xx (substitute xx with the version of Office you use) and click Change.
- Select Repair from the Outlook repair wizard.
- To fix Outlook, keep following the on-screen directions.
- Restart the computer after the repair, then launch Outlook.
Try reinstalling Outlook from scratch if the repair doesn’t work.
8. Rebuild the Outlook OST Data File.
Large, enormous, or inconsistent OST files can ruin Outlook by preventing it from syncing updates with the mailbox server or retrieving new messages. Nevertheless, you can fix the inconsistent issue with the current OST file by creating a new one. The following are the steps to reconstruct the OST file:
- Hit Windows + R after closing Outlook.
- Press the Enter key or click OK after typing %localappdata%/Microsoft/Outlook into the Run window. The default PST file location will be opened.
- To make a backup copy, copy the OST file or rename it with the. bak extension. After the problem is fixed, you can use this OST backup to recover deleted emails.
- After the backup, launch Outlook and remove the original OST file.
- Because Outlook cannot locate the previous OST file, a new OST file is created. The entire mailbox server’s worth of mail will be synced (downloaded).
- Send a fresh email after the sync is finished. That must be sent immediately.
Check all of your mail folders and mail items after the mistake has been fixed. Use an OST to PST Converter program, like CuexSoft OST Converter, to extract any missing emails or mail items from the backup OST file and save them to a fresh Outlook importable PST file if any are missing. After that, you can import the converted PST file into the updated Outlook profile to recover the deleted emails. When you need to extract and restore mail items from huge, orphaned, or inaccessible Outlook OST files, the software is very helpful.
How to Avoid the 500 Error in Outlook?
- Install and check Windows and Outlook updates regularly.
- When sending emails, make sure your attachments stay within the recommended size limit.
- Installing add-ins from unreliable or third-party sources is not advised.
- Use SCANPST to perform an OST file health check and to address any minor problems or discrepancies before they cause harm to the data file.
To Concluded Words!
The Outlook error 500, which frequently comes with the “Something Went Wrong” notice, can cause users to lose access to their mailboxes and emails, which can impede email communication. The methods for resolving and fixing this Outlook problem were covered in this tutorial.
Don’t forget to utilize a sophisticated OST File to PST Converter program, if you still can’t resolve the issue or discover missing mail items after resolving the mistake. You can import PST files into your Outlook profile or OST file by using the software to retrieve mail items from inaccessible OST files.
