In Outlook, you have the flexibility to make Outlook work online or offline with your mail server. How do you know when you’re working offline or online in Outlook? There are visual cues, starting with the status bar at the bottom of your Outlook window.

If the background of the Work Offline button is shaded as shown in the image above , you’re not connected. But if the background is clear, you are connected. Follow the steps in Turn on Cached Exchange Mode to change that setting. Or contact the person who manages the Exchange server for your organization. We recommend always turning on Cached Exchange Mode with a Microsoft account. There can be different reasons why you’re disconnected from Outlook. What follows are just a few examples of some of the possible reasons.

If you can send and receive mail on the website, then your mail server is fine. But your computer might need updates or there might be a problem with your account settings. If the status shows Working Offline, repeat the action until the status changes to connected.

Read the check for updates topic and install any required updates. To eliminate the possibility that there’s a fault in your current Outlook profile, create a new profile. Follow the steps in adding the account again to proceed. Important: Office is no longer supported. Upgrade to Microsoft to work anywhere from any device and continue to receive support. Upgrade now. The first thing to check is your Internet connection by trying to connect to a website.

If your Internet connection is working, try reconnecting to the mail server. Here’s how:. After you reconnect to the server, the Work Offline button has a plain background:.

Still no luck? If you can use that email account with a website, such as Outlook. But Outlook might need updates or there might be a problem with the mail account settings.

Maybe your email account needs a fresh start. Try creating a new mail profile. When you work online with Outlook and your mail server, you receive new mail as it arrives, and mail that you send is sent immediately. However, there can be times when working online isn’t practical.

For example, maybe there’s no network connection available. Or maybe there is a network available, but you don’t want to connect to it because you’ve exceeded your data plan or will be charged a fee. In Outlook, you have the flexibility to choose whether you want to work online or offline, and you can do so either automatically or manually.

If you’re using a Microsoft Exchange Server account, your messages are saved in your mailbox on the server. When you’re connected to the server and you work online, you can use all of the functionality in Outlook, such as opening items, moving them between folders, and deleting items.

However, when you work offline, you lose access to all items on the server. That is when offline folders, which are saved in an offline Outlook Data File. The offline Outlook Data File. When you are online, this file is automatically synchronized with the server so that both copies are the same, and changes made in either copy are made to the other.

You can configure Outlook to automatically start offline if a connection to Exchange cannot be established. You can also manually switch between the online and offline connection states and choose which Exchange folders are kept up-to-date locally on your computer.

If you use an Exchange account, it is recommended that you use it with Cached Exchange Mode. Most of the reasons to work offline are eliminated when you use Cached Exchange Mode. The lack of a network connection is virtually transparent to you because you can continue to work with your items. You work with your information on your computer, and Outlook synchronizes it with the server. Whether you are at the office, at home, or on an airplane, network changes or availability are transparent to you.

When your connection to Exchange is interrupted, you can continue to work with your data. When a connection is restored, Outlook automatically synchronizes changes, and the folders and items on the server and on your computer are once again identical.

Outlook manages your connection to the server and keeps your data up-to-date. There is no need to switch to working offline and to keep trying to reconnect to the server — it is all automatic.

The only time when you might still choose to work offline is when you want greater control over what is downloaded to the local copy of your Exchange mailbox. This can include situations where you are using a connection device or service that bases the charges on the amount of data that you transfer.

Cached Exchange Mode keeps everything up-to-date. What if you aren’t using an Exchange account? The fastest way to work offline is to use the default Outlook settings. If you want to customize the settings, including where to save the offline Outlook Data File. By default, the Prompt me at startup so I may choose to work offline or online check box is selected.

If you want Outlook to always work online when a connection is available, clear this check box. After the offline Outlook Data File. If you want to customize the offline Outlook Data File.

Create an offline Outlook Data File. Click Account Settings , and then click Account Settings. On the E-mail tab, select the Exchange Server account, and then click Change. In the File box, type the path to the file that you want to use as the. The default file name is Outlook.

If this file already exists, you are prompted for a new name. On the E-mail tab, select the Exchange account, and then click Change. Always start Outlook offline Click Manually control connection state , and then click Work offline and use dial-up networking. Choose whether to work offline or online each time you start Outlook Click Manually control connection state , and then select the Choose the connection type when starting check box. Always connect to the network Click Manually control connection state , and then click Connect with the network.

Outlook automatically detects whether a connection to the server is available Click Automatically detect connection state. If Outlook is unable to connect with the mail server, it starts in offline mode automatically. Note: To specify the amount of time to wait for a response from the server before you are notified to retry or work offline, type a number in the Seconds Until Server Connection Timeout box.

However, there are times when working online is not practical. For example, there can be times when a network connection is not available because of your location.

There are also instances when even though a connection might be available, you don’t want to use it to avoid incurring connection fees. If your account connects to Exchange, your messages are saved in your server’s mailbox.

When you are connected to the server and work online, you can use all of the functionality in Outlook, such as opening items, moving them between folders, and deleting items. That is when offline folders, which are saved in an Offline Folder file.

When you are online, this. For POP3 e-mail accounts, messages are sent immediately if the Send immediately when connected check box is selected on the Mail Setup tab Tools menu, Options command. Also, for IMAP e-mail accounts, folders are not available when offline. When you work offline, Outlook connects to the mail server only when you choose for it to do so. When offline, Outlook does not try to connect to your mail server to check for new messages, download headers that you marked for download, or send messages.

You must restart Outlook to switch between working online and offline. Consider using Cached Exchange Mode for greater flexibility when you switch between online and offline connection states.

If you want to customize the settings, including where to save the Offline Folder file. After the. If you want to customize the Offline Folder file. Create an Offline Folder file. Switch from working offline to online. Status: Working Offline Working offline usually is a choice. Returning to an online work mode is a simple process. Notes: If the background of the Work Offline button is shaded as shown in the image above , you’re not connected.

Need more help? Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you!

Microsoft outlook 2016 work online free. Outlook for business

 
Stay connected and protected with Microsoft Outlook, the secure email app. Access your email, files and calendar with all in one place, helping you stay. Office saves your documents to OneDrive by default, so Office Online works well as a companion web application. Your documents may already. is a free email service for your personal email. Anyone can go to and sign up for a free email account. Previously known as.

Free Trial – Try Microsoft for a month – Microsoft Store – Microsoft 365

 
 
If you don’t see the Work Offline button and your email account is a Microsoft Exchange Server account, Cached Exchange Mode might be turned off. Use Dallas​ College Student Email (Microsoft Outlook) to communicate with other It’s free for students. Of​fice works like you​: everywhere.