Delay in Receiving Emails Outlook – Fix Outlook Slow to Load Emails
Emails are a very critical form of communication and talking to professionals in part timely and proper manner is very necessary. But what if you’re facing a delay in receiving emails in MS Outlook? You’re thinking of refreshing the inbox every 5 minutes, and realise that your email arrives much later than you’ve expected. This makes scheduling and task management problematic, and many users are facing this issue where new emails don’t appear in the inbox or are not being received.
It can be caused due to many reasons, which make Outlook slow to receive emails, whether it’s a network issue, an outdated version or any other reason. Don’t worry, all of these consequences can be avoided if you follow this step-by-step guide. In this article, we’ll discover why there is a delay in receiving emails in Outlook and how to fix it by using many effective solutions so that you won’t face these issues continuously.
Why is There a Delay in Receiving Emails in Outlook?
Before we dive into solutions, it’s necessary to know what’s the reason behind:
- Large Mailbox: If you’ve oversized or damaged files, then it can reduce the performance, which leads to a delay in receiving Outlook emails.
- Server Settings Error: Sometimes, it’s not your mistake, but the problem is with the server, whether it’s IMAP or POP3.
- Unstable Network Connection: If you’ve poor internet connectivity, then it slows down Outlook’s performance, which prevents it from syncing the emails correctly.
- Outdated Outlook Version: Working on an older version of Outlook also causes Outlook delay receiving emails.
- Third-Party Add-ins: If add-ins are not applied, then they can interfere with the email syncing process.
- Wrong Rules & filters: Incorrectly applied filters or rules make emails appear later, resulting in delays.
These might be the common reasons why you’re facing a delay in receiving emails in Outlook. So you can resolve your problem by fixing the PST file. Let’s take a look at quick checks.
Preliminary Checks Before Troubleshooting
You can check these errors and fix them by yourself quickly:
- Internet Speed: Test the network connection, which is probably affecting the synchronisation.
- Mailbox Space Capacity: If you’re left with less storage, then the delivery process will get delayed.
- Restart your PC or Outlook: Check by quitting both Outlook and PC, as sometimes there might be a glitch.
- Outlook Web Access (OWA): Also, check if your email appears in OWA but not in the mailbox; then it might not be connected.
By looking for these errors, you can quickly fix them or identify if they do not work. Then, here are the best solutions which can surely help you solve your problem.
How to Fix Delay in Receiving Emails in Outlook?
Try these effective ways to solve the “Outlook slow to receive emails” error:
Tip 1: Check Hard Drive Performance
In many cases, slow storage can delay the accessibility of the data file in Outlook:
- Run the chkdsk/r in the command prompt to check and repair bad sectors.
- Defrag the HDDs and not the SSDs to get quick and fast performance.
Tip 2: Server-Related Errors
If you’re using the Exchange or MS 365, then
- You can contact the IT Admin for support and to review the syncing delays.
- Ensure your notifications are enabled to know the exact time of delivery.
- Also, you scan the service health dashboard for ongoing messages.
Tip 3: Adjust Send/Receive Settings
MS Outlook has a built-in feature which checks for new messages.
Steps:
- Navigate to File > Options > Advanced > Send/Receive.
- Shift the schedule to check the messages every 1-5 minutes.
- Prevent long breaks like 25-30 mins, as it can make Outlook slow to receive emails.
Tip 4: Disable all Problematic Add-Ins
There are some third-party add-ins which can cause Outlook freezes when sending email.
Steps:
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- Go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
- Turn off the unwanted ones and start your Outlook again to check the improvement.
- Or, tap Windows+R, write outlook.exe/safe, then Enter.
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- Manage COM Add-ins > Uncheck the corrupted ones.
Tip 5: Compact the Data File to Fix a Delay in Receiving Emails Outlook
Reduce PST file size is a very simple way to resolve the error. You can choose any manual method or an automated solution to fix it.
Steps:
- Launch your MS Outlook.
- Nav to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Press on Data File > select the file to compact > Settings.
- Click on Compact Now.
Note: You can use an automated SysTools PST Compress Tool, which makes your work easier than working with manual methods.
Tip 6: Review Firewall & Antivirus Settings
These extra security settings detect all incoming emails and any attachments, which may cause some delay.
- Turn off the email scanning option in Antivirus Settings.
- Check for Windows Firewall > any Applied Rules, which make sure of no blocking of Outlook providing services.
- Enable the settings again after testing.
Tip 7: Separate Large Outlook Data File
If you’ve a large or oversized data file and you can’t delete the data, then you can use the SysTools PST Splitter Tool, which divides the big data file into smaller files without losing the original data. It breaks up large PST files using filters like date, size, subject, etc.
You can use this by downloading and trying the demo version to fix the delay in receiving emails in Outlook.
Tip 8: Using Advanced Software to Solve the “Outlook Slow to Receive Email” Error
You can repair it by using the built-in tool ScanPST.exe, but for a reliable, trusted, efficient result, we recommend using the SysTools PST Repair software,which allows the fixing of damaged or corrupted PST files without any data loss and ensures to resolve PST file errors effectively.
It helps to restore all deleted items from the Outlook PST file. Also, compatible with recovering password-encrypted files.
Note: If your file is too large and can’t be accessed, in such a case, you should repair Outlook PST file without ScanPST.exe or go for above mentioned tool.
Preventive Measures to Avoid Outlook Delay Receiving Emails
If you’ve fixed the error, then you can follow these tips, which can further help you to prevent future delays:
- Keep your Outlook as well as Windows up to date.
- If you can’t delete the data, then you can divide the file into two parts and make them compact.
- Also, check for duplicates in your mailbox; if they are present, then you should remove them. We suggest using Best SysTools Outlook Duplicate Remover Software, which efficiently deletes duplicate items from Outlook.
- Avoid using third-party add-ins unnecessarily.
- Ensure stable internet connectivity.
- Regularly, back up your Outlook data files.
Frequently Asked Queries
Q. Why is there a delay in receiving emails in Outlook?
These delays can arise due to incorrect account settings, a cluttered inbox or mailbox, issues with internet connection, or malfunctioning or outdated add-ins.
Q. How do I make Outlook receive emails instantly?
- Keep Outlook updated
- Disable unnecessary add-ins
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection
- Adjust your Send/Receive settings in Outlook to check for new emails every 1-5 minutes.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve discussed that if you’re experiencing a delay in receiving emails Outlook, which can be a problem, however, it can be resolved by making some changes in settings, whether it’s in sending/receiving or recovering the file. The given solutions are best to restore your smooth outlook performance. For better results, we also mentioned the best software that can help prevent the future “Outlook slow to receive emails” error.