How to fix
500 – Internal Server Error in Outlook
on Windows

Hello. I can access all the other Microsoft products, such as Office 360 and OneDrive. However, every time I try to access Outlook, I receive the Internal Server Error 500. It stops me from using my email entirely. Please help.

Outlook is an email service and personal information manager provided by Microsoft. The contents of emails can be accessed via the standalone application that comes in a package of MS Office and also via the web browser on a dedicated Outlook email website. Many people choose this service because of its popularity and convenience, and it's especially prevalent in the corporate environment.

Just like any other Windows application or service, it does not always function as intended - Error 500 in Outlook is one of such issues. Users across various IT support forums claimed that they are unable to access their emails due to this error, which can be extremely frustrating. Some users might also receive a different text message, which includes:

• Unexpected Error
• Mailbox not found
• Something went wrong
• Repeating redirects detected
• Protocol disabled.

The issue seems to be relatively inconsistent, as users claimed that their second email accounts worked perfectly fine, or that accessing Outlook email on another device resolved the issue. As usual, there are no two used devices that are exactly the same, which means that numerous components work together, creating inconsistencies or bugs.[ref en-1]

In most cases, the issue is caused by corrupted cache files, although other problems, such as poor internet connection, might also be at fault. Below we will provide several methods that should help you fix Outlook error 500 in numerous ways. Keep in mind that each of the devices is different, hence you might need to check several methods until one works for you.

Tip: If you would like to resolve Windows issues easily, we recommend employing [d1] PC repair software. It can easily find corrupted system files and replace them with brand new, authentic ones. As a result, you could automatically get rid of Blue Screen errors, system crashes, DLL errors, registry[ref en-3] issues, and more.

Solution 1. Run the troubleshooter

If there's something wrong with the Outlook app itself, the troubleshooter should point at the problem.

• Type troubleshoot in Windows search and hit Enter
• On the right side of the window, pick Additional Troubleshooters
• Scroll down and select Windows Store Apps
• Click Run the troubleshooter

  

• Wait for the scan to finish
• Apply the offered fixes and see if the matter is resolved.

Solution 2. Temporarily disable or uninstall third-party anti-virus

Any kind of software that could interfere with your online connection and block certain channels could prevent you from accessing your Outlook email. Therefore, we recommend you temporarily disable or uninstall your third-party anti-virus and see if that helps. Third-party firewalls, VPNs,[ref en-2] and similar software could also cause disruptions.

Solution 3. Clean cookies and cached files

If you can't access your Outlook account via the browser, caches may be bugged. Cleaning them would resolve the issue.

Google Chrome

• Click on Menu and pick Settings.
• Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
• Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
• Click Clear data.

  

Mozilla Firefox

• Click Menu and pick Options.
• Go to Privacy & Security section.
• Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
• Click on Clear Data...
• Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content, and press Clear.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Click on Menu and go to Settings.
• Select Privacy and services.
• Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
• Under Time range, pick All time.
• Select Clear now.

  

Safari

• Click Safari > Clear History...
• From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
• Confirm with Clear History.

Solution 4. Reset your internet connection

• Type cmd in Windows search
• Right-click on Command Prompt result and pick Run as administrator
• Paste in the following commands (press Enter every time):
  ipconfig /flushdns
  ipconfig /registerdns
  ipconfig /release
  ipconfig /renew
  netsh winsock reset
• Restart your PC.

  

Solution 5. Use different DNS

If resetting the connection didn't work, you could try using different DNS settings.

• Right-click on Start and pick Network Connections
• Under Advanced network settings, pick Change adapter options
• In the Network Connection window, right-click on your main connection (for example, Ethernet) and select Properties
• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties below
• Click Use the following DNS server address and type the following into the fields:
  Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
  Alternate DNS server: 8.8.8.9
• Press OK.

  

Solution 6. Allow Outlook on the web

If the email service works fine via the app but is failing when accessing it via the browser, make sure that permissions are set correctly.

• Open your browser and log in to your Office account using your credentials
• Pick the Mail option and then select Manage email apps
• Make sure Outlook on the web option is ticked.

Solution 7. Wait

In some cases, the problem might be on Microsoft's end. Servers operating the email service might sometimes go on maintenance or experience technical difficulties. Therefore, if none of the solutions above helped you, you should wait some time and see if Outlook error 500 resolves automatically - it did for many people who had this issue.