Connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable

Q: How do I change Microsoft Exchange from Online to Microsoft Exchange?

You need to turn off cached Exchange Mode, but keep in mind Outlook will be slower to process changes in the Global Address List, or will be unable to find certain emails when you search for them. Follow these instructions: Open Outlook Click the File tab. Click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings from the drop-down. On the E-mail tab, click the Exchange account, and then click Change. Under Microsoft Exchange server, select or clear the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box.

Similar to the error Connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable when starting Outlook, some PC users that have Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office installed on their Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer may get the error message The connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable when setting up Outlook on their device. In this post, we offer the most suitable solutions to this issue.

The full error message reads as follows;

The action cannot be completed. The connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable. Outlook must be online or connected to complete this action.

This issue can occur if the user has an account at a third-party provider that uses the same email address and password that the user’s Office 365 account uses.

Connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable when setting up Outlook

If you’re getting The connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable error message when setting up Outlook on your Windows 11/10 PC, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order to resolve the issue on your system.

Run Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant
Create new alias for the Office 365 user
Change the user name or password

Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.

Before you proceed with the solutions below, make sure your PC is not experiencing internet connectivity issue and that the Exchange server is not offline – if you are an IT or Exchange administrator, the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer can help you diagnose a number of issues, like Outlook account setup, connectivity issues, etc.

1] Run Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant

If you have run into the connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable error when setting up Outlook on your Windows 11/10 PC, you can run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool GUI version or the command-line version and see if the issue in focus is resolved.

The SaRA tool can help you with Outlook if:

Outlook won’t start
Can’t setup Office 365 email in Outlook
Outlook keeps asking for password
Outlook keeps “Trying to connect…” or gets “Disconnected”
Shared mailboxes or shared calendars don’t work
Problems with Calendar
Outlook not responding, keeps crashing or has stopped working
Outlook can’t send, receive, or find the email
Email in Outlook not syncing

2] Create new alias for the Office 365 user

This solution requires you to create a new alias for the user in Office 365, and use it to set up Outlook. To carry out this task, do the following:

Sign in to the Exchange admin center.
Select Recipients.
Select Mailboxes.
Double-click the user’s mailbox.
Select Email address,
Select Add.
Select SMTP.
Now, add a new alias that uses the .onmicrosoft.com domain (example; [email protected] alias).

Now, instead of the user’s email address use the alias that you just created to set up Outlook. During the Outlook setup process and you’re prompted again to enter credentials, use the user’s actual Office 365 email address.

3] Change the user name or password

This is a simple solution to the issue in highlight, which involves changing the user name or password of the user’s Office 365 account or of the user’s third-party account so that it is unique for the user’s Office 365 account.

That’s it!

How do I fix Outlook The connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable?

To fix The connection to Microsoft Exchange is unavailable error on your PC, try the following suggestions:

Edit registry.
Update your Outlook profile.
Create a new Outlook profile.
Delete your Outlook profile.
Use flushdns command.
Restart Microsoft Exchange services.
Disable your antivirus.
Set the WINS IP addresses on your PC.

How do I connect Microsoft Exchange to Outlook?

To set up or connect Microsoft Exchange server to Outlook, follow these steps:

Open Outlook.
Next, open Control Panel.
Select Mail.
Click Show Profiles and choose the Outlook profile you want to change.
Locate the Services tab and click on the Add Service button.
Enter your Exchange Server information, including the name of the server and your specific mailbox name.

How do I change Microsoft Exchange from Online to Microsoft Exchange?

You need to turn off Cached Exchange Mode, but keep in mind Outlook will be slower to process changes in the Global Address List, or will be unable to find certain emails when you search for them. Follow these instructions:

Open Outlook.
Click the File tab.
Click Account Settings, and then click Account Settings from the drop-down.
On the E-mail tab, click the Exchange account, and then click Change.
Under Microsoft Exchange server, select or clear the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box.

Why is Outlook disconnected from Exchange Server?

One possible cause why Outlook is disconnected from Exchange Server is that you’re using Outlook and you disabled the Encrypt data between Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Exchange profile setting. The default configuration for Exchange Server 2013 requires RPC Encryption from the Outlook client. This prevents the client from being able to connect.