Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.

...

When a message gets stuck in your Outbox, the most likely cause is a large attachment.

  1. Click Choose Send/Receive > Work Offline

    The Work Offline button in Outlook 2013

  2. In the NavigationPane, click choose Outbox.

  3. From here, you can:

    • Delete the message. Just select it and press Delete.

    • Drag the message to your drafts folder, double-click to open the message, delete the attachment (click it and press Delete).

  4. If an error tells you Outlook is trying to transmit the message, close Outlook. It may take a few moments to exit.

    Tip
    If Outlook doesn’t close, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and click Start Task Manager. In Task Manager, click the Processes tab, scroll down to outlook.exe, and click End Process.
  5. After Outlook closes, start it again and repeat steps 2-3.

  6. After you remove the attachment, click choose Send/Receive > Work Offline to deselect the button and resume working online.

    Tip
    Messages also get stuck in the Outbox when you click choose Send but you’re not connected. Click Choose Send/Receive and look at the Work Offline button. If it’s blue, you’re disconnected. Click Select it to connect (the button turns white) and click choose Send All.

    The Send All button in Outlook 2013