Microsoft Outlook emails stuck in Outbox folder
Solved Email & Outlook
MS
Michael Scofield
October 22, 2018
2 replies
9,840 views
Reviewed by moderators

Half my outgoing mail sits in the Outbox for hours before sending, some never leaves. Small text-only messages go instantly. Ones with attachments hang. Connection is fine otherwise.

Accepted Answer
Verified by Kerry Morris, Forum Moderator ยท Reviewed October 2018

Attachment pattern points at size limits or a scanner holding the message.

1
Check the attachment total against your provider's send limit, commonly 20 to 25MB. Anything over sits forever without a clear error.
2
Antivirus outgoing mail scanning delays large messages badly. Turn off the email shield and test.
3
For a message jammed right now: put Outlook in Offline mode from the Send/Receive tab, drag the message from Outbox to Drafts, go online and resend it.

AV email shield was the villain. 30MB of attachments also did not help. Both fixed. Solved.