How to Fix messages that are stuck in the Outbox in Outlook

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

This guide will help you on how to Fix messages that are stuck in the Outbox in Outlook

2. Resolution

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

1. Click Send/Receive > Work Offline.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Outbox.
2. From here, you can:
3. Delete the message. Just select it and press Delete.
4. Drag the message to your drafts folder, double-click to open the message, and delete the attachment (click it and press Delete).
5. 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. 
6. If an error tells you Outlook is trying to transmit the message, close Outlook. It may take a few moments to exit.
7. After Outlook closes, start it again and repeat steps 2-3.
8. After you remove the attachment, click Send/Receive > Work Offline to deselect the button and resume working online.
9. Messages also get stuck in the Outbox when you click Send but you’re not connected. Click Send/Receive and look at the Work Offline button. If it’s blue, you’re disconnected. Click it to connect (the button turns white) and click Send All.