How to fix the ‘IMAP Email Server is Not Responding’ error?

Published On - October 31, 2023 by Deepika Singh | Reading Time: 3 minutes

Summary: MS Outlook is an amazing email client. It offers multiple features but at times these features fail to function and result in the errors such as ‘IMAP Email Server is not responding error’. Let us know about the reason for this error and the ways to fix it.

Introduction
When it comes to understanding the utility of MS Outlook, it would be right to say that it is one of the most efficient email clients. It comes with many features which makes it easy for the users to stay connected. Your MS Outlook account can be easily configured with multiple email clients such as IMAP, POP Or Microsoft 365. Most of the users prefer to integrate their IMAP accounts with MS Outlook. This is because the IMAP account stores all the information of the MS Outlook account as well. As a result, it becomes possible to access the data when you are offline or not connected to the Exchange Server. But at times, a message often prompts up and disturbs your working.

The ‘IMAP Email Server is not responding’ error is very common. Whenever this error comes up, it becomes difficult to access your email account and perform any other function. Let us know the reasons behind the error and the ways to fix this.

Causes behind the IMAP Email Server is not responding error

There are many reasons behind this error. Some of them are given in the following way.

• Large OST data files.
• Incompatible or faulty MS Outlook Add-ins.
• Corrupt email profile.
• Hardware or software-related issues.
• Network or firewall issues.
• Server issues

Now that we know the common reasons behind the error, let us know the solutions to fix them.

Solutions to fix Not Responding error

Here are some common solutions that you can try to get rid of this error.

Check the network connection

Before you start with any other step, you should always make sure to check your internet connection once. You can troubleshoot and resolve the network issue by reconnecting the network cable or Wi-Fi.

Enable IMAP Settings on the Server

Enabling your IMAP settings on the server is very essential to ensure that you don’t face this error anymore. Here are the steps that you need to follow for this method.

• Login to your Gmail account using a web browser.
• Click on the gear icon and click the See all settings.
• Click on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab and then select the Enable IMAP radio button.
• Click Save Changes.
• Go back to your Outlook and add or sign in using the IMAP settings. This should resolve the error.

Verify the IMAP Settings

Check and fix your IMAP server settings if you have started encountering the error recently. The steps are as follows.

1. Open MS Outlook and go to File and then click on Info and then Account Settings. Finally click on Account Settings.
2. Select the IMAP email account and click Change.
3. Click More Settings and then click the Outgoing Server.
4. Select My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication (if not selected already) and then click Advanced.
5. Check the port numbers in the Incoming server (IMAP) and Outgoing server (IMAP).
6. You can ask the administrator for the correct port numbers. Enter the port numbers and then click OK.
7. Restart MS Outlook.

Create a new profile

Creating a new profile can also be helpful to get rid of this error. Here are the steps that must be involved in the same.

1. Open the Control Panel and click on User Accounts and then click on Mail.
2. Click Show Profiles and click Add.
3. Enter/type a new profile name and click OK.
4. Enter your IMAP email account credentials and click Next and then click on Finish to set up your account under this new profile.
5. Go back to Mail window, select Always use this profile, and then choose the new profile from the dropdown.
6. Click OK and then restart MS Outlook.

Recreate the OST files

If the solutions discussed above fail to fix the ‘IMAP server is not responding’ issue, there could be a problem with the OST file. To overcome and fix this, you can try to rebuild the OST file. The steps are as follows:

1. In MS Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, or 2010, navigate to File and then go to Info. Click on Account Settings and then go to Account Settings.
2. Click the Data File tab and choose your IMAP email account.
3. Click Open file location and then close Outlook.
4. Copy or back up the current OST to an external drive or different volume/folder.
5. After the backup, delete the OST file from the default location.
6. Restart MS Outlook.

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Conclusion

So what are you waiting for? Follow any of the solutions whenever you face this error. But if you are willing to save your time, then nothing can be better than the professional solution that we have discussed.