How to fix Outlook error 0x800CCC92 (server rejected your login)

Applies to: classic Outlook for Windows (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016) with a POP3 email account. The message usually reads Receiving reported error (0x800CCC92): Your e-mail server rejected your login.

What error 0x800CCC92 means

Outlook got as far as the mail server, but the server said no to the user name and password. Sending may still work while receiving fails, because sending uses a different server and login. The usual reasons are:

• The password changed: you changed it on the web or on your phone, but Outlook still has the old one saved.
• Plain passwords are blocked: many providers no longer accept a normal password from an email app. They expect an app password or a sign-in through their own login window.
• POP is switched off: some providers, Gmail included, let you turn POP access on or off in the web settings.
• Wrong settings: the user name, server name, port or encryption type doesn’t match what the provider expects.
• Temporary lock: after many failed attempts, the provider may block sign-ins from apps until you confirm the activity on the web.

Re-enter the password in Outlook

1. First, sign in to your email on the web with the same password. If that fails, reset the password there before going further.
2. In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
3. Select the POP account and choose Change.
4. Check the User Name field. Most providers want the full email address, not just the part before the @ sign.
5. Enter the password again, tick Remember password, select Next and then Done.

If Outlook keeps asking for the password, an old saved copy may be getting in the way. Open Credential Manager from the Start menu, select Windows Credentials, remove the entries that mention your mail server or address, then restart Outlook and enter the password once more.

Use an app password or modern sign-in

If the account has two-step verification, the normal password won’t work in a POP connection. Create an app password in the provider’s security settings and paste it into Outlook instead. Gmail, Yahoo and many other providers offer this. A Gmail app password, for example, is only available after two-step verification is on.

Outlook.com, Hotmail and work or school Microsoft 365 mailboxes are a special case. Microsoft no longer accepts a plain password for POP sign-in to these mailboxes in most cases, so a POP account pointing at them often fails with this error no matter what password you type. Don’t keep fighting the POP setup. Add the mailbox as an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 account instead, as described below, and Outlook will use Microsoft’s sign-in window.

Check that POP is turned on

Sign in to your email on the web and look for the POP setting. In Gmail it’s under Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Turn on POP for the mail you want, save, and try Send/Receive in Outlook again. For other providers, search their help pages for “POP access”.

While you’re signed in, check for a security alert. If the provider blocked an “unrecognized sign-in” from Outlook, confirm that it was you.

Check the server settings

In the account’s Change window, select More Settings > Advanced. For most providers, POP3 uses port 995 with This server requires an encrypted connection (SSL/TLS) ticked. Outgoing SMTP usually uses port 587 with STARTTLS, or 465 with SSL/TLS. Under Outgoing Server, tick My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication. Check your provider’s help page for the exact server names, since they differ.

Also check the Leave a copy of messages on the server option on the same tab. It doesn’t cause 0x800CCC92, but if it’s off, Outlook deletes mail from the server after downloading it, which matters if you read the same mailbox on your phone.

Remove and add the account again

If nothing above helps, setting the account up fresh usually does. Your POP mail stays in the existing Outlook data file (.pst), so note where it is first in File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files.

1. In File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the POP account and choose Remove.
2. Select File > Add Account and enter your email address.
3. For Outlook.com, Microsoft 365 or Gmail, let Outlook pick the account type and sign in through the window that opens. Choose IMAP over POP if you’re asked, so mail stays in sync with your phone and the web.
4. To get your old POP mail back, open the old .pst file with File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File.

If classic Outlook is missing from your PC after an update, see how to get classic Outlook back.

Repair the Outlook data file

Less often, Outlook reports this error when the POP account’s .pst file is damaged or very large. Close Outlook and run the Inbox Repair Tool, SCANPST.EXE. In Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2016 or later, it’s usually in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16. Select Browse, choose the .pst file, then Start and Repair. It makes a backup first. Then open Outlook and move old mail out of the Inbox, or archive it, to keep the file smaller.

Related guides

• Outlook tips and tricks
• Outlook classic download: how to get it back
• The password is incorrect. Try again: how to fix it
• How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook

Official sources:

• Microsoft Support: POP, IMAP and SMTP settings for Outlook.com
• Microsoft Learn: Deprecation of Basic authentication in Exchange Online
• Google Help: Read Gmail messages on other email clients using POP

Frequently asked questions

Why can I send email but not receive it?

Sending goes through the SMTP server and receiving through the POP server. They have separate settings and can fail separately, so 0x800CCC92 often affects only receiving.

Is 0x800CCC92 caused by a virus?

No. It’s a sign-in rejection from the mail server. Still, if you didn’t change your password and the provider shows sign-ins you don’t recognize, change the password and turn on two-step verification.

Will removing the account delete my emails?

Not for a POP account. The mail is in the .pst data file on your PC, and Outlook keeps that file unless you choose to delete it. Note its location before removing the account so you can open it again.