“Your Outlook account settings are out of date”. This is an error message commonly experienced by Hotmail users.
There are several possible solutions to this problem and we’ll go through all of them in this article.
How Do I Fix My Hotmail Settings Out Of Date? List Of Solutions
Solution 1 – Restart your computer
There’s a possibility that the problem will be solved after you restart your PC. Even though this solution may sound a bit ridiculous, it is worth trying.
Solution 2 – Change the time zone settings in Windows 10
Wrong time zone settings can impact how your computer functions, including causing the windows 10 mail account settings out of date error.
If you’re not sure if the time zone is set to automatic or manual, you should check it by following these steps:
i. Press Win+R to launch RUN dialog box. In RUN box, type in control timedate.cpl and hit Enter key to open Date & Time Settings dialog box.
ii. Select Time Zone tab and then change the Time Zone to match with your current location (if necessary).
iii. After that click the OK button to save changes.
iv. Restart your computer and check if this solves the problem with windows 10 mail account settings out of date.
While you are in the date and time settings, you can also disable internet time by following these steps:
i. Click on the internet time tab and then click change settings.
ii. If you are using internet time, the option “synchronize with internet time server” will be checked. Uncheck it, click ok.
Solution 3 – Check Internet connection status & proxy server settings on PC
An improperly configured proxy server can also affect your Hotmail settings. Follow these steps to ensure that your proxy server is enabled and configured correctly:
i. Press Win+R to launch RUN dialog box. In RUN box, type in control netconnections and hit Enter key to open Network Connections dialog box.
ii. Right-click on the active connection and choose Properties from the context menu.
iii. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click on Properties button.
iv. Select Use the following proxy server option and then enter your proxy server address in HTTP Proxy field (for example: http://192.168.0.1). Click OK to save changes and close all opened windows.
v. Restart your computer and check if this fixes Outlook email settings out of date message in Windows 10.
Solution 4 – Log in using your Microsoft Account
It is good standard practice to always log into your computer using your Microsoft account, instead of using a local account.
If you aren’t using your Microsoft account, you can change your sign-in settings by following these steps:
i. Open Settings.
ii. Click on Accounts.
iii. Click on Your info.
At the bottom of the left pane, you will notice a link that reads “sign in with a Microsoft account instead”. Since I already use my Microsoft account to sign in, mine reads, “sign in with a local account instead”.
Notice what happens when I try to change to using a local account. I get this warning message:
This stresses the importance of using a Microsoft account instead of a local account when accessing your computer.
iv. However, if you are using a local account, once you click to change to a Microsoft account. You’ll need to enter your Microsoft account (Hotmail address) and password. Click next and follow instructions until you complete changing over from using a local account to a Microsoft account.
v. Restart your computer.
Solution 5 – Update your password
You might also experience the out-of-date account settings error if you haven’t updated your passwords. If you changed your password on outlook on the web app, you need to update it on your mail app.
The mail app will prompt you to enter the password next time you try to access your emails. (This is also effective against Hotmail error code 401.)
Solution 6 – Reinstall Outlook
If none of these solutions work for you, the last solution is to reinstall outlook. To do that, follow these steps:
i. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
ii. Find Microsoft Outlook in the list and right click on it.
iii. Select Uninstall option and wait until the application is removed from your computer.
iv. Now, download and install the latest version of Outlook from the official Microsoft website: https://support.microsoft.com/
v. Launch outlook to check if you still get the error: your Hotmail settings are out of date.
Why does Microsoft keep telling me my account settings are out of date?
There are several reasons why Microsoft keeps telling you your account settings are out of date:
i. The most common reason is a change of password.
ii. You could also have an issue with your security certificate, although in this case, there should be an accompanying server security error.
iii. You may also experience out-of-date account settings when you use a local account instead of a Microsoft account.
iv. Lastly, your computer’s time settings might be affecting Hotmail and causing the Your Hotmail settings are out of date error.
FAQ
How do I stop Hotmail from going out of date again?
Besides updating changed passwords, you can also disable internet time, set your computer to the correct time zone, and change your log in to use your Microsoft account instead of a local account. If all these options fail, you should reinstall outlook and input the correct server settings.
What does the error “your Hotmail account settings are out of date” mean?
This means that the stored email for your account is not updated. For example, your password. If you are using an old password, you will get this error.
How can I fix out-of-date account settings?
By first updating your password. Make sure you change your password on Outlook for the web so that it syncs with the desktop app.
