Are you trying to open the new Outlook for Windows app on your Windows 10/11 PC but getting the “A connection to the internet could not be established. Please connect to the internet and restart the application” error? If yes, here is why you are getting the error and how to avoid it.
The new Outlook for Windows app is slowly but surely replacing the Mail app in Windows 10 and 11. The new Outlook app will eventually replace both Mail and Calendar and classic Outlook apps on your computer.
Error while opening Outlook new in Windows 10/11
Many users are reporting that they are encountering the “A connection to the internet could not be established. Please connect to the internet and restart the application” error while trying to launch the new Outlook app.
If you are also seeing the same error, it’s because you are trying to launch or start the Outlook app when your PC is offline. The new Outlook app throws this error when you try to launch it when you are offline.
So, to avoid seeing the error and launch the new Outlook app, you need to open the app only when your PC is connected to the internet.
Microsoft has been trying to add offline support to the new Outlook app, and it works offline to an extent. You can read emails, create and save new emails, organize emails, and do much more when you are offline. However, to launch/start the Outlook app, you need a working internet connection!
In short, the Outlook app requires an active internet connection to start! Once the app is up and running, it will continue to work even if you go offline. Strange but true! At the time of writing this article in July 2024, this is the standard behavior of the new Outlook app and you can read about this on this official support page.
If you often need to work offline, we suggest you not close the Outlook app so that you can use it when you go offline as well. Alternatively, you can use third-party tools such as Mozilla Thunderbird.
Michael Mac Guinness says
Well. I’m getting this “connection could not be established” even if i open Outlook AFTER connecting to the internet.
.
A change that disables a perfectly functioning application can only be described as remarkably stupid, ill-conceived and shockingly badly and incompetently executed.