How to fix error 0x80042108 in Microsoft Outlook

5 days ago
Admin
3 minutes

Error 0x80042108 occurs in Microsoft Outlook when it cannot connect to the incoming (POP3 or IMAP) mail server. It’s typically a connection timeout rather than a login/authentication failure — Outlook simply can’t reach the server on the configured port.

Here’s how to fix it:

Step 1: Check Your Internet Connection

  1. Confirm you have a stable internet connection by browsing to any website.
  2. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try switching to a wired connection or a different network to rule out local connectivity issues.

Step 2: Verify Your Account Settings

  1. In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
  2. Select your account and click Change.
  3. Confirm the following against your mail provider’s current settings:
  • Incoming server (POP3/IMAP) hostname and port
  • Outgoing server (SMTP) hostname and port
  • Encryption method (SSL/TLS)
  1. Click Test Account Settings to confirm the connection works.

Step 3: Disable Antivirus or Firewall Temporarily

Third-party antivirus and firewall software can block Outlook’s connection to the mail server.

  1. Right-click your antivirus icon in the system tray and select the option to disable it temporarily.
  2. Restart Outlook and check if the error persists.
  3. If the error goes away, add Outlook as an exception in your antivirus/firewall settings rather than leaving protection off.

Step 4: Start Outlook in Safe Mode

Add-ins can sometimes interfere with the mail connection.

  1. Close Outlook.
  2. Press Windows + R, type outlook.exe /safe, and press Enter.
  3. If Outlook connects normally in safe mode, go to File > Options > Add-ins, disable add-ins one by one, and restart normally between each to find the culprit.

Step 5: Repair Your Outlook Installation

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features.
  2. Find Microsoft Office (or Microsoft 365) and click Change.
  3. Choose Quick Repair and click Repair.
  4. If the issue persists, run Online Repair instead — it takes longer but fixes deeper installation issues.

Step 6: Repair the PST/OST File

A corrupted data file can also trigger this error.

  1. Close Outlook.
  2. Locate the Inbox Repair Tool (Scanpst.exe), usually found in the Office installation folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX).
  3. Run Scanpst.exe and browse to your PST or OST file.
  4. Click Start to scan and repair any errors found.

Step 7: Create a New Outlook Profile

If none of the above works, the existing profile may be corrupted.

  1. Close Outlook.
  2. Open Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
  3. Click Add, create a new profile, and set it as the default.
  4. Reopen Outlook using the new profile and re-add your email account.

Prevention Tips

  • Keep antivirus and firewall exceptions configured for Outlook to avoid repeated blocks.
  • Avoid sending or receiving emails with very large attachments (20 MB+) where possible.
  • Periodically compact your PST/OST files to keep them healthy.
  • Keep Outlook and Windows updated to the latest patches.
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