Unexpected Outage Of Outlook.Com Email Services Leaves Users In Confusion

The unexpected outage of Outlook.com last week (Wednesday) caused frustration among hundreds of users. According to Microsoft experts who investigated the Outlook problems found out that the cause of the Outlook.com outage was the failure of Exchange ActiveSync (EAS). Microsoft makes use of Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) to enable smooth and uninterrupted syncing of data stored on Microsoft Exchange Server with smartphones, tablets and PCs. This facility enables users to sync all types of data ranging from emails to contacts to calendars.

In its latest blog post, Microsoft extended its apology for the unexpected outage of the email service and the inconvenience it caused for millions of users across the world. The apology that was published in its service status board reads “We want to apologize to everyone who was affected by the outage, and we appreciate the patience you have shown us as we worked through the issues.”

Outage impacts SkyDrive cloud storage

It was not just Outlook.com email users who suffered from the unexpected outage but also users of Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage service. Partial outage on Peoples contacts application was also reported on the same day about 10 a.m. The worst part was that the issue even affected users who tried to access the Outlook.com email account via their smartphone devices. The mobile version of Outlook.com employs EAS to enable users to access their email accounts. It is the same service that enables iPhones users also to access email services. The synchronization problem on mobile devices persisted until 4.30 on Saturday, about four days after the issue had been detected.

The technical department of Microsoft said that it was looking into the issue on wartime basis. It assured users that there will be well-founded measures to avoid similar issues happening in future. The team blamed cache service failure for the outage of the service on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft to increase network bandwidth

Microsoft said that it had taken two remarkable steps to prevent similar issues from taking place in future. One of the remedies that it had taken already includes increasing the bandwidth for the vulnerable parts in the system. Another step is the incorporation of an unconventional procedure to handle issues pertaining to Exchange ActiveSync.

It is reassuring that Microsoft is taking up creative measures to prevent Outlook problems in future. Microsoft has been more inclusive lately in covering issues with many of its services, especially email applications.

Steps To Fix Your Outlook 2003 Reminders

Microsoft Outlook is essentially an email application that also serves as a personal information manager for the users. This application comprises of several advanced features such as calendar, journals, task manager etc. which enable the users to schedule and organize their important events. Another popular feature of the Microsoft Outlook calendar is the ability to receive reminders for scheduled tasks and appointments. The personal information manager stores the contact information in Outlook Address Books, whereas the personal information is stored in personal storage tables. This is made easier with Microsoft Outlook 2003 as it comes with a Calendar folder to which the users can add appointments. Hence, this email application would display a pop-up reminder when the date or time for an appointment is approaching. However, if Outlook 2003 fails to display calendar reminders, the program may not be running as it should. These Outlook problems may result if the settings are misconfigured, or if the calendar items may be saved in the wrong folder. Outlook help provides ample assistance with fixing the issues related to the Outlook calendar.

You can also use the following instructions to fix your Microsoft Outlook 2003 reminders before seeking assistance from the technical support.

• In the first step, open the Microsoft Outlook 2003 application on your system. Once the service is opened, select the Tools option from the menu bar. Now, go ahead and select the Options option.
• In the following step, make sure that the Default Reminder option is checked and select from the drop-down menu once the Microsoft Outlook reminds you of appointments. Select the OK option.
• Now, leave the Outlook 2003 application open to receive the reminders. For this, you need to go to the primary inbox, where you receive your mail. You have to ensure that the reminders are in the Calendar or Tasks folder. You can also contact Outlook help any time, to seek assistance with such Outlook problems.
• Once it is finished, exit the Outlook 2003 application if all the Outlook settings are correct, and press the Windows and R keys to open Run.
• In the final step, input the command outlook /clean reminders into the Run dialog box, and click OK. Once this is complete, reopen Outlook 2003.

These steps would help you to fix your Outlook 2003 calendar reminders in your system. For more information on the features of Outlook, check Microsoft’s official website.