IT fixes for small businesses

Practical, step-by-step fixes for the Microsoft 365, Outlook and Teams problems that stop small teams working. Written by engineers who fix them every week.

Outlook & email

Outlook Keeps Asking for Password? How to Fix ItOutlook keeps asking for your password, shows "Need Password" or loops on the Microsoft 365 sign-in box? Here's why it happens and how to fix it for good.
Outlook Disconnected or Trying to Connect? Fix ItOutlook's status bar says "Disconnected", "Trying to connect…" or "Working offline" and new email won't arrive? Here's how to get Outlook back online.
Outlook Search Not Working? How to Fix ItOutlook search says "We couldn't find what you were looking for", shows no results or misses old emails? Here's how to fix Outlook search on Windows.
Shared Mailbox Not Showing in Outlook? How to Fix ItBeen given access to a shared mailbox but it's not showing in Outlook, or you get "cannot expand the folder"? Here's how to fix it in new and classic Outlook.
Microsoft 365 Emails Going to Junk? How to Fix ItClients say your emails land in junk or spam, or you see "SPF fail" or "DMARC fail" in headers? Here's how to fix Microsoft 365 deliverability properly.
Email Bounced With 550 5.7.1? NDR Codes ExplainedGot a bounce saying "550 5.7.1", "5.1.1 recipient not found", "5.7.708 access denied" or "5.7.520"? Here's what each Microsoft 365 error means and the fix.

Sign-in, MFA & licensing

Lost Phone With Microsoft Authenticator? Get Back InLost or replaced your phone and now Microsoft 365 says "Approve sign in request" or "More information required"? Here's how to get back in and stay safe.
Account Locked? Microsoft 365 Sign-In Errors FixedSeeing "Your account has been locked", AADSTS50053, AADSTS50076 or AADSTS53003 when signing in to Microsoft 365? Here's what each error means and the fix.
Office Says Unlicensed Product? How to Fix ItWord or Excel showing "Unlicensed Product", "Product Deactivated" or "Account notice" with editing disabled? Here's how to fix Microsoft 365 activation errors.
BitLocker Recovery Screen? How to Find Your KeyPC stuck on a blue "BitLocker recovery" screen saying "Enter the recovery key for this drive"? Here's where to find the key, why it happens and how to prevent it.

Teams, OneDrive & SharePoint

Teams Calls Dropping or Poor Quality? How to Fix ItTeams calls keep dropping, freezing or saying "Your network quality may be affecting call quality"? Here's how to fix choppy audio and video in Microsoft Teams.
How to Clear the Teams Cache (Windows and Mac)New Teams stuck loading, showing "We're sorry, we've run into an issue", or chats missing? Here's how to clear the Teams cache on Windows and Mac safely.
OneDrive Not Syncing? How to Fix It Step by StepOneDrive stuck on "Processing changes", "Sync pending" or showing red crosses? Here's how to fix OneDrive not syncing on Windows and Mac for your business.
File Locked for Editing by Another User? Fix ItSeeing "file is locked for editing by another user" or "locked for shared use" in Excel or Word? Here's why it happens in SharePoint and how to fix it.

Security incidents

Microsoft 365 Account Hacked and Sending Spam?Odd emails sent from you, bounces you didn't send, or "user is restricted from sending email"? Here's what to do when a Microsoft 365 account is hacked.
What to Do When Your Business Gets Hacked (Step by Step)The first 60 minutes after a breach determine how bad it gets. Here's exactly what to do, and what not to do.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Explained (Why Your Email Isn't Secure Without Them)These three protocols stop attackers from sending emails that look like they come from your domain. Here's what they do and how to set them up.

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