How to Configure an Outlook 2021 Account?

Microsoft launches new versions of its applications and programs from time-to-time to bring in new features and enhance the users’ experience. Outlook is one of the flagship products of Microsoft. Outlook 2021 is the latest edition of the email client that offers enhanced security and a range of new features and functionalities. So, if you’re new to Outlook 2021 and want to switch from your old Outlook version to Outlook 2021, you may find it challenging or complex to set up or configure an email account. In this post, we will discuss the step-by-step process to configure an Outlook 2021 account.

Steps to Configure an Outlook 2021 Account

Below are the steps you can follow to add an Outlook 2021 account.

Note: We have tried to explain all the possible ways and scenarios to configure the Outlook 2021 account, including a fresh sign-in and adding an account to the already running Outlook client.

Step 1: Download Install, and Launch Microsoft Outlook 2021

If you haven’t already installed Outlook 2021, download and install it. It’s a part of the Microsoft Office suite.

Once installed, click Close.

Then, launch Outlook and activate your Microsoft Office copy.

Step 2: Add Email Account to Outlook 2021

When you launch Outlook after installation, you will see a welcome screen with an account configuration screen. Follow these steps to add your email account to Outlook 2021.

• In the Outlook window, enter your email address.

• After entering the email address, click Connect. You will see a new window where you need to enter the password for your email account. Type your password and make sure it’s correct. Turn off the CAPS lock to avoid issues or wrong password errors.
• After entering the password, click Sign in.

• Then, check or uncheck the ‘Allow my organization to manage my device’ checkbox based on your preference.

• Click OK.
• Wait for the setup to complete. Based on your organization’s policies, it will set up and configure the account in Outlook 2021.

• In case you see any prompt to protect your email account, you can complete it and set up a two-step authentication to safeguard your email account. Otherwise, click Skip for now (xx days until this is required).
• Once everything is set, click Done.

• In a few seconds, Outlook 2021 will show your added email account under Account successfully added.

• You may add a new email account in Outlook 2021 or click Done to launch Outlook with your added email account.

• Outlook will start in a few seconds and load your email items.

Note: You may see a prompt to enter the product key to activate Outlook. If you have the key, enter it and click Activate. You may also close this window and keep using Outlook 2021 for 15 days without activation.

• In case you have already activated, you will see a prompt to accept terms and conditions. Click Accept.

Customize Outlook 2021 Account (Optional)

You can also customize your Outlook 2021 account once it is set up and configured. The steps are as follows:

• In Outlook, go to File > Info > Account Settings > Manage Profiles.
• Click Email Accounts and select your email.
• Then, click on Change.

• Here, you can adjust various options and settings, such as emails to keep offline, test connection, change port, etc.

Migrate Mail Items from Old Outlook or OST File to Outlook 2021

Once your Outlook 2021 account is set up, you can import the mail items from your old Outlook profile or account to this new one. All you need is a PST file backup. In case you don’t have a PST backup, you can convert your OST file to PST using a specialized OST to PST converter tool, like Stellar Converter for OST.

The software can convert orphaned or inaccessible OST files of any size to PST format, which you can import into your Outlook 2021 account and restore all your mail items. It can also export the mail items from the OST file directly to your newly set up Outlook 2021 account profile, live Exchange mailbox, or Microsoft 365 in a few clicks.

Steps to Set up Outlook 2021 Account Manually

In case you cannot sign in using the above steps, you may need to set up your email account manually, which allows you to choose/change some advanced settings to configure your account in Outlook 2021.

• While signing in, click the Advanced options and then click Let me set up my account manually to set up your email account with custom settings. Then, click Connect.

• After this, you will see a new screen to select an account type. Common options include:
  • Microsoft 365
  • Outlook.com
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Google (Gmail)
  • IMAP
  • POP
  • Exchange 2013 and earlier

• Choose the correct email server. For this tutorial, we are using a Gmail account. You will see the advanced options as soon as you select any of the options.

• Make sure to check and update the information here. Contact your administrator to get the server details and port numbers. Then, enter them. Otherwise, it will keep the default values, which can lead to failure in sign-in.
• Once done, click Connect.
• Then, follow the prompts to enter the password and sign in to your Outlook 2021 account.

Add Outlook 2021 Account to Already Setup Outlook

If you already have an Outlook 2021 setup, you can add a new email account using Outlook options or Control Panel. The steps are as follows:

• Open Outlook, go to File > Info, and click Add Account.

• Click Connect and then enter the password. Ensure caps lock is not enabled and the password is correct.
• Click Sign in.

• Then, click Done.

Alternatively, you can open the Control Panel and then,

• Click User Accounts > Mail and then click Show Profiles.
• Click Add.

• Type a name for the new profile and click OK.
• You need to enter the username and password of the same email account and complete the sign-in wizard.
• Once you sign in successfully, you can set this new profile as default or restart Outlook and choose the desired profile from the dropdown at the Outlook startup.

Conclusion

Adding an Outlook 2021 account is a straightforward process. However, if you are new to Outlook, you may find it a little confusing and may require help in setting up an email account, especially when the sign-in fails. In such cases, you need to manually setup and configure your Outlook 2021 account.

Above, we have also discussed how to migrate mail items from an older version of Outlook or convert offline Outlook data files (OST) to the Outlook importable PST format. The converted PST files can then later be imported into the Outlook 2021 account. For this, you can use a tool, such as Stellar Converter for OST that can convert inaccessible, orphaned, or inconsistent OST files (50 GB or larger) into PST format.

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About The Author

Shelly Bhardwaj

I am a Product Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 8 years. I write about the latest technology tips and provide custom solutions related to Exchange Server, Office 365, MS Outlook, and many other Email Clients & different flavors of OS Servers. Read More