How to Remove and Re-Add an Outlook Account

🗘️ How to Remove and Re-Add an Outlook Account
A last-resort fix for an account that will not behave.
✅ Before You Begin
  • You need an active NEO A&M College account with SSO access
  • An internet connection is required
  • A Windows computer with Outlook installed
  • Your NEO email address and password — you will sign in again afterwards
  • Time to let the mailbox download again afterwards
  • 🕐 Estimated time: 20 minutes
💻 Which Outlook do these steps describe?
Written for Outlook on the web and New Outlook for Windows, which share the same layout. Where classic Outlook for Windows differs, the steps are in In Classic Outlook further down this page.

✋ Try These First 🕐 ~5 minutes  |  Do not skip
Removing an account is disruptive and fixes fewer problems than people expect. Work through these first — they resolve most cases in a fraction of the time.
⚠️ Note: If mail is missing rather than not syncing, do not remove the account. Check outlook.office.com first — if the mail is there, the mailbox is fine and removing the account will not bring it back any faster.
  1. Close Outlook completely and reopen it.
  2. Restart the computer. This clears a surprising number of sync problems.
  3. Check the same mailbox at outlook.office.com.
    • If the web version is correct and the desktop app is not, the problem is on this computer.
    • If the web version is also wrong, removing the desktop account will not help at all — contact the Help Desk.
  4. Check for pending Windows or Office updates and install them.
💡 Tip: Tell the Help Desk which of these you have already tried. It saves us asking you to repeat them.

✨ Remove and Re-Add in New Outlook 🕐 ~15 minutes  |  New Outlook for Windows
⚠️ Note: The path to Your accounts below was confirmed on a NEO computer. The Remove control inside the account entry was not, and comes from Microsoft’s documentation — if what you see differs, tell the Help Desk.
  1. Select the Settings gear in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Accounts, then Your accounts.
  3. Your NEO account is listed under Email accounts. Select it, then select Remove.
    • The same screen has Add account, which is what you will use to put it back.
  4. Close Outlook completely and reopen it.
  5. Select Add account, enter your full NEO email address, and sign in.
  6. Wait for the mailbox to download before judging whether the problem is fixed.
⚠️ Note: Removing the last account from Outlook returns the app to its first-run state. Make sure you know your NEO password before you start, not after.

🗃️ In Classic Outlook 🕐 ~15 minutes  |  Classic Outlook only
In classic Outlook, accounts are managed from the File tab.
⚠️ Note: The path to the Account Settings window below was confirmed on a NEO computer. The buttons inside that window were not, and are marked.
  1. Select the File tab in the top-left corner.
  2. On the Info page, select Account Settings, then Account Settings... from the menu that opens.
  3. Select your NEO account in the list, then select Remove.
  4. Confirm when you are asked, then select Close.
  5. Close Outlook completely and reopen it.
  6. Select File, then Add Account, and sign in with your full NEO email address.
💡 Tip: Before you remove anything, the same menu offers Account Name and Sync Settings. If your problem is that Outlook is only showing recent mail, the fix is there — not in removing the account.
🚨 Warning: Do not delete an .ost or .pst file by hand to force a rebuild. A .pst can hold the only copy of archived mail, and deleting it is not reversible. Contact the Help Desk instead.

🔄 After You Add It Back 🕐 Varies  |  Be patient here
  1. Leave Outlook open and connected. A large mailbox can take a long time to download.
  2. Check that your folders, calendar, and contacts have returned.
  3. Re-add any shared mailboxes or shared calendars you had open.
    • These are not always restored automatically after an account is removed.
  4. Check that message rules you rely on are still working.
⚠️ Note: If the original problem is still there after a full re-sync, the cause is not on this computer. Contact the Help Desk and say that removing and re-adding the account did not resolve it — that is genuinely useful diagnostic information.

📞 Still Need Help?
If you encounter any issues not covered in this guide, please contact the NEO A&M College IT Help Desk:

🌐 Helpdesk Portal: support.neo.edu
📞 Phone: (918) 540-6099
📧 Email: neosupport@neo.edu
📍 Walk-in: I.T. Services, Library/Administration Building, 2nd Floor, Room 216
🕐 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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