Fix Outlook The Time Limit for Logging on Was Reached [2024]

It’s bothersome when you trust Outlook for a great deal of important jobs, and somewhat it fails to deliver.

Occasional errors and system failure have become a day-to-day issue for an Outlook user, and guess what; the Outlook timeout error is the most annoying one.

When you launch the Outlook app, and it can not load the system resources, you see an error displaying the text: The login timeout has been reached while waiting for system resources. Please try again. MAPI 1.0 [000004C2].

Once you click OK, Outlook gets stuck.

If you are one of those miserable users, don’t worry! In this article, I have provided the best methods to get rid of the Outlook time limit reached while connecting issue for good.

Let’s jump in!

What Causes The Time Limit for Logging on Was Reached Error in Outlook?

The most common reason for the Outlook limit for logging error is the Salesforce add-in. Other significant causes include Outlook running on compatibility mode, corrupted PST and temp folder files, two-factor login authentication and cached connection mode.

Moreover, when your network and proxy settings for Outlook are not configured correctly, you will most likely get the error when launching Outlook.

The timeout error can pop up for every version of the Outlook desktop app (2013/2016/2019), including the Microsoft 365.

Various factors can generate the Outlook MAPI 1.0 [000004C2] code error. Let’s learn more about each of the causes in detail.

Here are the causes for the time limit for logging on was reached error in Outlook:

• Compatibility mode can support many previously unavailable applications in the running OS. Enabling Compatibility mode can cause Outlook to show the error.
• Cached connection mode in Outlook stores users’ exchange information in an offline copy. Using cached mode for Microsoft Exchange Server can block the login operation of the user.
• When the Temp folder files that Outlook uses are corrupted, it can prevent the user from logging in.
• Proxy settings are useful for connecting client computers to other computers through an indirect network connection. If proxy settings are not configured accurately, it can block Outlook functionalities.
• Due to network restrictions from the internet providers or incorrect TCP/IP network settings, Outlook can show the error.
• Multi-factor authentication adds strong security to your log-in operation. But, enabling it can often conflict with Outlook and block access to your account.
• Many Antivirus and Security applications conflict with Outlook, preventing its access to system resources and modules.
• dll is used for various email functions in Outlook. A damaged Mapi32.dll file can restrict users’ access to Outlook.
• Conflicting applications and add-ins like Salesforce can generate errors for Outlook.
• Bugs and Glitches in Outlook profile and Navigation Pane Settings can lead to timeout errors for Outlook.
• For faulty PST files, Outlook can show errors while loading your account.

Fortunately, all of these causes are easily fixable through the following methods I have provided just for you.

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Important Things to Check Before Testing Any Solutions

Before moving on to any solution, you should take some measures to secure your account and computer system.

Here is a list of must-follow prerequisites to perform the solutions:  

• Enable local administrator access for the user.
• Make a system restore point for your PC.
• Update the latest Windows and drivers, most importantly video and GPU drivers.
• Disconnect any external monitor.
• Run the SFC command to identify and fix any corrupted system files.
• Set up DHCP IP configuration properly.
• Set the correct Date and Time on your PC.
• Update the latest Dotnet framework.
• Log out of the problematic account from all other browsers and email apps. Then, log in again.
• Ensure the MAPI version is the same in both of the following folders for the Windows 64-bit version.

C:\windows\system32

C:\windows\sysWow64

• Fix any problem regarding Skype for Business, like sign-in or being stuck in operation error.

After carefully checking these steps, you are now ready to perform methods for troubleshooting the Outlook time limit reached error.

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How to Fix The Time Limit for Logging on Was Reached Error in Outlook

You can easily remove the error by running Outlook in safe mode, repairing corrupted add-ins and disabling multi-factor authentication. Furthermore, if you disable the proxy server, fix PST files and MAPI DLLs and configure your networks correctly, you can stop Outlook from generating this error anymore.

Though there are various reasons for Outlook to cause the error, you can perform some simple methods to fix the issue altogether. As an initial workaround, restart your PC and check if it solves your problem.

Along with it, check your internet connection and confirm if it’s causing the issue. You can also try using VPNs and see whether it does any help.

Here are the methods to solve Outlook error with connection time limit:

1. Run Outlook in Normal (Non-compatibility) Mode

Running a program in compatibility mode is necessary when the application is not suited to the current OS. However, Outlook can cause frequent errors when it is launched in compatibility mode. Choosing Normal Mode is recommended to avoid possible errors in Outlook.

Here’s how you can enable Normal (Non-compatibility) mode for Outlook:

• Press the Start button and search the Outlook app.
• Right-click on the app and choose Properties.
• Open the Compatibility tab and uncheck Run this program in compatibility mode.
• Hit Apply and click OK.

 After unchecking compatibility mode, open Outlook, now, try accessing your account to find whether the error remains.

Go and check our other article on Outlook not working on WiFi.

2. Use the Online Connection Mode of Outlook

Outlook has two options for connecting with a Microsoft Exchange Server: Online Mode and Cached Mode. In cached mode, Outlook saves a copy of user’s data in the drive. But, this mode can create issues while connecting to your account in Outlook.

You can change the connection to Online Mode to resolve this problem.

Here are the steps to enable online mode in Outlook: 

• Launch Outlook.
• Open the File tab in the top-left corner.
• Click on Account Settings to open the drop-down list.
• Choose Account Settings from the list.
• Select the user account from the Email tab and hit Change.
• Open More Settings option.
• Click on Advanced and uncheck Use Cached Exchange Mode.
• Click Apply and then OK.

Now, re-launch Outlook and check if any error persists.

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3. Turn Off Multi-factor Authentication

Many users have claimed that disabling multi-factor authentication has solved their Outlook timeout problem.

Follow these steps to turn off multi-factor authentication:  

• Run your web browser and go to the Security Section of your Microsoft account.
• Find the Two-step verification tab and click on Manage.
• Select Turn off two-step verification and close the browser.

Now open Outlook and try to log in to your account to check if everything functions correctly.

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4. Turn Off Proxy Server

Using any wrong proxy server settings can make the connection unstable. Thus it can result in the time limit reached an error. It’s best to turn off the proxy server in such cases.

Here is the procedure to turn off proxy server:

• Type proxy in the search bar and click on Change Proxy Settings from the search result.
• Turn off Automatically detect settings in the proxy settings window.
• Toggle Use a proxy server to off under the Manual Proxy section.
• Remove proxy settings on your browser.

Restart your PC and open Outlook to check whether the error is gone.

5. Reset Network Settings

Outlook can cause errors if the network is not set to the default TCP/IP configuration. Using Winsock to reset network settings can work as a great fix to this problem.

Here are the steps to reset your network: 

• Open the Start menu and type cmd to find Command Prompt.
• Right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator.
• Type netsh winsock reset in the command bar and hit enter.

This will reset your network settings. Now try to access your Outlook account and check whether the issue is solved.

6. Run Outlook in Safe Mode

When apps and add-in conflict with your Outlook log-in process, you can run Outlook in Safe Mode to fix the issue.

Take these actions to enable safe mode in Outlook:

• Press WIN+R to open the Run command.
• Type Outlook.exe /safe and click OK.

Now, your Outlook will open in safe mode. Launch Outlook and check if the problem is solved. If solved, you should try to find out which apps and add-ins are responsible for the issue and disable them.

Here’s how you can identify faulty add-ins on Outlook:

• Launch Outlook and open the File menu in the upper-left corner.
• Choose Options from the lower left side panel.
• Click on Add-ins from the left panel.
• Find Manage drop-down list and select COM Add-ins.
• Click on Go button.
• Uncheck all the add-ins and reboot the app.

If Outlook now works perfectly, check the add-ins one by one to find out the problematic add-in. Once you identify the error causing add-in, disable it and install the latest add-in version.

7. Fix mapi32.dll

Mapi32.dll is needed for email-based programs and applications. Due to a damaged mapi32.dll, windows fails to launch massaging apps like Outlook.

Windows give us a built-in FixMAPI.exe tool to fix any mapi dlls quickly.

Here’s how you can use the FixMAPI tool to fix any mapi DLLs:  

• Open File Explorer (WIN+E) and go to C:\Windows\System32\
• Locate mapi32.dll and right-click on it.
• Select Rename option and give any new name to the dll.
• Reboot your PC and run Outlook. Check if the discussing error is fixed. If not, carry out the following steps.
• Open File Explorer again and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\
• Find FixMAPI.exe and right-click on it.
• Choose Run As Administrator.
• Select Yes on the UAC prompt.

Now, restart your system and again check whether the error still persists.

8. Delete Windows Temp Folder Contents

Outlook stores its temporary files in the Windows Temp Folder. When the folder contains corrupted files, it can sometimes conflict with the functions of Outlook. Clearing the Temp folder from time to time is necessary to avoid such situations.

Here are the steps to delete files from the Windows temp folder:

• Open File Explorer (Win+E).
• Go to the following location

c:\windows\temp

• Hold Ctrl+A to select all the files in the folder.
• Press Shift+Delete to permanently remove all the files.
• Ignore all the files that are not removable.

Now, you can launch your Outlook app to see whether this method does any help.

9. Reset Outlook Navigation Pane

Through the Navigation Pane of Outlook, you can easily access various shortcut icons for options like tasks, email, calendar and many more. However, a corrupted navigation pane can mess up the usability of Outlook and causes errors like the time limit has reached.

Luckily, Outlook has a built-in command to reset the navigation pane to its default.

Here’s how you can reset a customized navigation pane in Outlook: 

• Press Win+R to open the Run
• Type Outlook.exe /resetnavpane in the command box and press OK.
• Launch the Outlook app and check if your problem is solved. If not, carry out the following steps.
• Open File Explorer and navigate to the following directories

For Windows 10,

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook\

For other Windows,

drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\

• Scroll and Find Outlook.xml file.
• Press Shift+Delete to permanently delete the file.

Now again, check if you are still getting the MAPI1.0 error code.

10. Remove Non-exchange Data Files

Outlook has some non-exchange data files to store data of different user accounts such as Calenders, Address Books, SharePoint Lists etc. Although, bugs in these data files can create issues with the logging-in process of Outlook.

To ignore such occurrences, you can keep only the exchange account and delete all the others data. 

Here are the steps to remove non-exchange data files in Outlook:

• Type Control Panel in the search bar and open the app.
• Change the View by from Catagory to Large icons in the upper right corner.
• Open the Mail (Microsoft Outlook Version).
• Click on Email Accounts button in the Mail window.
• Go to Data Files and select all the data files except your exchange account.
• Select Remove button.
• Repeat the steps for RSS Feeds, SharePoint Lists, Internet Calendars, Published Calendars, and Address Books

Restart your PC and open Outlook to check if it has repaired your issue. Keep on following the solutions unless your problem is fixed.

11. Repair PST Files

PST (Personal Storage Table) files can cause Outlook to stuck while waiting for the system resource when corrupted.

To repair such PST files, you can use the Outlook built-in Scanpst.exe tool or any 3rd party repair tool.

Here are the steps to repair corrupted PST files using Scanpst.exe: 

• Locate Scanpst.exe in the following directories

For Outlook 2007/2010/2013,

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office(Outlook version number)

C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\Office(Outlook version number)

For Outlook 2016,

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

For Outlook 2019,

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

• Run the tool and select Browse.
• Navigate to your PST files location and select Start. After the process is complete, you will see a list of errors found.
• Choose Repair and finish the process.

If the scanpst tool fails to repair the corrupted PSTs, you are recommended to use 3rd party tools like Stellar Repair for Outlook, Restoro Repair Tool and Kernel for Outlook PST Repair.

Just download any of the apps and follow the given instructions on the app to repair your PST files.

12. Add a New Outlook Profile

When your user profile settings are not configured correctly, Outlook will likely to prompt a connection time limit error. You can delete your account entirely and set up a new Outlook profile to solve this issue.

Follow these steps to delete the old account:  

• Type Control Panel in the search bar and open it.
• Change View by to Large icons from Category.
• Open the Mail(Microsoft Outlook) option.
• Click on Show Profiles button on the Mail Setup window.
• Select your Current Outlook profile and Press the Remove button.

After deleting the old account, it’s time to add a new Outlook profile.

Here’s how to add a new Outlook profile:

• Type regedit on the search bar and open the Registry Editor app.
• Navigate to the following directories according to your Outlook version and get the registry key.

Outlook 2019/2016/365:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Profiles

Outlook 2013:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Profiles

Outlook 2010 and older:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem

• Right-click on Profile in the Registry Editor app and select Rename to give any name to the folder, for example, Profile_old.
• Go to the Control panel and open Mail (Microsoft Outlook) option.
• Hit on Add in the General tab.
• Type any new name under the Profile name section and press OK.
• Select the new profile and choose Always use this profile.
• Click on Apply and OK.

You can delete your old registry key if Outlook doesn’t show any more errors.

13. Repair MS Package Files

In rare cases, Microsoft Office can have corrupted files due to any wrong installation process. It can create problems with Outlook and generate various errors.

However, we can use MS built-in repair tool to remove any issues with Microsoft Office programs.

Here are the steps to repair your MS Office:  

• Search Control Panel and open it.
• Go to the Programs option.
• Select Programs and Features.
• Find the Microsoft Office package (Office Suite) and right-click on it.
• Click on Change and select Yes on the popped-up UAC window.
• Choose Quick Repair and hit the Repair button.
• Reboot your PC after the process is finished.

Check whether your Outlook now gives any error. If the issue still remains, choose Online Repair instead of Quick repair.

14. Update Outlook

An outdated Outlook app can cause many issues in its operations. You should constantly update your app to the latest version.

Here’s how you can update your Outlook:

• Run Outlook and open the File tab.
• Hit on Office Account and choose Update options.
• Click on the Update Now button.

Let the update process complete and restart your PC.

How to Fix The Time Limit for Logging on Was Reached Error in Outlook for Salesforce Add-in

From many reports, I have found that the Salesforce add-in is solely responsible for Outlook to pop up the time limit has reached error text. Though the salesforce add-in can ease many tasks in Outlook, an outdated and faulty version can mess up everything.

So, I have provided some simple methods to solve issues in Outlook regarding the Salesforce add-in.

Here are the ways to fix Outlook timeout error due to salesforce add-in:

Method 1: Update Salesforce add-in

If you are using an older version of the add-in, you are suggested to update it ASAP. The latest salesforce add-in version is v3.4.5 at the time of writing this article.

Method 2: Re-install the Salesforce add-in

If you are using the latest add-in, then re-installing it would be the best option to solve any Outlook error.

Here are the steps to re-install your Salesforce add-in: 

• Type Control Panel on the search bar and open the app.
• Go to Programs and choose Programs and Features.
• Locate Salesforce and right-click on it.
• Choose Uninstall.
• Navigate to C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\salesforce.com\Salesforce for Outlook\DB and delete the Salesforce database.
• Download the latest version of Salesforce.
• Install the program from the download directory.

Note: Remember to clear your old Salesforce database. If not, Salesforce will keep on syncing to your old configurations and your newly installed add-in will be of no use.

Method 3: Disable Salesforce add-in

If you still can not fix the timeout reach error in Outlook, you have no option left but to disable the Salesforce add-in completely.

Here is the quickest way to disable Salesforce add-in in Outlook: 

• Open Run dialog (Win+R).
• Type Outlook /safe and press OK.
• Run Outlook app and go to Files menu.
• Click on Options and open Add-ins tab.
• Choose Manage COM Add-ins and unmark Salesforce for Outlook add-in.
• Click OK.

Now, re-open your Outlook app and see whether your issue is fixed after disabling the Salesforce add-in.

FAQs

Why do I see MAPI 1.0 [000004C2] error in Outlook?

MAPI 1.0 [000004C2] error occurs due to Salesforce add-in, cached and compatible mode in Outlook, corrupted mapi32.dll, multi-factor authentication, damaged PST files and temp files.

How do I fix the time limit for logging on was reached while waiting for system resources in Outlook?

To fix the error, run Outlook in normal mode > use the fixmapi.exe tool > disable the salesforce add-in > turn off dual authentication and proxy server, and repair Outlook and MS office.

How do I open Outlook in safe mode?

To open Outlook in safe mode, open Run > type Outlook.exe /safe > hit Enter.

How do I get the Salesforce for Outlook plug-in?

To access the Salesforce for Outlook plug-in, enable Salesforce in the add-ins list.

Final Thoughts

Outlook is a very user-friendly application, yet issues like the time limit for logging reached error can occasionally pop up due to various aspects. Fortunately, easy methods like disabling Salesforce add-in, using normal and safe mode for Outlook, and fixing corrupted mapi DLLs and PST files can remove the error.

Additionally, you can turn off multi-factor authentication and proxy server, reset your network settings and repair Outlook and MS office to resolve the timeout error once and for all.

Hopefully, this article has answered all your queries and removed your problem with the Outlook connection time limit without any difficulties.

If you have any more suggestions, please share them in the comment box below.