u/SiberianKitty99

I do some adjunct instructing for a local university. They're a full-out MS shop. They give all students, staff, faculty, including adjuncts, Microsoft365 accounts. I had Outlook set up on Mac, Windows, and iPad for years. Then Outlook on Mac refused to connect to the server; it was always offline, and when set online by hand, it went offline again immediately. There were no problems on Windows or iPad. I set up the account in Apple Mail and in Thunderbird on the Mac; no problems. I had other accounts on Outlook on the Mac: gmail.com, Apple icloud.com, and MS outlook.com. All worked properly. I deleted the account that wasn't working from Outlook and tried to add it back; Outlook refuses to set up the account. It can't talk to the server.

This is very strange. It was working, and still works with 3rd-party email clients on that machine. Web access still works on that machine in Safari and Firefox. There are no problems elsewhere; I can even connect from an Ubuntu system using Thunderbird. I doubt that it's a server issue. It doesn't seem to be an issue with the Mac, not if other clients, including the web client, work. Outlook on the Mac simply refuses to access the server for that particular account and only that account.

Can anyone think of a reason why a MS client refuses to connect to a MS server?

The situation: I have two phones, both iPhones. One is currently on T-Mobile, the other is currently on AT&T. The AT&T phone used to be, repeat, USED TO BE, on Verizon. It was fully paid off, unlocked (that was an adventure, but that’s for another time) and got onto AT&T without issues.

The problem: Verizon sent me a bill after I left. They could not say how it was that I owed them even a penny, but they demanded payment. (I did not have autopay turned on. I never have autopay turned on. There’s a reason why.) They got nasty when I said that I wasn’t going to pay if they couldn’t show me why; they threatened collections.

The resolution: 45 days after Verizon threatened me with collections, I got an actual snail mail from Verizon. In it was one of those little cash card things, and a note stating that the card was loaded with $45.56, as I had overpaid them.

Not only did I NOT owe Verizon, they owed me. They were going to send me to collections for _their_ debt. Apparently the left hand at Verizon isn’t even in the same county as the right hand.

The note did not include an apology. I was not surprised.

Note that the phone in question was my work device; the company allows employees to select a device from an approved list and to select service from an approved list, and the company adds the cost to the paycheck, so the company is effectively paying for the device. As a result of Verizon’s idiocy the company is seriously considering removing Verizon from the approved list. Congratulations, there, Verizon. Keep up the good work.

AT&T and T-Mobile have their faults, but they have never tried to send me to collections for money they owe me; I’ve had my personal phone on T-Mobile since 2007. I’ve had AT&T home internet and tv service also since 2007.