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"It's Not Working" — Basic Troubleshooting Checklist
Before contacting IT, work through this checklist. Most Microsoft 365 issues are resolved by one of these steps, and IT will ask if you've tried them anyway. Check each box as you go.
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🖨️ This article is designed to be printed. Keep a copy at your workstation so it's accessible even when your computer isn't cooperating. Use the checkboxes to track your progress before calling IT. |
The Checklist
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SECTION 1 — Try These First (Takes Under 2 Minutes) |
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1 |
Check your internet connection Open a browser and try loading a website you don't normally use (e.g. bbc.com). If it doesn't load, the problem is your internet, not Microsoft 365. → If on Wi-Fi: move closer to the router, or try forgetting and reconnecting to the network → If on ethernet: check the cable is firmly connected at both ends → Try turning your router off, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on |
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2 |
Sign out and sign back in Stale sessions cause more problems than you'd think. Fully sign out of the app or browser, close everything, then sign back in fresh. → In a browser: click your profile picture → Sign out → In an Office app: File → Account → Sign Out, then reopen the app |
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3 |
Restart the app or close the browser tab and reopen it If a desktop app (Word, Teams, Outlook) is misbehaving, close it completely, including from the system tray, and reopen it. → Windows: right-click the taskbar icon → Quit / Close window → Then reopen from the Start menu, not from a pinned taskbar button |
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SECTION 2 — Browser-Specific Fixes |
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4 |
Try a private / incognito window Private windows ignore saved cookies, extensions, and cached data, if it works in private mode, the issue is your browser cache or an extension. → Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N → Edge: Ctrl + Shift + N → Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P → Safari: Cmd + Shift + N |
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Clear your browser cache and cookies Outdated cached data is one of the most common causes of M365 issues in browsers. See the shortcut table below. → Select 'All time' or 'All history' as the time range → Check both Cached images and files AND Cookies and other site data → After clearing, close the browser fully and reopen it |
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Try a completely different browser If clearing cache doesn't help, switch browsers entirely. If it works in Browser B but not Browser A, the problem is your default browser. → Microsoft recommends Edge for M365, it has the tightest integration → Chrome is also fully supported → Avoid using Internet Explorer, it is no longer supported by Microsoft |
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Disable browser extensions Ad blockers, VPN extensions, and password managers can interfere with Microsoft 365 sign-in and functionality. → In Chrome/Edge: go to the Extensions menu and toggle extensions off one by one → If the problem goes away after disabling one, that extension is the culprit, keep it off or update it |
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SECTION 3 — Account & App Fixes |
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Restart your computer A full restart (not just sleep/wake) clears memory, applies pending updates, and resets network connections. It fixes more than it should. → Save your work first → Click Start → Power → Restart (not Shut Down - Shut Down on Windows 11 may not fully clear memory) |
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Check for pending Windows or Office updates An outdated Office installation or Windows version can cause compatibility issues with M365 cloud services. → Windows updates: Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates → Office updates: Open any Office app → File → Account → Update Options → Update Now |
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Check Microsoft 365 service health Before spending more time troubleshooting, confirm Microsoft itself isn't having an outage. → Go to aka.ms/m365status in your browser - no sign-in required → If there's an active incident affecting your service, the fix is to wait - not troubleshoot |
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SECTION 4 — App-Specific Checks |
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Teams not loading or crashing Teams has its own cache separate from your browser cache. → Close Teams completely (right-click the tray icon → Quit) → Press Win + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams\Cache and delete the contents of that folder → Reopen Teams - it will rebuild its cache on startup |
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Outlook not syncing or sending Check connection status in the bottom right corner of Outlook - it should say 'Connected to Microsoft Exchange'. → If it says 'Disconnected' or 'Trying to connect': check your internet first, then sign out and back in → If emails are stuck in Outbox: open the Outbox folder, open the stuck email, and click Send again → Try Send/Receive All (F9) to force a manual sync |
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OneDrive sync errors (red X) Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar to see what specific files have errors. → Rename files with special characters: # % * : < > ? / \ | → Move files with very long path names to a shorter folder location → If the whole sync is paused, click the OneDrive icon → Resume syncing |
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Can't open or edit a file If a file opens as read-only, it may already be open by someone else, or you may not have edit permissions. → Check if someone else has it open - M365 will usually tell you who → If it's a SharePoint file, confirm you have edit permissions (not just view) → If it's a local file, make sure it's saved to OneDrive or SharePoint - local files on a shared drive can have permission issues |
Browser Cache Shortcuts by Browser
Use the appropriate shortcut to open the clear browsing data dialog. Make sure to select All time as the time range, not just the last hour.
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Browser |
Windows shortcut |
Mac shortcut |
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Chrome |
Ctrl + Shift + Delete |
Cmd + Shift + Delete |
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Edge |
Ctrl + Shift + Delete |
Cmd + Shift + Delete |
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Firefox |
Ctrl + Shift + Delete |
Cmd + Shift + Delete |
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Safari (Mac) |
N/A |
Cmd + Option + E (empty cache), then Cmd + R to reload |
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💡 After clearing cache: Fully close and reopen the browser — don't just refresh the tab. The old session data won't clear until the browser process restarts. |
When to Call IT vs. When to Wait
Use this table to decide your next step after working through the checklist:
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Situation |
What to do |
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You've tried all checklist steps and nothing works |
Contact PFM Helpdesk |
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Microsoft 365 status page shows an active incident |
⏳ Wait it out — it's Microsoft's problem, not yours |
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Only one app or feature isn't working, everything else is fine |
Contact PFM Helpdesk |
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Everything M365-related is broken for everyone at your location |
Contact PFM Helpdesk |
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It started after a Windows update |
Contact PFM Helpdesk |
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It worked yesterday and nothing changed |
🔄 Try the full checklist first, then Contact PFM Helpdesk |
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You see a licensing error or "you don't have access" |
Contact PFM Helpdesk |
What to Tell IT When You Call
The more detail you provide upfront, the faster IT can help. Before calling, note down:
- What app or service isn't working (e.g. Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive)
- What you were trying to do (e.g. "trying to open a shared file," "trying to join a Teams meeting")
- What error message you see (take a screenshot if possible — see the Quick Reference Card for how)
- When it started (e.g. "after today's Windows update," "started this morning")
- Which checklist steps you already tried (this saves IT from asking you to do them again)
- Your device type and OS (e.g. "Windows 11 laptop," "iPhone 15")
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✅ The best ticket is a detailed ticket. "Outlook isn't working" takes much longer to resolve than "Outlook shows Disconnected in the bottom right corner and won't sync after I changed my password this morning." |
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🛟 Still stuck after all of the above? Contact the IT Help Desk. Before you call or submit a ticket, note which steps you already tried — this saves time and helps IT diagnose faster. |
