Outlook error 0x80042108, explained and fixed

Error 0x80042108 is specific: Outlook reports it is not able to connect to the incoming POP3 server, while sending may still work. Because it names one direction, the fault sits in the POP3 half of the account settings, the provider's POP3 service, or something on the path blocking port 110 or 995. Authentication problems look similar but produce a password prompt instead.

The fix, in order

  1. Confirm the account works in webmail. Sign in on the provider's site and check the inbox loads. This confirms the password and that the mailbox exists, and it is also where a stuck oversized message can be deleted later if needed.
  2. Verify the incoming server settings. File, Account Settings, Change, More Settings, Advanced. The POP3 server name must match the provider's published value exactly, with port 995 and SSL/TLS for most providers (or 110 without encryption where the provider still allows it).
  3. Check that POP3 is enabled for the mailbox. Some providers switch POP3 access off by default or after a security change. The setting lives in the webmail settings, usually under forwarding and POP/IMAP access. IMAP working while POP3 fails is the signature of this.
  4. Exclude the firewall and antivirus. Temporarily turn off the email shield in third-party antivirus and test, and confirm Outlook is allowed through the Windows Firewall. Mail scanning that inspects POP3 traffic can block the session before any message moves.
  5. Delete a problem message on the server. If the connection starts and then dies, a malformed or huge message in the server inbox may be choking the download. Delete or move it in webmail, then receive again.
  6. Rebuild the account in a new profile if nothing else moves. Control Panel, Mail, Show Profiles, Add, and configure the account fresh with the verified settings. A profile-level corruption can hold one broken POP3 setting that the dialogs never show.

If it still happens

If several accounts on the same provider fail together with 0x80042108, the provider's POP3 service is down or being retired; several large providers have been winding POP3 down in favor of IMAP, and the durable fix then is to reconnect the account as IMAP in a new profile.

Common questions

Why does sending still work when 0x80042108 appears? Sending uses SMTP, a separate server and port from the POP3 incoming service. One path can be broken, blocked, or switched off while the other is completely healthy.

Is 0x80042108 caused by a wrong password? A wrong password gets an authentication refusal and repeated password prompts after the server connects. 0x80042108 means the POP3 server could not be connected to in the first place.

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