A short guide for adding your Intellihost mailbox to Outlook on a Windows PC or laptop. Microsoft currently runs two versions side by side, New Outlook and Classic Outlook and the setup steps differ slightly between them, so we've covered both below.
Which version am I using?
Not sure which one you've got open? Look at the top-right corner of the Outlook window.
- New Outlook uses a modern, simplified interface with a compact toolbar and Settings (⚙️) in the top-right.
- Classic Outlook uses the traditional Microsoft Office ribbon with tabs such as Home, Send/Receive, Folder and View.
Pick whichever you or your team prefers, or whichever came set up on the PC.
Before you start
- Your full email address (e.g. you@yourbusiness.co.za)
- Your mailbox password, if you're not sure we can reset it for you
- A few minutes without needing to send anything urgent, in case Outlook needs a restart partway through
Setting up in New Outlook
- Open Outlook and click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right, then Accounts → Email accounts Alternatively: File → Add Account
- Click Add Account, then enter your full email address and click Continue
- Enter your password when prompted New Outlook will usually detect the right settings automatically
- If it doesn't connect automatically or you're using IMAP, look for an Advanced options or "I want to set up my account manually" option, then choose IMAP and enter the server details below
- Click Sign in or Connect, then Done
Setting up in Classic Outlook
- Go to File → Add Account
- Enter your full email address and click Connect
- Classic Outlook will try to detect your settings automatically if it succeeds, just enter your password and click Finish
- If it doesn't or you're using IMAP, tick Let me set up my account manually (sometimes under Advanced options), click Connect, then choose IMAP
- Enter the server details below for both incoming and outgoing mail, then enter your password
- Click Next, then Finish, then restart Outlook if prompted
Server settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Incoming mail server (IMAP) | mail.yourcompany.co.za |
| Incoming port | 993 · SSL/TLS |
| Outgoing mail server (SMTP) | mail.yourcompany.co.za |
| Outgoing port | 587 · STARTTLS |
| Username | your full email address |
| Authentication | required same as incoming |
Auto-detect works most of the time, in both versions when on a Microsoft Exchange license. Only use the manual details above if Outlook specifically asks for them or fails to connect on its own.
If your mailbox is Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365
If your business mailbox is hosted on Microsoft 365 rather than on Intellihost's own mail servers, setup is simpler in both New and Classic Outlook — no server details needed.
- Enter your email address as normal in either version
- Outlook recognises it as a Microsoft account and takes you to a Microsoft sign-in screen
- Sign in with your Microsoft 365 email and password
- If your organisation has multi-factor authentication (MFA) turned on, approve the sign-in via a code or prompt
- The account finishes setting up automatically, no IMAP details required
Not sure which type of mailbox you have? Start adding the account as normal Outlook routes you to the right setup based on your email address either way.
What could go wrong and how to fix it
Outlook keeps asking for the password again Usually a typing issue rather than an actual wrong password.
- Try typing the password somewhere plain first (like Notepad), then copy and paste it in
- Check for an accidental space at the start or end
Auto-detect fails or times out Some office networks and firewalls interfere with the automatic setup step.
- Try again on a different network if possible
- If it still fails, switch to manual setup and enter the server details above directly
Account adds, but nothing arrives
- In New Outlook: check Settings → Accounts → your account → Sync options are switched on
- In Classic Outlook: check Send/Receive → Update Folder, and confirm the account isn't set to Work Offline (found under the Send/Receive tab)
You can receive mail but can't send Points to the outgoing (SMTP) side not being authenticated.
- Go back into the account's manual settings and confirm outgoing mail requires authentication, using the same username and password as incoming
Classic Outlook won't open, or the account looks broken after setup Occasionally a corrupted local profile rather than an actual account problem.
- Go to Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles
- Create a new profile, set it as default, and re-add the account. This leaves the mailbox itself untouched
Microsoft 365 sign-in stuck on MFA approval Expected behaviour if your organisation has multi-factor authentication enabled — not an error.
- Check for a code or approval prompt on whatever device you normally use for sign-in approvals
- If nothing appears, close and reopen Outlook to trigger the request again
Still stuck? We'll sort you out.
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