How to fix Mail App error code 0x8000000b

What is error 0x8000000b in Mail App

0x8000000b is a widespread error that some users may face while trying to add a new third-party account (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) to the native Mail app on Windows. This application is built-in and can be extremely useful for managing emails in different accounts without leaving the desktop. The reason why such an error occurs is problems with syncing – that the Mail app is unable to establish a connection with an external e-mail server. This can happen due to some third-party or even native firewall blocking connection requests, disabled POP and (IMAP) settings, or even a bug in the Mail app itself. As a result, a message saying “Something went wrong. We’re sorry, but we weren’t able to do that.” stretches over the screen and stops users from adding the account. In rarer cases, the same error may also take place when trying to send an e-mail message from one of the already-added accounts. Whatever it is, we have a list of solutions that might be able to help. Follow our guide below to try each one of them and deal with the problem eventually!

1. Add Account using Advanced Options

If you are a Gmail user, this method will be not only suitable but also potentially helpful for you. We will illustrate how to add your account using advanced options. The difference here is that we are going to enter the details of Incoming server and Outgoing SMTP manually – to make sure Windows does not make a mistake while doing it on its own. This is how:

1. Open the Mail app and go to Settings by clicking on the gear icon at the bottom of the window.
2. Then, go to Manage accounts > Add account and then click on Advanced setup in the pop-up window.

If you have not been able to add any account yet, and you see the pop-up window showing which e-mail to add, then you will be able to choose Advanced setup directly from it.

3. After doing so, choose Internet email and then start entering your e-mail account details. Make sure to put these values as written below (remember that this works only for Gmail users):

Incoming server – imap.gmail.com:993
Account type – IMAP4
Outgoing SMTP – smtp.gmail.com:465

4. Once done, click Sign in and wait a bit until the process is done. Hopefully, now you successfully added the account you needed.

2. Reset Mail and Calendar App

Up next on our list is trying to reset the app itself. Resetting is a good way out of many problems, as it allows resolving some bugs or glitches that could possibly occur. The steps are quite simple and will not take more than 3 minutes to perform. Here is how:

1. Right-click on Start Menu and choose Apps and Features from the list of options.
2. Then, scroll down the list of applications until you find Mail and Calendar. Click on it and choose Advanced options.
3. Scroll down a bit again and click on Reset. Confirm the action and wait until the reset is done.
4. Finally, you can open the Mail app again and try to add your account once more. Let’s hope now it works.

3. Disable third-party antivirus or Windows Defender

Antivirus software (especially third-party) may sometimes cause conflicts with some system segments. To make sure it is not actually the case, we recommend you disable your third-party antivirus if such is installed and running. Otherwise, you should also try and disable your Windows Defender and then try to add your account again. Whether successful or not, it is important to turn it back on afterward. Here are the steps to disable protection (and therefore firewall) in Windows Defender.

1. Press Windows key + I and navigate to Update & Security.
2. Then, go to Windows Security and select Firewall & Network protection on the right pane.
3. Choose your current network and toggle the firewall off.
4. Now try to add the same account again.

4. Add an exception to Windows Firewall settings

If the problem was related to the firewall, the previous method might have already resolved the issue. However, to avoid disabling your firewall all the time you try using the Mail app, it is possible to make it friends with Windows Firewall as well, so that it does not prevent it. Follow the guidelines to do it:

1. As above, press Windows key + I and navigate to Update & Security.
2. Then, go to Windows Security and select Firewall & Network protection on the right pane.
3. Click Allow an app through firewall and choose Change settings.
4. Make sure to check boxes for Private and Public next to Mail and Calendar and Email and accounts as well. You should scroll down the list to find them.
5. Once done, finish by clicking OK to save the changes and try to add an account again.

This is not mandatory, but we also advise you to make sure IMAP is enabled. This once again works for Gmail users. To do this:

1. Sign in to your Gmail account using browser.
2. In the top right corner, click on the gear icon to open Settings. If visible, choose All Settings.
3. Then, navigate to Forwarding and POP/IMAP and select Enable IMAP if it was not already.
4. Click Save changes and try to add an account again.

Summary

All done at this point! We hope this set of solutions has been useful and finally helped you forget about the struggle of using the in-built Mail Windows app. I remember dealing with this issue myself after reinstalling Windows, but then resetting the app helped me resolve it. Hopefully, it helped you as well and you did not have to proceed with trying other solutions below.