Why is Outlook Redirecting to Microsoft 365? (And How to Fix It)

You're trying to set up your work email on a new Outlook client. You know your company uses an On-Premises Exchange server. You type in your email address, click "Connect," and...

You are presented with a Microsoft 365 login screen instead of your company's server prompt.

Don't panic—this is a common and expected behavior from modern versions of Outlook. However, for On-Premises environments, it's a major roadblock. Here is how to fix it using the Registry.

The Problem: Outlook's Priority List

When you enter an email address, Outlook follows a specific priority list to find server settings (Autodiscover). Unfortunately, modern Outlook versions prioritize the Cloud over your local server:

We need to force Outlook to skip Step 1.

The Solution: Registry Edit (Regedit)

We will add a specific key to the Windows Registry to bypass the Office 365 check.

⚠️ Important Warning: Incorrectly editing the Windows Registry can cause system instability. Please follow these steps carefully or ask an IT professional.

Step 1: Open Registry Editor

1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.

Step 2: Navigate to the AutoDiscover Path

Paste this path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor:

Note: If the AutoDiscover folder doesn't exist, right-click "Outlook" > New > Key and name it "AutoDiscover".

Step 3: Create the Exclusion Value

1. Right-click on the empty space on the right side.
2. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
3. Name it exactly as shown below:

Step 4: Set the Value to 1

Double-click the new ExcludeExplicitO365Endpoint value:

• Change Value data from 0 to 1.
• Click OK.

Crucial Final Step: Restart Outlook

Note: The changes will not take effect until you fully close and restart Outlook. Check Task Manager to ensure outlook.exe is completely stopped.

Once restarted, Outlook will ignore the cloud check and look directly for your On-Premises server settings.