When Outlook can’t reach your mailbox, there’s no desktop file tool that can bring it back. But if the report you planned to send is already on your computer, you can still revise it, export it as a PDF, and have it ready to send when mail returns. The Microsoft 365 outage is a good reason to set up that option before you need it.
What happened during the Microsoft 365 outage?
On November 12, 2026, an Exchange Online incident disrupted mailbox access for some users, including people using Outlook in a browser or on the desktop. Microsoft also reported problems with some features that depend on Exchange, such as scheduling meetings in Teams. Some users could not see their recent files in Microsoft 365 apps. The incident did not make every Microsoft 365 app or file unavailable. See Microsoft’s incident reports published by the University of Pennsylvania (EX1550543 and MO1550821). For live updates, check Microsoft’s service health page.
Two things make offline work possible
First, the file needs to be on your device. A filename in a synced folder can be a placeholder that still needs to download. Second, you need an app that can do the job locally. A downloaded file helps little if your only way to convert it is to upload it to a website.
FileHop gives you one app for everyday file work on Mac and Windows. Once it’s installed, its built-in tools run offline, with no FileHop account, subscription, or file upload required. You can keep using Microsoft 365 for email, shared storage, and collaboration while doing the work on your local copies in FileHop.
What you can keep doing with FileHop
- Finish the report. Open a local Word document, make the supported edits you need, and export a PDF for sharing.
- Check the numbers. Open and edit a local Excel workbook. If it relies on a live data source, work with the data already saved in the file and refresh it later.
- Prepare the presentation. Open a local PowerPoint deck and make supported edits. Check the layout before handing it back, especially if it uses fonts or effects your setup may handle differently.
- Get the attachments ready. Combine PDFs or compress a PDF on your device. You can also resize images or trim and convert a video without an upload site.
FileHop can work with the files you have. Getting an attachment you never downloaded, syncing a shared folder, and co-editing a cloud document still depend on the relevant service. If teammates may be editing the same file, save a separate working copy and reconcile the changes before replacing anything in the shared folder.
Set up your offline workflow before the next outage
- Keep the files you’ll need. For work files your organization allows you to store locally, download them or mark them Always keep on this device in OneDrive. Wait for the downloads to finish. Microsoft’s guide to OneDrive status icons explains how to tell a local copy from an online-only placeholder.
- Try a real task offline. Install FileHop, disconnect, and open a representative document, workbook, or deck. Make a small change in a copy and export the format you actually need.
- Decide where finished work goes. Save local drafts and exports somewhere you can find them. When service returns, compare the working copy with the latest shared version and send or upload the result through your usual channel.
Start with the file you’d least want to be locked out of before a deadline. Keep a local copy, try one edit, and make sure you can produce the deliverable without a connection. That same setup is useful on a flight, on a weak connection, or any time a simple file task shouldn’t have to wait for a server.