Outlook is a popular E-mail service owned and controlled by Microsoft. However, if you start seeing the Autodiscover-s.outlook.com redirecting warning message when you are trying to log into your outlook account and it gives you concern, you can disable the redirect warning and stop seeing this.
The real message when the redirect warning popup reads: Outlook was redirected to the server Autodiscover-s.outlook.com to get new settings for your account <emailaddress>. Do you want to allow this server to configure your settings?https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml? Click Allow only if you fully trust the source, or if your Exchange administrator instructs you to.
If you are seeing this consistently on your Outlook Mac or Outlook Windows, should you trust the warning message or discard it?
Autodiscover Security Alert
The autodiscover security alert occurs when you are trying to access a URL that is not listed in the “Subject Alternative Name (SAN) of the “Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for the particular website you want to visit.
However, the autodiscover security alert is the same for different types of companies even though different organisations with different configurations. The security alert only sends a warning that the Autodiscover Domain Name System (DNS) record configuration is not correct.
So, whenever you see the autodiscover security alert you’d want to check your DNS configuration to fix what the problem is all about.
Is the Autodiscover-s.outlook.com a Malware?
The warning message can be scary when the source is not trusted. However, the warning message is not malware, it is the Microsoft database for technical information on their products.
And Outlook being one of Microsofts products, the warning message will pop up and instruct you to either add it as a trusted source or not.
So, the Audiodiscover-s Outlook com warning message that pops up when you want to log into your Outlook account, is not malware.
Is Autodiscover-s.outlook.com Safe
Autodiscover-s.outlook.com is safe and it’s not malware that can harm your computer/PC. The autodiscover-s.outlook.com is a mere warning message that comes up when you want to log into your Outlook account to add a particular product as a trusted product and once added the warning will stop appearing.
Outlook was Redirected to the Server Keeps Popping Up
If the Outlook was redirected to the server keeps popping up each time you want to sign into your Outlook account it could mean that you have not added the product as a trusted app or product on your outlook account.
So, to put an end to this redirection you’d need to add it as a trusted device.
The Symptoms of Audiodiscover-s.outlook.com
When the Microsoft Outlook 2016 for Mac connect to Microsoft Office 365 the platform Audiodiscover will be redirected from HTTP to HTTPS, the secure version of Microsoft Outlook 2016. For this direction, a warning message may popup which look like the highlighted message below.
What is Autodiscover-s.outlook.com
Autodiscover-s.outlook.com is an Outlook 2016 connection error message that is blocking Outlook from setting up a new profile by using what is known as “Exchange Autodiscover” for an exchange online mailbox in your Microsoft Outlook 365.
is Autodiscover-s.outlook.com Safe
Yes! It is safe to sae is autodiscover-s.outlook.com is safe. The reason being that Microsoft is aware of the alert and provisions are made to fix the Outlook 2016 alert on your Mac.
Although the alert “outlook was redirected to the server autodiscover-s.outlook.com to get new settings for your account” looks scary but it can be fixed within a short time.
Follow the steps below to learn how to fix autodiscover-s.outlook.com security alert and othe related warning messages.
Autodiscover-s.outlook.com security Alert
You need to understand the Outlook or ActiveSync security alerts when you are using the program. The autodiscover-s.outlook.com security alert include security certificate from trusted certifying authourity, security certufucate date is valid and the name on the security certificate is invalid or does not match the name on the site.
When you see this autodiscover-s.outlook.com security alert, it implies that the information you are trying to pass or exchange with the site cannot be viewed or the information has been modified by another person. So, the certificate cannot be authorized.
However, for macOS users the alert message is a bit different. Firstly, issue verifying the certificate in which if the certificate can’t be verified, your device will not be able to establish a secure connection with the service on the source because the certificate is either missing or cannot be found or its interediate.
Also, you may run into the Autodiscover-s.outlook.com security alert on iOS when using ActiveSync if the source or certificate cannot be trusted.
https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml
https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml is part of the warning message or alert that you received when your Microsoft Outlook 2016 on your Mac connect to a Microsoft 365 account and the exchange audiodiscover is redirected from a non-secure access to a secure access, that is, from http to https.
See the full message below!
Outlook was redirected to the server Autodiscover-s.outlook.com to get new settings for your account user@domain.com. Do you want to allow this server to configure your settings?
https://autodiscover-s.outlook.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml
Click Allow only if you fully trust the source, or if your Exchange administrator instructs you to.
When this warning message appears you can choose “Always use my response for this server” and choose “Allow” so that you will not be asked each time you try to connect to this particular server again for the Outlook 2016 version for your Mac profile.
Outlook was Redirected to the Server Autodiscover-s.outlook.com
If you kept on seeing outlook was redirected to the server autodiscover-s.outlook.com to get new settings for your account; below are the steps to take to suppress it on Outlook 2016 for Mac users.
- Install the December 13th 2016 version of the Outlook 2016 for your Mac with the version number 15.29.0 or versions that are high than that. But the version 15.29.0 is the minimum you ca install for this to work.
- Close the Outlook 2016 if you are using it or it’s running in the background.
- Open your Mac terminal. You can do just that following the procedures below:
- Go to Finder >> Go Menu >> Utilities >> Terminal.
- Using your Mac search box, search for Terminal and double click on the search result to open it.
- Copy and paste the command below once the terminal window is opened and click on the “Enter” button on your keyboard.
defaults write com.microsoft.Outlook TrustO365AutodiscoverRedirect -bool true
- Click on the “Terminal” menu and choose “Quit Terminal.”
Autodiscover-s.outlook.com Redirect
Follow the steps below to fix the redirect warning.
Quit Microsoft Outlook from running. On your Desktop to Filter and find Utilities. Double-tap the Terminal application. In the Terminal command, copy and paste this command “defaults write com.microsoft.Outlook TrustO365AutodiscoverRedirect -bool true“ without quotes and click on the Enter button. Navigate to the Terminal Menu and click on Quit Terminal.
Note: The command line above is case-sensitive, so make sure it is written or copied the way it’s without a mistake. Do not delete space where added and do not add period where it’s not added.
Your Account was Redirected to this Website for Settings
Don’t be in a hurry to allow access to random websites all in the name of you want to fix the warning message “your account was redirected to this website for settings.” This can harm your computer and hack your Outlook account.
That is why it’s important to only allow settings from sources that you can only trust. This message is however autogenerated when Outlook AutoDiscover changes from HTTP to HTTPS. However, always try to verify with the teams in charge before you allow access as this can be harmful.
Autodiscover.xml Popup
Your administrator may want to suppress the autodiscover.xml popup message when it pops up because it is expected when your organisation changed from HTTP to HTTPS. However, a new HTTPS configuration needs to take place when HTTP redirection occurs to avoid the autodiscover.xml popup always.
- Close “Outlook.”
- Click on the “Search” box and type “regedit” without the quotes.
- Click on the “Registry Editor” from the popup results.
- Click “Yes” from the popup to run as “Administrator.”
- Navigate this:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\<xx.0>\Outlook\AutoDiscover\RedirectServers
- Click on the Edit menu, point to New, and then select String Value.
- Type the name of the HTTPS server to which AutoDiscover can be redirected without prompting for confirmation from the user, and then press Enter. For example, to allow redirection to
https://gadgetswright.com
, the first String Value (REG_SZ) name would be Gadgetswright.com. - Don’t add anything to the “Value Data” box. Just leave it as it is.
- If you have multiple redirections you want to add to avoid the popup confirmation just repeat the whole process again.
- Select “Exit” to exit the “Registry Editor” on the file “Menu.”
Autodiscover Outlook Popup
Autodiscover Outlook popup whenever we changed our mail server [from HTTP to HTTPS] or from [HTTPS to HTTP] or the certificate needs to be re-authenticated or approved again. However, to fix this for trusted websites follow the steps below.
- Tick the box next to “Always use my response…”
- Click Allow
This should fix the Outlook autodiscover popup.
thank you for this article