6 Easy And Effective Fixes For Socket Error 10060

Socket error 10060 means that the connection to the recipient server has timed out. Users generally come across this error code when the server fails to obtain a file that they have requested for. 

This error code comes with an error message saying:

“Socket Error # 10060 Connection timed out”

Once you encounter this error, you cannot establish a proper connection due to the target computer refusing to perform it. Through it is not a critical server issue but it seems to reject multiple connections from the same client. 

This error code also appears when the device cannot connect to the mail server. So, once you encounter this error code, you will be unable to send and receive any emails. 

Some other security software, improper SMTP authentication, and malware infection can also cause this error code on the screen. 

How to Fix Socket Error 10060

Here, we are going to discuss six effective solutions that can help you fix the Socket error 10060 on the device. We have detailed the method of performing those fixes, below. SO, follow and implement them one by one to fix this Socket error 10060 on your Windows system.

Solution 1 – Verify Web Proxy Connection

Incorrect web proxy connection settings can cause the Socket error 10060 on the system. So, you need to check whether the proxy settings are incorrect or not.  If yes, then change it. The following steps will help you:

1. First of all, launch the Run box, type inetcpl.cpl and then click on the OK option or press the Enter button.
2. When the Internet Properties window opens, move to the Connections tab.
3. On the Connections tab, click on the LAN Settings button. 
4. From the LAN Settings window, locate the ‘Use a proxy for your Lan’ box and unmark it. After that, click on the OK button to save the changes. 
5. Once done, restart the system and try to connect to the server to check if the error still persists or not. 

Solution 2 – Modify Registry File

If you put the wrong value in the registry file then that file becomes damaged and the device may be down. So, you need to modify the registry file by following the undermentioned steps:

1. Press the Windows Home button and R key together to launch the Run box.
2. Type regedit and then click the OK button or press the Enter button.
3. From the Registry Editor window, go to the following folder: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
4. On the Parameters section, click on the RequestTimeoutSecs and then select the Modify option.
5. Next, navigate to the Decimal tab and increase the time limit for loading. 
6. Then click on the OK button to save the changes and close the Registry Editor window.   

Solution 3 – Verify Email Client Settings

If you are using Microsoft Outlook and encounter the Socket error 10060 on your device, you need to confirm the client settings. To do that, follow these steps carefully:

1. Launch Microsoft Outlook.
2. Once you are in Outlook, navigate to Tools and select the Accounts button.
3. From the Account window, move to the Mail tab.
4. On the Mail tab, you will see the list of accounts appearing. Find and double-click on your account. 
5. In the Accounts Properties window, click on the Servers tab and check if all the details are correct or not. 

If the settings are correct, but the problem is still there, then there might be a problem with the authentication process. So, you need to turn on the SMTP authentication feature. To enable it, you need to follow the steps cited below.

1. Launch the Account Properties window.
2. From the Account Properties window, go to the Server tab and find the My Outgoing server(SMTP) requires authentication box, put a mark on it. 
3. After that, click on the OK button to save the changes. 
4. Once done, reboot your computer and then check if the problem still persists or not. 

Solution 4 – Disable Windows Firewall

Sometimes, the Windows firewall may also be responsible for the Socket error 10060. So, you should turn it off. Here are some steps that you can follow:

1. Firstly, go to the Control Panel window.
2. When the Control Panel window opens, locate and double-click on the Windows Firewall section.
3. On the Windows Firewall window, click on the Turn Windows Firewall On and Off button on the left pane.
4. Now, tick on the Turn off  Windows Firewall option from both Public Network Settings and Private Network Settings sections. 
5. Once you are done with these steps, click on the OK button to save the changes. Then restart the device and try to connect it to check if the issue is resolved or not.

Solution 5 – Disable the Security Software

After disabling the Windows Firewall feature, if the error code still appears, then you need to disable the security software which is installed on your PC. Let’s take a look into some steps which you can follow:

1. Open the Security software main window.
2. Go to the Settings section.
3. On the Settings window, select the Firewall tab.
4. In the Firewall tab, move the toggle from On to Off to disable it. 

After turning it off, if the error code still shows up then you can simply remove it from the system. Once the problem gets solved, you can again install it.

To uninstall it follow the directions as stated below:

1. Press the Win + I buttons to launch the Settings window.
2. Go to the Apps section and select the Apps and Features tab.
3. Scroll down the page and locate the Security software, click on it. Now, you will see the Uninstall button, click on it. 
4. Once the uninstallation process is complete, reboot the system and then check if the error has been eliminated or not. 

Solution 6 – Run the System File Checker Tool

Running an SFC scan can fix this Socket error 10060 on the system. So, you can try it as a last option.

1. Click on the Windows button to open the WinX menu list and select Command Prompt(Admin).
2. In the Command Prompt window, type SFC/scannow and then hit the Enter button to run this command.
3. Once the scanning process is complete, reboot your computer.