Outlook keeps asking for my password
- Most of the time Outlook is holding an old saved sign-in. Clearing it and signing in fresh fixes it.
- Check first that you can sign in on the web. That tells you if the account or the app is the problem.
Try these steps, in order
- Test the web version. Open a browser and sign in to your mail on the web (for Microsoft 365 that is outlook.office.com). If this asks for a new password or says the account is locked, the problem is the account, not Outlook. Stop here and see the pro box below.
- Close Outlook all the way. Close the window. Then check the bottom right of the screen for the small Outlook icon and close it there too.
- Remove the old saved sign-in. On Windows, open the Start menu and type Credential Manager. Open it, pick Windows Credentials, and remove the entries that have Outlook or Microsoft Office in the name. This only removes saved sign-ins. It does not delete your mail.
- Check the clock. A wrong date or time on the computer breaks sign-in. Turn on automatic date and time in Windows settings.
- Update Office, then sign in again. Open Outlook, go to File, then Office Account, then Update Options, then Update Now. When asked, type your password once and finish the second step (the code or the app approval).
Why does this happen?
Outlook keeps a small saved sign-in on your computer. When you change your password, turn on a second sign-in step, or your company changes a security setting, that saved sign-in goes stale. Outlook then asks again, and again.
If it still asks
You can make a fresh Outlook profile. Go to Control Panel, then Mail, then Show Profiles, then Add. Set up your account in the new profile. Keep the old profile until the new one works. With Microsoft 365 your mail lives on the server, so a new profile does not delete it.
When to call a pro
- The web version also asks for a password or says the account is locked.
- Many people in your office have the same problem on the same day.
- You see a message about a blocked sign-in you did not try. Someone else may be trying to get in.
- You are not sure who the Microsoft 365 admin is at your company.
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Common questions
Why does Outlook ask for my password after I changed it?
Outlook saved the old password. Remove the saved sign-in in Credential Manager and sign in again with the new one.
Will I lose my email if I fix this?
No. With Microsoft 365 or most business email, your mail is stored on the server. The steps above only touch sign-in details.
Could this be a hacker?
Rarely, but it can be. If you see sign-in alerts you did not cause, change your password from another device and call your IT provider.
Keep reading
- I got a new phone and my sign-in code stopped working
- How to set up MFA for your team
- My work email is not syncing on my phone
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