Outlook keeps asking for my password.

01 · Check your password works.

Do this first. It takes a minute and shows whether the problem is your password or your PC.

1. In a web browser, go to outlook.office.com and sign in with your work email and password.
2. If Microsoft asks you to set a new password, set one. Work passwords can expire, and Microsoft asks for a new one the next time you sign in.
3. Go back to Outlook on your PC and type the password once when it asks.

Success: Outlook accepts the password and opens your inbox. If the browser sign-in fails, nothing on your PC will fix it, so go to Still stuck?. If your mailbox opens in the browser but Outlook still asks, carry on.

02 · Find out which Outlook you have.

Outlook for Windows comes in two versions, and the fixes differ.

• New Outlook has a Settings gear icon and the tabs Home, View and Help.
• Classic Outlook has no Settings gear. It has a File tab at the top left.

On new Outlook, go to step 05, then step 09. On classic Outlook, start at step 03 and work down.

03 · Remove the saved sign-in.

Classic Outlook only. Windows keeps a saved sign-in for Outlook, and after a password change it can keep handing Outlook the old one.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Type credential manager in the taskbar search box and open Credential Manager.
3. Select Windows Credentials.
4. Expand each entry with Outlook in the name, or a name that starts with MicrosoftOffice16, and select Remove. Leave entries for other programs alone.
5. Open Outlook and sign in when it asks.

Success: Outlook asks once, opens your inbox and stays signed in. Removed entries cannot be restored, but Outlook saves a new one when you sign in.

04 · Sign out of Office and back in.

For classic Outlook and the other Office apps.

1. In Outlook, select File → Office Account → Sign out.
2. Close every Office app.
3. Open Outlook and sign in with your work account.

Microsoft says signing out disconnects Office from services such as OneDrive and clears your settings and recent documents list. Signing back in reconnects them.

05 · Remove and add your account in new Outlook.

1. Select Settings (the gear icon), then Accounts → Your accounts.
2. Under Email accounts, find your work account, select Manage, then Remove.
3. Select Add account and sign in with your work email and password.

Success: your mailbox loads and the prompt stops. Removing an account only removes it from Outlook. It does not delete your email account.

06 · Repair your Outlook profile.

Classic Outlook only.

1. Select File → Account Settings → Account Settings.
2. On the Email tab, select your account, then select Repair.
3. Follow the wizard, then restart Outlook.

If you do not see a Repair button, go to the next step.

07 · Create a new Outlook profile.

Classic Outlook only. A profile holds your Outlook account settings, and a damaged one can cause the prompt to return.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open Control Panel → Mail (Microsoft Outlook) → Show Profiles.
3. Select Add, type a profile name, select OK, then add your work email when asked.
4. Choose the new profile as the one Outlook always uses, then open Outlook.

Success: Outlook opens on the new profile and your mail loads from the server.

08 · Repair Office.

Classic Outlook only. Save your work and close every Office app first.

1. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365 (or Microsoft Office), select the three dots, then Modify.
3. Choose Quick Repair, then select Repair.

Quick Repair finds and replaces damaged files. If Outlook still asks for a password afterwards, repeat the steps and choose Online Repair, which is more thorough.

09 · Disconnect your work account from Windows.

Do this last. Only do it on a PC where you added your work account yourself. If your company manages this PC, or you cannot see Disconnect, ask your IT person instead.

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Access work or school.
2. Select your work account, then select Disconnect.
3. Restart your PC, open Outlook and sign in when it asks.

10 · Or let KoalaFix do it.

Start free trial → See how it works

30 days free for up to 30 people. No credit card.
Already signed up? Download KoalaFix for Windows

11 · Still stuck?

If the browser sign-in failed in step 01, or the prompt also appears on your phone, the cause is your account and not your PC. A Microsoft 365 admin has to reset a password or unlock an account for someone else. If Microsoft is having an outage, nothing on your PC will fix it, and your IT person can check Microsoft 365 service health.

If you are locked out, see Locked out of Microsoft 365.

12 · FAQ.

Will I lose my emails if I remove my account or profile?

No. Removing an account only removes it from Outlook, and your mailbox stays on the Microsoft 365 server. Mail kept only in a local data file on your PC (a .pst file) is not on the server, so check with your IT person first if you use one.

Does the prompt mean my account was hacked?

Not by itself. The usual causes are a changed or expired password or a stale saved sign-in. If you did not change your password and it has stopped working, tell your IT person straight away.

Can I keep working while I fix this?

Yes. Sign in at outlook.office.com and use Outlook on the web until the desktop app is sorted. Your mail and calendar are the same there.

Why does Outlook keep prompting for credentials when my password is right?

Usually Windows has an old saved sign-in for Outlook and keeps offering it after a password change. Removing it in Credential Manager (section 03) makes Outlook ask once and save the new one. If the prompt still loops, repair your Outlook profile (section 06).

13 · Related fixes.

• Locked out of Microsoft 365
• Teams won't open
• Excel file locked for editing

14 · What KoalaFix can handle.

See the full capability map for what KoalaFix fixes automatically, what asks for approval, and what still needs a person.

15 · Sources.

The steps in this guide follow these pages. Menus can move when Microsoft updates its apps, so check them if a step looks different.

• Outlook continues to prompt for credentials after your password changes (Microsoft Learn)
• Repair an Office application (Microsoft Support)