Why Is Outlook Constantly Asking for My Password?
There are a few likely causes for this:
Outlook accepts the password just fine, but it’s not set up to remember it. Your email account password is different from the one saved in Outlook. The password saved in Outlook has become corrupt. The software is outdated and contains bugs. Security apps are preventing Outlook from working normally.
If you’ve already skimmed the rest of this page, you saw there are more potential solutions than the ones addressing the list above. This particular issue is far from uncommon, so there are possibly dozens of obscure solutions for it, depending on your specific situation.
How Do I Get Outlook to Stop Asking for My Password?
Follow these steps in the order they’re listed (from the most likely fix to the least probable):
Select Cancel on the password prompt. This is the easiest possible fix which has worked for some people. Restart the computer. This isn’t the quickest solution, but it’s one of the easier ones to try, and rebooting tends to fix inexplicable issues like this one. A restart will close down background processes that could be to blame, and will let you open Outlook from the ground up. Make Outlook remember your password by unchecking the Always prompt for logon credentials option in the settings. This is the most likely fix if, after entering the password, everything works normally for a while, but then you’re asked for it again later. Change the password Outlook is using to access your email. If you made a new password for your email but didn’t update it in Outlook, it’s asking for the password because it genuinely doesn’t know what it is. If two-factor authentication is enabled for the email account you’re trying to access, you might need to create a special password just to use in Outlook. You can contact your email provider if you’re not sure how that works, because the process for generating it is different for every provider—here are app password instructions for Gmail. With Outlook closed down, open Credential Manager, and delete all the stored passwords associated with Outlook/MS Office. To do this, choose Windows Credentials first, and then Remove under the credentials you want to delete. You’ll be asked again to enter your email password the next time you open Outlook, but it should stick. Some users have had luck deleting associated passwords in another area of Windows, too. For example, in Windows 11, go to Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts to view and delete the ones related to the troublesome email account. Sign out of the MS Office account you’re logged in with when using Outlook. This might not be the same email that’s having the password issue, so this won’t work for everyone. Go to File > Office Account > Sign out. Then, close Outlook, reopen it, and log in again through that same screen. Update Outlook to the latest version. A bug could be the cause here, and the latest update might address it. Install any pending Windows updates. Some of them might be affecting Outlook. Be sure to reboot the computer afterward. Disable all your security software, including any firewall or antivirus programs. If after doing so, Outlook quits asking for the email password, you know there’s a security rule or software conflict at play, and you can investigate that further. See how to disable the Windows firewall for directions. All antivirus programs are different, but if you happen to use Avast’s, here’s how to disable Avast Antivirus (take a look even if you use an AV app from another company; it’s most likely somewhat similar). This is clearly something you don’t want to keep off, but doing so temporarily is fine, so long as you disable these apps only for the duration you’re troubleshooting this problem. Just don’t download any files or plug in any potentially dangerous devices in the meantime. Start Outlook in safe mode to prevent add-ins from starting. This is a long shot, since all this step will confirm is the unlikely event an add-in is to blame. But, it’s easy to do and will provide some direction if you’re still having the password loop. Troubleshoot a slow internet connection. A delay in communicating with the email server might be what’s causing the password prompt, so this could be the source of the problem if you’ve been having spotty service. If you’re using a wireless network, the easiest way to boost the Wi-Fi signal is to move closer to the router. Make a new Outlook profile via File > Account Settings > Manage Profiles > Show Profiles > Add. This will let you re-add the email account from scratch, hopefully without the password issue. Make a new user profile. In Windows 11, for example, open Settings and go to Accounts > Family & other users > Add account. Some users have had luck fixing the password prompt issue by starting over with a new user account. This won’t delete Outlook, nor will it erase your current user account. Run Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant. SaRA, as it’s also known, is a tool that runs various tests to see what could be wrong with Office and Outlook, and will offer some solutions if possible. Once you get the program installed, choose Outlook from the main screen, followed by Outlook keeps asking for my password, and then follow the rest of the on-screen directions. This is a ZIP download. Extract the contents out of the archive after you download it, and then open SaraSetup to start the installation process. Reinstall Outlook, and then try again. With a brand-new user profile from the last step, and a fresh installation of Outlook, there’s little left to be tried to make Outlook remember your password. A step-by-step guide to reinstall MS Office Follow Microsoft’s troubleshooting steps if none of the above has helped. There are a few possible causes described in that document, but the suggestions provided there is, according to Microsoft, relevant only if you just updated to Office 2016 build 16. 0. 7967 on Windows 10. This step and the others that follow, are very specific and will most likely not apply to the vast majority of people. Try your best to complete all of the above steps before moving on to these. Another obscure fix that might apply to you is this one: Delete any shared calendars or shared mailboxes if they were deleted by the person who originally shared them, or if your access to them has been removed. Outlook might prompt you for a password over and over because the share is no longer valid. Turn off Cached Exchanged Mode. This is relevant for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Exchange Server mailboxes. If you have the ability to edit the Windows Registry on your computer, follow this step to exclude Outlook from detecting Microsoft 365. Go here: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16. 0\Outlook\AutoDiscover Add the DWORD value ExcludeExplicitO365Endpoint, and give it a value of 1. Add the AlwaysUseMSOAuthForAutoDiscover DWORD value to the registry with a value of 1. Microsoft says this could be the solution if you’re asked for the password and Outlook doesn’t use Modern Authentication to connect to Office 365. Use a different email program. No, this isn’t technically a solution to this problem, but if none of the above suggestions have been helpful, you might be left needing to use a completely different app to send and receive mail. As popular as it is, Outlook isn’t your only option. In fact, Microsoft has another email program that’s completely free, called Mail. If you’d rather ditch Microsoft completely, there are other free email clients for Windows you might prefer.
A restart will close down background processes that could be to blame, and will let you open Outlook from the ground up.
You’ll be asked again to enter your email password the next time you open Outlook, but it should stick.
Go to File > Office Account > Sign out. Then, close Outlook, reopen it, and log in again through that same screen.
See how to disable the Windows firewall for directions. All antivirus programs are different, but if you happen to use Avast’s, here’s how to disable Avast Antivirus (take a look even if you use an AV app from another company; it’s most likely somewhat similar).
If you’re using a wireless network, the easiest way to boost the Wi-Fi signal is to move closer to the router.
Some users have had luck fixing the password prompt issue by starting over with a new user account. This won’t delete Outlook, nor will it erase your current user account.
Once you get the program installed, choose Outlook from the main screen, followed by Outlook keeps asking for my password, and then follow the rest of the on-screen directions.
Go here:
Add the DWORD value ExcludeExplicitO365Endpoint, and give it a value of 1.
As popular as it is, Outlook isn’t your only option. In fact, Microsoft has another email program that’s completely free, called Mail. If you’d rather ditch Microsoft completely, there are other free email clients for Windows you might prefer.
