Outlook keeps asking for a password? How to fix and repair Outlook

If Outlook keeps asking for your Microsoft 365 password, won't connect, says "Disconnected" or stops syncing, work through these fixes in order. Most problems are solved by the first three steps; the last ones repair Outlook or rebuild your Outlook profile without losing any email, because everything is stored safely in Microsoft 365.

• Applies to: Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium
• Time: 5 to 30 minutes
• Difficulty: Intermediate

Before you start

• Check the problem is Outlook, not your account. Sign in at outlook.office.com in a browser. If that also fails, your password, licence or MFA set-up is the problem; see Reset a user's password. If it works, carry on below.
• Check for an outage at Microsoft's service status page.
• Check your Office version. Office 2013, 2016 and 2019 are out of support, and Microsoft no longer guarantees they'll connect to Microsoft 365. Classic Outlook needs to be the Microsoft 365 Apps version (included with Business Standard and Premium), or use the new Outlook, which is free. See Install Microsoft 365 apps.

Fixes for classic Outlook for Windows

1. Sign out and back in. Close Outlook. Open Word or Excel, select your name at the top, then Sign out. Restart the PC, open Outlook and sign in with your work address when asked. Complete the MFA prompt.
2. Clear saved passwords. Close all Office apps. Open Credential Manager from the Start menu, choose Windows Credentials, and remove entries that mention MicrosoftOffice, Outlook or your email address. Open Outlook and sign in again.
3. Check for a stale work account in Windows. Go to Settings → Accounts → Access work or school. If you see an old or duplicate entry for your address (for example from a previous employer or a previous tenant), select it and choose Disconnect. Don't disconnect a device your IT provider has joined on purpose; ask first.
4. Start Outlook in safe mode. Press Windows+R, type outlook.exe /safe and press Enter. If Outlook works now, an add-in is causing the problem. Go to File → Options → Add-ins → COM Add-ins → Go and untick add-ins one at a time.
5. Repair Office. Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Microsoft 365, choose Modify and run a Quick Repair. If that doesn't help, run an Online Repair, which reinstalls Office (takes longer; your files and email aren't affected).
6. Create a new Outlook profile. This fixes most "keeps asking for a password", sync and corrupt-data problems. See the next section.

Create a new Outlook profile

A profile is Outlook's local set-up on your PC: your accounts and a cached copy of your mailbox (an .ost file). A new profile downloads a fresh copy from Microsoft 365. Nothing is lost, but read the warning first.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open the Mail control panel. Open Control Panel (search for it in the Start menu), switch the view to small icons, and open Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
3. Select Show Profiles, then Add. Name the new profile, such as "Outlook 2026", and select OK.
4. Add your account. Enter your name and work email address, leave the password blank, and select Next. Sign in when the Microsoft window appears.
5. Make it the default. Back in the profiles list, choose Always use this profile and select the new profile, then OK.
6. Open Outlook and let it sync. Reopen any .pst files with File → Open & Export → Open Outlook Data File. After a week or so without problems, you can remove the old profile from the same control panel.

Fixes for the new Outlook for Windows

• Remove and re-add the account: Settings → Accounts → Email accounts → Manage next to the account → Remove, then add it again.
• Repair or reset the app: Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Outlook (new) → Advanced options → Repair, then Reset if needed. Resetting signs you out but loses no email.
• You can also switch back to classic Outlook (if your plan includes it) or use Outlook on the web while you investigate.

Microsoft's own troubleshooter

Microsoft's old Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) has been retired. Its Outlook and Office fixes now live in the Get Help app that comes with Windows. Open Get Help from the Start menu and search for the Outlook problem you have. In classic Outlook you can also use Help → Contact Support.

Troubleshooting

Outlook asks for my password but the pop-up looks old (a small grey Windows box)

That box means Outlook is trying an old sign-in method, often because it's connecting to an outdated server. If your business previously used a legacy hosted Exchange service, the autodiscover DNS record or old settings on the PC may still point there. Make sure your domain's autodiscover record is a CNAME to autodiscover.outlook.com (see Microsoft 365 DNS records on Host Dada nameservers), then create a new profile.

The password prompt appeared right after a password change or new MFA rule

Outlook is holding the old sign-in. Steps 1 and 2 above (sign out and clear Credential Manager) almost always fix it. Update the password on your phone too, or it may keep failing sign-ins and lock you out.

Outlook says "Disconnected" or "Trying to connect"

Check you're not working offline (Send / Receive → Work Offline should not be highlighted). Then check your internet connection, VPN and any firewall or antivirus that filters web traffic. If only Outlook is affected, create a new profile.

Emails are missing in Outlook but visible in the browser

Classic Outlook may only keep part of your mailbox on the PC. Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings → your account → Change, and move the Mail to keep offline slider to All. If folders are still out of date, a new profile rebuilds the cache.

Last reviewed: October 2026