I've recently tried to reconnect my work email account to Outlook. However, when I try to enter my password (which I'm sure is correct, as I can log onto the account online with the password), Outlook will not accept it.

Any advice as to how I can get this figured out?

Thanks!

Hi Kate,

Does the issue occur when logging on OWA?

If OWA works, it seems like an issue on the Outlook client side.

 

Please try to re-create a new profile:

1. Control Panel --> Mail --> Show Profiles

2. Delete the old Outlook Profile.

3. Start Outlook and allow it to re-create your profile.

4. From Outlook, we can associate the existing data file with the new profile.

 

Also try to run Outlook under safe mode to avoid some third party add-ins and firewall.

 

Hope it is helpful

 

Thanks

Mavis

• Marked as answer by Simon_WuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Sunday, September 22, 2013 6:53 PM

I've had been dealing with the same issue for three weeks now. For years Outlook worked fine, then one day it asked for the password - and even when providing the correct password (proven by the fact that the very same password was working on my phone and the web client), still didn't accept it. 

Finally, about 10 minutes ago, I fixed it. Before I go back to the binge drinking Im doing to celebrate, I wanted to share everything I tried and the final solution.

I recommend trying each approach in order they go from the simple to the increasingly complicated / time consuming. Hopefully one of the approaches will work for you.

My theory is that Windows somehow stored the wrong password somewhere, and kept on overwriting the correct one. Im just very glad that is working now.    

NO LIABILITY IS ASUMED FOLLOW PROCEDURES AT YOUR OWN RISK. If youre not a professional, seek professional help.  

Here's all I tried:

APPROACH # 1: Delete the Exchange account and try to recreate it

1. I tried this approach in two ways: I deleted the Exchange account from within Outlook and in different attempts, deleted the account from within the Mail profile from the Mail area of the Control Panel. 

2. Try to recreate the account from within Outlook using autoconfigure. Outlook would not let me - it would give me an error ("encrypted connection not availabe with your server"), then would try to set it up "unencrypted", then it would ask me to go to the Mail setting in the Control Panel

3. When creating the account in the Mail area of the Control Panel, everything would seem to work - all green check marks when creating the account with autoconfigure.

4. When trying to open Outlook, it would again prompt for the password, and would not recognize the correct password.

5. I did a similar approach doing manual settings. All settings would be correct within the Mail area of the Control Panel, but Outlook would still not accept the password.

 

APPROACH #2: Delete the Profile and try to recreate it

1. Went into the Mail area of the Control Panel and deleted the profile. 

2. In essence followed steps 2 5 from above (creating a profile first, then the account). No luck.

APPROACH # 3: Use the profile assistant from my cloud Exchange provider. (Not sure if this a proprietary thing of my Exchange provider Intermedia.net.)

1. Delete profile.

2. Downloaded the "profile assistant" from the "Setup" area of my Intermedia.net account.

3. When trying to run it, it would do something weird (it even stumped the Intermedia.net tech support guy): instead of creating a profile, it would simply say "password saved" and prompt for the user name and password.

3. Of course, when trying to start Outlook, the password would not be recognized.

 

APPROACH # 4: Delete stored credentials

1. On the search box, type in credential and go to the Credential Manager that you will find.

2. Delete all credentials (both Web and Windows) that appear to have anything to do with Outlook, Exchange or email. (BTW I tried this several times, going as far as deleting ALL credentials I could find in my last attempt)

3. Went back and tried approaches 1 through 3, deleting the credentials before each attempt. No luck

 

APPROACH #5: Uninstalled and reinstall Outlook.

1. Did this, then tried approaches 1 through 4.

2. It didnt work.

3. Yeah. I know. Still recovering from this one.   

 

APPROACH #6: The registry (I think)

1. I know Windows stores passwords in the Registry as well. Ib spite of not being really sure what a Registry is, I did a web search and found the mysterious area where subdirectores with cryptic names (like 124ww244ab-Zsu) are created and deleted for each app. Looking at the activity there felt like listening to the musings of a BSG Hybrid.
2. Found the right directory for Outlook. Renamed it by adding -old to it.
3. Did approaches 1 thru 4. No luck.

 

APPROACH #7: Create a new User Account in my computer (Victory at last)

1. I wish I had tried this first.
2. The account in my computer is linked to my Microsoft account. So first, go into your Account and disconnect it from your Windows Account, making it a local account on the PC.
3. Create a new account with Administrative rights. Connect this account to your Windows account.
4. I went back to approach 1, but when I saw the same errors, skipped it and went to #3. This worked at last.

 I hope this info is useful. Now back to partying.

 

I was having the same problem, and I searched for a solution and found yours. It works!! Many thanks for your advice - removing a profile does help to solve the problem of outlook not accepting the correct credential.