Outlook fix — all versions
Outlook says your password is wrong but it's correct
If Outlook on the web lets you in with the same password, your desktop Outlook is holding an old, stale credential. Clearing it in Windows Credential Manager fixes this in a couple of minutes — here's exactly how, and we're a phone call away if you'd rather we just did it for you. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● All Outlook versions
- ● Windows & Android
- ● Fixed in minutes
Why this happens
Your password is fine — Outlook just cached an old one
This is one of the most common Outlook problems we fix, and the good news is your account is almost certainly healthy. When your password keeps getting rejected even though it's definitely correct, the culprit is usually a stale saved credential stored by Windows itself, not by your email provider.
Windows keeps a hidden vault of saved passwords called Credential Manager. When you change your Microsoft or email password (or your provider quietly rotates the security token behind the scenes), the old entry can get stuck in that vault. Outlook keeps handing the old password to the server, the server keeps saying "no", and you're stuck in a password prompt that won't accept the right password no matter how carefully you type it.
Prove it in 30 seconds: open a web browser and sign in to your mailbox online — outlook.com for a Microsoft account, or your provider's webmail. If your password works there, the account and password are fine, and the problem is 100% inside the desktop app. That's the case we're fixing below.
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The fix
Clear the stale credential and sign back in
Follow these in order. None of them delete your emails — your mail lives on the server and simply re-downloads.
- Close Outlook completely. Right-click the taskbar, choose Task Manager, and if Outlook is still listed, select it and click End task so it fully shuts down.
- Open Windows Credential Manager. Click Start, type Credential Manager, and open it. Click Windows Credentials.
- Remove the Outlook and Office entries. Scroll to Generic Credentials and look for anything starting with MicrosoftOffice, Outlook, OneAuth, or MicrosoftAccount. Click each one, then click Remove. Removing these only clears the saved password — it does not touch your emails.
- Restart your PC. A quick reboot makes sure nothing is still holding the old credential in memory.
- Open Outlook and sign in fresh. When it asks for your password, type it carefully and tick Keep me signed in if offered. Outlook stores a new, correct credential and the loop is gone.
If your provider uses 2-step verification (many Microsoft, Gmail and Yahoo accounts do), your normal password may be rejected by the desktop app. For a modern account, Outlook will usually pop up a browser sign-in window and ask you to approve it on your phone — complete that and you're in. On older setups that can't show that window, you instead generate a one-off app password in your account's security settings and paste that in place of your normal password.
Finally, an out-of-date Office can keep failing to authenticate the modern (OAuth) way. In Outlook go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now, let it finish, then restart. This keeps Outlook on modern authentication, which providers now require.
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// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Why does Outlook say my password is wrong when I know it's correct?
Almost always because Windows has cached an old password in Credential Manager and keeps sending it to the server. Your real password is fine — proving it by signing in to your webmail confirms this. Removing the stale Outlook and Office entries from Windows Credentials, then signing in fresh, fixes it.
Will clearing Credential Manager delete my emails?
No. Credential Manager only stores saved passwords, not mail. Your emails live on the mail server and re-download to Outlook automatically after you sign back in. Nothing is lost.
I have 2-step verification switched on — why won't my password work in Outlook?
When 2-step (two-factor) verification is enabled, the desktop app usually opens a browser sign-in window and asks you to approve it on your phone rather than accepting your typed password. On older setups that can't show that window, you generate a one-time app password in your account's security settings and paste that into Outlook instead.
Does this fix work for Outlook 365, classic Outlook and new Outlook?
The Credential Manager fix applies to any version of Outlook on Windows, because the stale credential is stored by Windows itself, not by a particular Outlook version. The steps are the same across Outlook 365, classic Outlook and new Outlook.
I cleared the credentials and it still won't accept my password — what now?
Next check that Windows date and time are set automatically, update Office so it uses modern authentication, and confirm the password really works in webmail. If it still loops, an antivirus or firewall may be blocking the Microsoft sign-in. Call 365 Techies on 01202 775566 and we'll sort it remotely, usually within minutes.
Can 365 Techies fix this remotely?
Yes. We connect with your permission, you watch the whole time, we phone you first, and access ends the moment it's fixed. We clear the stale credential, re-sign your account and confirm your mail is flowing again — normally within minutes.
Still being asked for a password you know is right?
Call 365 Techies and we'll clear the stale credential and sign you back in remotely — usually within minutes. We phone first, you watch the whole time, and access ends the moment it's fixed.
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