Quick Answer
If Outlook keeps asking for your password on Windows, try restarting the app, re-adding your account, deleting saved credentials, disabling third-party antivirus, or reinstalling Outlook. Ensure your app and Windows are updated, and check your internet connection. If two-factor authentication is enabled, re-sign in with updated credentials to resolve the issue.
Outlook app on Windows 11 lets you manage your email. You just need to sign in once, and you can use it comfortably until you reset your PC. You do not need to enter passwords or do anything. Just open the Outlook app, use it, and close it.
However, some users are in an endless loop when entering passwords on Outlook. This is a frustrating issue that needs to be fixed immediately to use the Outlook app normally. In this guide, we show you different ways to fix the problem of the Outlook app on your Windows PC repeatedly asking for passwords.
Table of Contents
What Causes Outlook to Ask for Password Repeatedly
Some of the major causes for the Outlook app on Windows PC to ask for passwords repeatedly are:
- Wrong entries in the Credential Manager
- Windows or Microsoft 365 apps updates
- Outdated app or add-ins
- Two-factor authentication
- Malware or antivirus apps hinder the sign-in process
Let’s see how to fix the issue and use the Outlook app as usual.
5 Ways to Fix Outlook Asking for Password Repeatedly on Windows
A simple fix is to cancel the prompt. It works most of the time and lets you use the app to check or send emails. Make sure your internet connection is working fine. Install pending updates for the Outlook app and Windows 11 and see if it fixes the issue. If not, follow the below methods to fix the Outlook password loop.
Reopen Outlook App
One of the simple fixes is to close Outlook, end all its processes in the Task Manager and restart the Outlook app. After the restart, enter the passwords when prompted and see if it fixed the issue.
Add the Account Again
Remove the account you are having an issue with on the Outlook app and add it again. If a corrupted cache or temporary files have caused this issue, adding the account again after removing it can replace the existing cache, which fixes the endless password loop on Outlook.
To remove an account from Outlook,
- Click on the three-dot button at the top of the Outlook app and select Settings.
- In the Settings page, select Accounts, then Email accounts. Click on Manage beside the email account you are facing issues with.
- Now, click on Remove to remove the account.
- Similarly, remove other accounts added to the Outlook app to make sure you have a fresh start with the app.
After removing all the accounts on the Outlook app, sign in with your credentials. The endless loop of asking passwords on the Outlook app should be fixed by now.
Alternatively, if you have recently changed the password or have added two-factor authentication to accounts you use on the Outlook app, signing them again after removing them from the apps will fix it. This updates the credentials and signs you in with the authentication.
Delete Existing Credentials on Windows
When you sign in on apps on Windows, the credentials are automatically stored in the Credential Manager. This helps you sign in with ease in the future. If the credentials saved in the Credential Manager mismatch with your accounts on Outlook, you will find yourself in the password loop on Outlook. The only way is to remove the credentials related to the accounts you are having issues with on Outlook in the Credential Manager and sign in again on the Outlook app.
To remove credentials of an account from Windows Credential Manager,
- Click on the Start button, search for Credential Manager, and open it from the results.
- You will see Web and Windows credentials. Select Windows credentials and click on the account you are having issues with to expand it. Then, click on Remove to remove its credentials from the Credential Manager.
Now, sign in again on the Outlook app with your credentials, which will automatically update in the Credential Manager. Hereafter, Outlook will not ask for the password again.
Disable Third-Party Antivirus
If you have installed a third-party antivirus or antimalware app on your Windows PC, disable it for the time being and open Outlook. If the Outlook app is asking for a password only when the antivirus is enabled, there must have been an issue between them.
To fix the issue, you need to tweak the antivirus app settings and exclude the Outlook app from the antivirus. All the major antivirus apps have options to exclude apps from their scans or monitoring process as they sometimes flag for no reason and hinder usage.
Reinstall Outlook App
If none of the above methods helped you fix Outlook when it is asking for passwords repeatedly, uninstall the Outlook app from your Windows PC. Clear temporary files and cache, then reinstall the Outlook app. It should fix the issue.
To uninstall the Outlook app, click the Start menu, find the Outlook app, right-click on it, and select Uninstall. Please wait for it to be uninstalled completely.
To clear the cache on Windows 11, open the Settings app, Select System, go to Storage, and click on the Temporary files tab. Now, click on Remove files to remove the temporary files on your PC.
After removing temporary files and cache successfully, open Microsoft Store, search for Outlook, and install it. Then, sign in with your credentials.
Outlook Prompts for Password Again and Again
When the Outlook app on your PC prompts for passwords repeatedly, it might be due to a corrupted cache, Incorrect credentials in the Credential Manager, or two-factor authentication enabled on your account. You can fix all these by making sure you have updated everything to the latest versions, signing in with the new passwords, and authenticating the sign-in.
