Still being asked for your Outlook password?

IT Desk can investigate Microsoft 365 sign-in problems, repair Outlook profiles, review account security and identify wider authentication or service issues. We’ll resolve the immediate problem while checking that your business account and device remain secure.

Why does Outlook keep requesting my password?

Outlook uses authentication tokens and stored credentials to keep you signed in to your Microsoft 365 account. If that information becomes outdated, corrupted or inconsistent with your organisation’s current security policies, Outlook may repeatedly ask you to sign in.

Entering the correct password may make the prompt disappear temporarily, but it can return if the underlying authentication problem has not been resolved.

Common causes of repeated Outlook password prompts

What should I do first?

Work through the following checks in order rather than immediately deleting credentials or reinstalling Outlook.

1. Check that the sign-in prompt is genuine

A normal Microsoft sign-in request should use an official Microsoft address and match your organisation’s usual sign-in experience.

Be cautious if the prompt:

• Appears after clicking an unexpected email link

• Opens on an unfamiliar website

• Uses unusual branding or poor spelling

• Asks for information beyond the normal sign-in process

• Continues appearing after the application has been closed

• Requests your password through an email or document

If the request appears suspicious, close it and contact your IT provider. Do not enter your password. If you have already entered credentials into a suspicious page, follow the steps in IT Desk’s phishing-attack response guide.

2. Try Outlook on the web

Sign in to Microsoft 365 through your organisation’s normal browser-based portal and open Outlook on the web.

If Outlook on the web works correctly, the account and mailbox are probably functioning. The problem is more likely to involve the desktop application, saved credentials or the local Outlook profile.

If the web version also rejects the password, the issue may involve:

• An incorrect or expired password

• A locked account

• Multifactor authentication

• Conditional Access

• A missing or invalid licence

• A wider Microsoft 365 service issue

3. Restart Outlook and the computer

Close Outlook completely and restart the device. This clears temporary application and authentication processes that may have stopped responding correctly.

Simply closing the Outlook window may not always stop every related process, so a full restart is worthwhile before making more significant changes.

4. Check whether other users are affected

Ask whether colleagues are seeing the same problem.

If several users started receiving password prompts at approximately the same time, the cause may be:

• A Microsoft 365 service incident

• A company-wide policy change

• An identity or authentication problem

• A network or internet issue

• A recently deployed Office update

Microsoft 365 administrators can review detailed service information through the Service Health section of the Microsoft 365 admin centre.

5. Install available updates

Microsoft regularly publishes fixes for Outlook, Office and Windows. Install approved updates and restart the device afterward.

On a managed business device, updates may be controlled by your IT provider. Avoid manually changing update channels or installing unapproved versions.

6. Sign out and back in carefully

Signing out of the affected Microsoft 365 account and signing back in can refresh its authentication.

Be aware that signing out may affect other Microsoft applications such as Teams, OneDrive, Word and Excel. Make sure any open work has been saved before proceeding.

What if the problem started after changing my password?

A password change is one of the most common reasons Outlook begins requesting credentials repeatedly.

The new password may work through the browser while the device continues trying to use an old password stored by Windows, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive or another Office application.

Try:

1. Closing all Microsoft 365 applications.

2. Restarting the device.

3. Signing in with the new password when prompted.

4. Confirming that Teams and OneDrive also reconnect.

5. Asking IT to review saved credentials if the old password continues to be used.

Avoid repeatedly trying different passwords. Multiple unsuccessful attempts can lock the account or make it harder to determine which credentials are correct.

Should I remove saved credentials from Windows?

Windows Credential Manager stores credentials used by applications, websites and network resources. Removing an outdated Microsoft or Outlook credential can sometimes resolve repeated prompts.

However, deleting the wrong entry can sign the user out of other applications or disconnect business resources. On a managed device, it is better to ask IT to identify the relevant entry.

Microsoft explains how saved credentials can be viewed and removed through Windows Credential Manager.

Can repairing the Outlook profile fix the problem?

Yes. A damaged or outdated Outlook profile can cause repeated password prompts, connection errors and mailbox problems.

Microsoft provides a profile-repair option for supported versions of classic Outlook. If repairing the profile does not work, creating a new Outlook profile may be necessary.

A new profile must be configured correctly and may need time to download mailbox information. Shared mailboxes, signatures, archives and additional accounts may also need attention, so business users should involve IT before removing an existing profile.

Can multifactor authentication cause Outlook password prompts?

Multifactor authentication itself should not make Outlook request a password continuously. However, repeated prompts can occur if:

• The authentication process does not complete

• The device is not registered correctly

• A Conditional Access requirement is not met

• Outlook is outdated

• An older application is attempting to use an unsupported sign-in method

• The account requires additional verification

An administrator may need to review the user’s Microsoft Entra sign-in logs to identify the reason authentication is failing.

Is a repeated password prompt a sign that my account has been hacked?

Not necessarily. Cached credentials, application problems and password changes are more common causes.

Nevertheless, contact IT promptly if the password requests are accompanied by:

• Unexpected multifactor authentication notifications

• Sign-ins from unfamiliar locations

• Emails in the Sent folder that you did not send

• New inbox or forwarding rules

• Missing messages

• Password-reset notifications you did not request

• Colleagues receiving unusual messages from your account

These signs may indicate that the account requires a security investigation rather than routine Outlook troubleshooting.

Why does Outlook accept my password and then ask again?

This commonly means Outlook successfully verifies the password but fails to store or reuse the resulting authentication information. Cached credentials, the Outlook profile, account policies or a connection problem may be responsible.

Why does Outlook work online but not on my computer?

If Outlook on the web works, the Microsoft 365 account and mailbox are probably available. The fault is more likely to involve the installed application, the local profile, saved credentials, updates or the device’s security configuration.

Will reinstalling Outlook fix repeated password prompts?

Sometimes, but it should not be the first step. Restarting, updating, testing the web version, checking credentials and repairing the Outlook profile are usually more appropriate initial checks.

When should I contact IT support?

Contact IT when:

• The prompt continues after basic checks

• Several employees are affected

• The account has become locked

• Multifactor authentication is looping

• The device is company-managed

• You suspect the account has been compromised

• Shared mailboxes or multiple accounts are involved

• You are unsure which saved credentials can be removed safely