constant error "Continuous Password Prompt Glitch" when I try to sign in

Hello @stanley Irish,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A. I understand how incredibly frustrating it is to be stuck in a continuous password loop with Outlook. It prevents you from accessing your emails and disrupts your workflow. Please rest assured that this is a known issue, and we have a number of troubleshooting steps that have successfully resolved this for many users.

The password prompt appearing repeatedly, even after entering the correct password, often indicates a problem with cached credentials or a corrupted Outlook profile. Let's work through these solutions to get you back up and running.

Solution 1: Clear Cached Passwords from Credential Manager (Most Common Fix)

This is the most frequent cause of the looping prompt. Your computer stores your Outlook password securely, but if that stored data becomes corrupted, Outlook will repeatedly fail to authenticate, no matter what you type.

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Open the Control Panel. You can do this by searching for "Control Panel" in the Windows Start menu.
3. In the Control Panel, change the "View by" option to Large icons or Small icons for easier navigation.
4. Click on Credential Manager.
5. Select Windows Credentials.
6. Under the "Generic Credentials" section, look for any entries that mention "Outlook," "Microsoft Office," or your email address. They will often have a format like MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSPI:******@address.com.
7. Click on each relevant entry to expand it, and then click Remove. Confirm the removal when prompted.
8. Restart your computer.
9. Open Outlook. You will be prompted to enter your password again. Be sure to check the box for "Remember my credentials" or "Remember password" to prevent this from happening again.

Solution 2: Disable the "Always Prompt for Logon" Setting

Sometimes, a profile setting can get toggled, causing Outlook to forget your credentials every time it starts.

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings....
2. Select your email account from the list and click Change....
3. Click on More Settings....
4. Navigate to the Security tab.
5. Ensure that the box for "Always prompt for logon credentials" is unchecked.
6. Click OK, then Next, and finally Finish to save the changes.
7. Restart Outlook and test if the issue is resolved.

Solution 3: Repair or Create a New Outlook Profile

A corrupted Outlook profile can cause a variety of authentication issues. Creating a new, clean profile is a great way to isolate if the issue lies with your profile data.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open the Control Panel and search for Mail. (It may be labeled "Mail (Microsoft Outlook)").
3. In the Mail Setup dialog box, click on Show Profiles....
4. Click Add... and give your new profile a name (e.g., "New Outlook Profile").
5. Follow the prompts to add your email account to this new profile.
6. Once the account is set up, go back to the "Mail" window and set the new profile as the default by selecting "Always use this profile" and choosing the new profile from the dropdown list.
7. Click OK and start Outlook. See if you can log in without the looping prompt.

Advanced Troubleshooting (If the Above Solutions Don't Work)

• Run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA): This free tool is designed to automatically diagnose and fix common Outlook and Office issues. It can often find and fix problems that manual steps may miss. You can download it from the official Microsoft website.
• Temporarily Disable Your Antivirus/Firewall: In rare cases, security software can interfere with Outlook's connection. Temporarily disabling it can help you determine if it's the source of the problem. If it is, you'll need to create an exception for Outlook in your security software.
• Check for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If your email provider uses 2FA, you may need to generate an "app password" for use with Outlook instead of your regular password.

Please try these steps, and let me know if any of them help. Providing details on your email provider (e.g., Office 365, Gmail, etc.) can also help us provide more targeted assistance if needed.

Warm regards   

Chloe L. | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

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