email link goes to Outlook but wont let me sign in

Hello Richard Larsen,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum! From your description, I understand that when you click on an email link, it opens Outlook.com in your browser instead of the Classic Outlook app, and you’re also unable to sign in to your Microsoft account from there. Please try the following steps:

Issue 1: Set Classic Outlook as your default email client

• On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps.
• Under “Set defaults for applications,” search for Outlook.
• If both Outlook and Outlook (new) appear, choose Outlook (classic).
• Scroll down to MAILTO and make sure Outlook (classic) is set as the default application.
• Close Settings and test an email link. It should now open Classic Outlook instead of the web version. You can see Change Default Apps in Windows - Microsoft Support

Issue 2: Fix the Outlook.com sign-in problem

Check your browser:

• Close Outlook.com, then clear your browser cache and cookies for Microsoft domains (login.live.com, outlook.com).
• Try signing in using an InPrivate/Incognito window first.
• Ensure your browser is up to date.

Verify your credentials:

• Sign in at the official Microsoft account sign-in page: https://account.live.com
• If you can sign in there but not on Outlook.com, the issue is likely browser-related.
• If sign-in still fails, follow the standard password reset process at https://account.live.com/password/reset

For more details, you can also check this official guide: I can't sign in to my Microsoft account - Microsoft Support

Thank you for your cooperation and please feel free to let me know if these steps resolve the issue or if you need further assistance. I'm happy to help!

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