Has anyone had an issue with all applications of 365 suddenly failing to work without logging in?

Question

Has anyone had an issue with all applications of 365 suddenly failing to work without logging in?

James Gaillard 0

Long time user of most of the 365 applications, heavy user of Excel and Word. On a project now where both worked fine last night but cannot access any of the applications this morning, I get no errors but once the application loads it is overlaid with this message, "Sign in to get started with Word" or whichever application I try to open, seems like it is back to the fist day of using 365 after buying it. Anyway, I am unable to sign in at this point; says there is no record of the email account I entered, however, I can sign in to 365 directly and verify my account contains this email. I ran the Quick repair and the Online repair for 365; neither corrected the issue. Any help will be appreciated.

4 answers

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Answer 1

Hi @James Gaillard

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum and for taking the time to share such a detailed description of your issue.

I completely understand how disruptive it can be when things stop working unexpectedly, especially in the middle of an important project.

If it’s convenient, would you mind checking your OneDrive in the browser to see whether your Word and Excel files are still visible?

Additionally, are you able to sign in and use Word and Excel through the web application? That would help us see if the issue is specific to the desktop apps.

If you're an end user, it might also be helpful to reach out to your organization's administrator or IT team to ensure that your license is still active and properly assigned to your account.

Let me know how things go when you’ve had a chance to check. I’m here if you need anything else.

Answer 2

James Gaillard 0

No problem with OneDrive, and I am able to sign in and use Word and Excel through the web application.

Dora-T 1,890 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-04T09:43:33.4033333+00:00

Hi @James Gaillard

Thank you for confirming that you're able to access OneDrive and use Word and Excel through the web.

Since the issue only affects the desktop apps, here are a couple of things you might want to try next:

1.Clear cached credentials

Sometimes Office stores old sign-in data that blocks new logins. To clear it:

-Close all Office apps.

-Open Credential Manager (you can find it via Start menu).

-Go to Windows Credentials and remove any entries that start with “MicrosoftOffice” or “Office.”

-Restart your device and then try signing in again from Word or Excel.

2.Remove and re-add your Microsoft account

-From Windows Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.

-This will refresh your credentials and sync settings.

3.Update your Office to the latest version.

-Open any office application

-Click File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.

4.Confirm your license is assigned

Even though you can sign in online, your desktop apps still rely on the license being linked to your Microsoft 365 account. If you’re part of an organization, it’s worth asking your IT admin to double-check that your license is active and hasn’t been revoked or reassigned.

Let me know how it goes after trying these steps. I'm happy to help if the issue continues.

Answer 3

James Gaillard 0

It looks like the applications are looking for the login data or product key I used a long time ago when I first purchased 365. Some time back, however, I had to change my login data for a security issue and have no idea what the old data or key was. Had MS informed me at the time that the old data would be used forever I would have save it.

I've tried reloading 365 and get the same results, and I also worked with a MS agent on my 365 account and she assured me she would send me a file that would be all I needed to reinstall 365 and no product key would be needed, The file appeared to be the same as the one I had already used but I reinstalled again hoping this time it would use my current logon data, unfortunately it did not and I had the same issue. At this point I gave up; uninstalled 365 even though I had paid for about 6-months more, and I am now using the web applications. By the way, I do not like the web applications but I have no choice because I have a large number of Word and Excel files I work with on a daily basis.

Anyway, thanks for your help....

Dora-T 1,890 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-07T09:18:37.19+00:00
Hi @James Gaillard

Thank you so much for your continued patience and for sharing such detailed updates throughout this issue. I'm really sorry to hear that the problem is still persisting despite your efforts and the support you've already received. I understand how disruptive and frustrating this must be, especially when you're working with Word and Excel daily.

As a moderator, I’m here to help guide discussions and share insights based on public documentation and community knowledge. I don’t have access to internal tools or account-level diagnostics, so I’m limited in how deeply I can assist with individual cases.

For that reason, if you haven’t already, I recommend raising a support ticket directly with Microsoft Support so they can assist you more effectively.

For business accounts: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn.

For personal accounts: Contact Us - Microsoft Support.

If you’ve already done that, please kindly wait for their follow-up, sometimes these cases require additional time or coordination across teams. I understand how frustrating delays can be, and I truly appreciate your patience.

If you have any updates or further questions, feel free to post them. I'm here to help.
James Gaillard 0 Reputation points

2025-07-07T14:14:16.7666667+00:00

I had renewed my subscription for the next year already and when I contacted MS to ask for a refund the rep asked if he could try to correct the issue first; I gave him control of my system. He worked so fast I could not follow all he was doing, however, after almost an hour he reported he could not find the cause of the issue and had to turn it over to the next level of support. At this point I just asked for the refund, received it, and I'm now using the online 365. By the way I do not like the online version but with all the Word and Excel files I work with it keeps me going.

Thanks for all the support from everyone.

Answer 4

Clive Holt 5

Try - Settings | Accounts | email and accounts and disconnect your account - then either add work or school account or open word and sign back in with your MS details. (Presuming its a work or school account - the procedure should be similar for a personal MS Account)

Your Office key should be linked to your MS email/login.

(Just guessing at the moment but there seems to be some odd link between Office Products and the TPM)

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Has anyone had an issue with all applications of 365 suddenly failing to work without logging in?

4 answers

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