Microsoft Exchange wants me to sign in but I don't have an exchange account. How can I clear this message or turn off whatever is creating this error?

Question

Please, please help me! I keep getting a message on my computer that says, "exchange password required" and then it says "enter your password for jhayon" in internet accounts MacOS. I have entered the password, changed and updated the password, etc. I don't think I have exchange turned on but the system thinks I do. Please make this stop!

Answer 1

Hi @Julie Hayon

Thank you for posting your question in the Q&A Forum.

I understand how frustrating this repeated “Exchange password required” prompt can be, especially when you don’t actually use an Exchange account.

Since you’re on macOS, this usually happens when a leftover Exchange account or cached credentials are still saved on the system. You can try the following to clear it:

1. Remove any Exchange account from Internet Accounts

• Go to System Settings > Internet Accounts.
• Look for any account labeled "Exchange" or associated with your email "jhayon".
• Select it and click the Minus (-) button or Delete Account to remove it entirely.

2. Clear cached Exchange credentials

• Open Keychain Access (Applications > Utilities).
• In the search bar at the top right, type "Exchange" and also type "jhayon".
• Right-click and Delete any entries that appear for these searches.

If you’re using a Microsoft-based email address (such as Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Live.com), macOS can sometimes auto-configure it as an Exchange account. Removing Exchange as described above usually stops the repeated sign-in prompts.

Please give these steps a try and let us know if the message stops appearing.

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Answer 2

If you are receiving prompts for an Exchange account that you do not have, it may be due to incorrect account settings in your email client. Here are some steps you can follow to resolve this issue:

1. Check Account Settings: Go to the Control Panel and open the Mail settings. Verify if there are any Exchange accounts configured. If you find one that you do not use, consider removing it.
2. Change Logon Network Security: If you have an older version of Outlook, you may need to change the Logon network security setting. Set it to Anonymous Authentication. To do this:
   • Exit Outlook.
   • Open Control Panel and locate Mail.
   • Click Show Profiles, select your Outlook profile, and then click Properties.
   • Click E-mail Accounts, select your email account, and then click Change.
   • In the Change Account dialog box, click More Settings.
   • On the Security tab, set Logon network security to Anonymous Authentication.
   • Click OK to save changes.
3. Remove Unused Profiles: If you have multiple profiles, consider removing any that are not in use.
4. Run Diagnostics: If the issue persists, you can run a self-diagnostics tool to help identify the problem. Look for an option like Diag: Outlook keeps asking for my password to launch the diagnostic.

By following these steps, you should be able to stop the prompts for the Exchange password that you are experiencing.