My wife's outlook keeps asking for sign in I have done everything I know add/delete etc. It is only on our laptop

Question

Yesterday when I open Outlook email ( two accounts, my own and second act my spouse) my email works fine but my spouses gets kicked out and consistently ask for sign in. I sign in then hger's start and in a few seconds she get bounced out. I have added/deleted her emasil a few times cleared cache ect , I ma at wits end. Can anyone help. Thank You

Answer 1

Hello Gary Pegoraro,

Thank you for posting to Microsoft Q&A. I understand how frustrating it is to be stuck in a loop where the password is accepted for a few seconds before kicking her out again, especially after you have already tried removing and re-adding the account.

Since your account works on the same laptop, this suggests the issue is likely a "Credential Conflict" stored deep in Windows. The system might getting confused between the old, saved token for her account and the new one you are trying to enter.

Please try these steps to clear that conflict:

Step 1: Clear Windows Credentials

This helps clear the specific saved password that is causing the conflict without touching your working account.

1. Close Outlook completely.
2. Click the Start button and type: Credential Manager.
3. Open it and select the Windows Credentials tab (not Web Credentials).
4. Scroll down to the Generic Credentials section.
5. Look for entries that start with MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSPI, MicrosoftAccount, or SSO that include your wife's email address.
6. Click the arrow to expand the entry and select Remove.
7. Note: Do not touch the entries associated with your own email.
8. Restart your computer (mandatory to flush the cache).
9. Open Outlook. It should ask for her password one last time. Check the box "Remember my credentials" and sign in.

Step 2: Create a New Outlook Profile

If clearing the credentials does not stop the prompt, the profile database itself may be corrupted. We can create a fresh one to test.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open the Control Panel and search for Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
3. Click Show Profiles.
4. Click Add and name it something new (e.g., Wife_Email).
5. Follow the prompts to add only her email account to this new profile.
6. Once set up, change the setting at the bottom of the window to "Prompt for a profile to be used".
7. Click Apply and OK.
8. Open Outlook and select the new Wife_Email profile when asked.

Result: If her email stays connected in this new profile, the old one was corrupted. You can later add your email to this new profile and delete the old one.

I hope that clearing the credential manager resolves the sign-in loop. Please let me know if the password prompt disappears after the restart.

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Answer 2

It sounds like your wife's Outlook account is experiencing persistent sign-in issues. Here are some steps you can try to resolve the problem:

1. Clear Cached Credentials: Go to Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials. Look for any entries related to Outlook or Microsoft Office and remove them. Restart Outlook and re-enter the credentials.
2. Enable Modern Authentication: If your organization is still using Basic Authentication, switching to Modern Authentication may help resolve the issue.
3. Create a New Outlook Profile: Open Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles. Create a new profile and set it as default. This can help bypass any corrupted profile settings.
4. Check for Office Updates: Ensure that Outlook is updated to the latest version, as updates can fix bugs and improve performance.
5. Remove and Re-add the Account: Sometimes, completely removing the account and adding it back can resolve issues.
6. Use Outlook Web Access (OWA): If the issue persists, consider using Outlook on the web as a temporary workaround until the issue is resolved.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be beneficial to check for any network or domain-related restrictions that could be affecting the sign-in process.