my Mac book pro

Question

my desktop is outdated and I only want to use my Microsoft account on my Mac book pro laptop now

it was working but for some reason it stopped.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your question. I understand how frustrating it is when you only want to use your Microsoft account on your MacBook Pro because your desktop is outdated, and it suddenly stops working after working fine before.

This usually happens when the Microsoft account sign‑in token expires, when macOS Keychain entries become corrupted, or when your device loses sync with Microsoft account security settings, which can prevent apps like Outlook, OneDrive, or Office from signing you in properly.

The best resolution is to sign out of the Microsoft account on your Mac, remove any old Microsoft credentials from the macOS Keychain, restart the device, and then sign back in using the correct account, because this forces macOS and Microsoft services to generate a fresh authentication session. It can also help to update your Office apps or reinstall the Microsoft 365 suite if the issue affects multiple Microsoft services at once.

May I ask whether the sign‑in failure happens in Outlook, OneDrive, Word, or when signing into your Microsoft account in the browser? Please feel free to share any message or behavior you see, and I’ll be happy to guide you through the next steps.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best Regards,

Noel

Answer 2

Follow these steps to get access working again on the MacBook Pro using the Microsoft account:

1. Confirm the Microsoft account still works
   • In a browser on the MacBook Pro, go to the Microsoft account sign-in page and sign in.
   • If the username or password no longer works, use the account recovery flow:
     • Go to Recover your account: https://account.live.com/password/reset (from the article).
     • Enter the email, phone, or Skype name used to sign in.
     • Choose where to receive the security code, enter the code, and set a new password.
   • If the username is not recognized or you see messages like “We couldn't find an account with that username,” follow the guidance in My username and password have stopped working and, if needed, contact support from that page.
2. If sign-in works in the browser but not in apps
   • Use the Sign-in Helper tool if the password is known but “stopped working.”
   • If the username is not recognized anymore, follow the steps under My username has stopped working.
3. If access was lost due to inactivity
   • If the account has not been used for more than two years, it may have been deleted and cannot be reopened. In that case, a new Microsoft account is required.
4. After confirming the account works
   • Sign in to the Microsoft account again in each Office or Microsoft 365 app on the MacBook Pro (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) using the working username and password.

For any persistent sign-in issues, use the account recovery and sign-in troubleshooting flows referenced below.

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References:

• My username and password have stopped working
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account