Password issue

Question

Password issue

PD 10

Every time I try to sign in to my Outlook.Live/Hotmail email account with my password, I get hit with a message saying I've entered an incorrect password too many times. I've only entered the password once and it was absolutely correct. I've changed the password twice, and this is still happening. The only way for me to get in is via an annoying procedure where I have to sign into my Gmail account to retrieve a code. How can I regain my password access?

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Answer 1

PD 10

Hi, John,

Thank you for responding. I'm using the same PC each time. This issue only started occuring recently. The wording in red print states, each time, that I've entered an 'incorrect' password too many times when I've only tried once and taken extreme care to ensure the password is correct. The last time I tried was about 15 hours after the previous attempt. I could only get in via the 'code' method.

Peter

John Jefferson Doyon 73,395 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-25T20:18:24.7333333+00:00

May I know where exactly you're trying to sign? Also, were you able to successfully sign in online?
PD 10 Reputation points

2026-03-25T20:32:32.44+00:00

I'm only trying to sign into my Outlook/Hotmail email account from my home PC. I don't own a cellphone or a laptop. Outlook/Hotmail is online only. I don't have an offline email. I can get into the account, but I have to log into my Gmail account to retrieve a code, which is always a drag.
John Jefferson Doyon 73,395 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-25T20:37:07.8633333+00:00

Are you getting the error message specifically from the Windows Hello sign-in screen?

This will help narrow down the issue.
PD 10 Reputation points

2026-03-25T20:41:41.62+00:00

Yes, I am. First, it asks for the email address, which takes me through to the next phase. The first option offered is the code sent to another email address. Below is an option to sign in with another method. By clicking on that, it takes me through to the password option. I enter the password, and get the 'incorrect password too many times' message.
John Jefferson Doyon 73,395 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-25T20:46:53.7233333+00:00

Thank you for letting me know.

Could you describe your setup? Are you using a laptop or a PC setup with an external keyboard?

I asked because it is possible that someone or something (like cats or any pets) is accidentally pressing the keys, causing the 'too many attempts' error.
PD 10 Reputation points

2026-03-25T20:54:53.35+00:00

It's a PC with an external keyboard. No cats have been around when the password box is open.
John Jefferson Doyon 73,395 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-25T21:04:34.8366667+00:00

Thank you for letting me know.

Are there other people in your home who might be trying to sign in?

Also, just a test: please leave it without the keyboard attached.

What I do personally is completely shut down the PC and not leave it in hibernate or sleep mode. This helps prevent not only sign-in attempts but also some driver failures, such as those from the keyboard.
PD 10 Reputation points

2026-03-25T21:15:03.58+00:00

There's nobody else in the house. I'll try the complete shutdown method. Thank you for all your help.
John Jefferson Doyon 73,395 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-25T21:17:26.3866667+00:00

Thanks. Please monitor the issue if it persists when the PC is shut down.

Answer 2

Hi, I'm John!

The "Too Many Requests” error usually happens if there have been multiple login attempts in a short period of time, and Microsoft temporarily blocks further attempts to protect the account.

Could you let me know when you last tried signing in after the reset?

The only option for now is to wait for the full 24 to 48 hours for the lockout to clear completely.

Try not to attempt signing in during this time, as doing so will reset the waiting period back to zero. Once the time has fully passed, you should be able to sign in again without needing to reset your password.

Also, are you trying to sign in from a new device or location? Sometimes that can also trigger extra security checks.

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.

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Password issue

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