I am able to log in to Office 365 on the web but unable to log in to account on new Word document, how to fix?

Question

I have tried all of the fixes from Gemini but still cannot log into my account using a new doc in Word. Am able to log in just fine on the web but not in the docs. I am prevented from using Word at all.

Answer 1

Yes, you can.

Are you able to see your Microsoft 365 subscription under the Services & subscriptions page here: https://account.microsoft.com/services (make sure you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account you used to activate Office)?

If you can see it there, please follow these steps below.

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Before installing, it’s a good idea to uninstall all existing versions of Office to avoid conflicts.

Here’s how:

• Open the Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
• Look for any version of Microsoft Office or Office apps, right-click, then choose Uninstall. Please uninstall all Office apps.
• Once that’s done, restart your computer just to be safe.

Then, to reinstall Microsoft Office:

• Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services again.
• Sign in using the same Microsoft account linked to your license.
• Find your Microsoft 365 subscription and click the "Install".
• That will download the installer for the Office apps, just run it and follow the steps.

If anything’s unclear or the "Install" option still doesn’t show, feel free to let me know. I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

Answer 2

Thank you for letting me know.

You already went through most of the common fixes.

That error code usually points more to the Office app authentication/token side rather than the Microsoft account itself, especially since web sign-in works.

Please try this next:

• Close all Office apps.
• Press Windows + R.
• Copy and paste this:

%localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0

Rename the folders:

• Identity
• Licensing
• OfficeFileCache

Just add ".old" at the end of each folder name.

Restart the PC.

Open Word and try signing in again.

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Also, when Word opens, does it show "Unlicensed Product" at the top, or does it fail before that?

Answer 3

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

To help narrow down the issue persists:

1. What exact error message do you get when trying to sign in inside Word?
2. Are you using a personal Microsoft account or a work/school account?
3. What troubleshooting steps have you already taken? This will help me avoid recommending them again.

If possible please provide a screenshot of what you're seeing on your screen.

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

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Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Answer 4

Follow these steps on the Windows device where Word cannot sign in, in this order:

1. Check that Windows sign-in components are healthy
   • Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   • Locate Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant.
     • Right-click it and select Restart.
   • Locate Microsoft Cloud Identity Service.
     • Right-click it and select Restart.
   • Close Services, then open Word and try to sign in again.
2. Repair the WAM plug-ins (Word uses these for sign-in)
   • Close all Office apps.
   • Open PowerShell as the affected user (not as admin).
   • Run these commands one by one:

          Add-AppxPackage -Register "$env:windir\SystemApps\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown
          Add-AppxPackage -Register "$env:windir\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown
     

   • Restart the PC and try signing in again from Word.
3. Clear corrupted local identity cache (only affects local sign-in state, not the account itself)
   • Close all Office apps.
   • In File Explorer, go to:
     • C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\
   • Delete the folders:
     • identitycache
     • oneauth
   • Restart the PC and try to sign in again in Word.
4. Check security software and firewall Security software can block the components Word uses to sign in.
   • Ensure antivirus/firewall is not blocking:
     • C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin.exe
     • C:\Windows\System32\backgroundTaskHost.exe
   • Ensure the network allows access to https://login.microsoftonline.com.
5. If security software is suspected to be the cause On the affected device:
   • Temporarily uninstall third‑party security software and any standalone or obsolete WFP (Windows Filtering Platform) drivers.
   • Sign in as the affected user and confirm Word can sign in.
   • Reinstall the security software and configure exclusions for:
     • Package family names:
       • Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
       • Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
     • Folders:
       • %windir%\SystemApps\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
       • %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
       • %windir%\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
       • %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
       • %localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker
       • %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneAuth
       • %localappdata%\Microsoft\IdentityCache
     • Processes:
       • %windir%\SystemApps\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin.exe
       • %windir%\System32\backgroundTaskHost.exe for:
         • Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
         • Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
       • %windir%\System32\svchost.exe loading NT service TokenBroker.
6. If the error shown is “Something went wrong [1001]”
   • This is commonly caused by security software impacting the WAM plug-in.
   • Reboot the device and re-run the WAM repair commands in step 2.
   • If using any profile roaming or VDI solution, ensure it does not roam anything under %localappdata% for:
     • \Packages\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
     • \Packages\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy
     • \Packages\<any app package>\AC\TokenBroker
     • \Microsoft\TokenBroker
   • Also ensure the registry keys under:
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\IdentityCRL
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AAD
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WorkplaceJoin are not roamed or copied between devices.
7. If none of the above resolves it
   • Use Office on the web (Word on www.microsoft365.com) as a temporary workaround.
   • Then contact Microsoft Support and reference that the issue is with WAM/AAD.BrokerPlugin sign-in for Office desktop apps.

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References:

• Can't sign in to Microsoft 365 desktop applications
• Error “Something Went Wrong [1001]” signing in to Microsoft 365 Desktop Applications
• Connection issues when signing in after updating to Office 2016 build 16.0.7967 on Windows 10
• Sign in to Microsoft 365
• How to fix the issue with MS Office asking you to log in every time you open an Office app - Microsoft Q&A
• Cannot sign in to Office apps - error 0x800704cf - Windows authentication broken - Microsoft Q&A
• MS365 products not signing in as even when internet connection is available - Microsoft Q&A