Microsoft account cannot authenticate in Windows apps despite working in browser — Store/Xbox/OneDrive/Minecraft errors

Question

Hello,

I need help with a Microsoft account authentication issue on Windows.

I can sign in to my Microsoft account successfully in the browser, but I cannot sign in with the same account in Microsoft Store, Xbox app, OneDrive app, or Xbox Live/Minecraft on Windows.

This is the Microsoft account that owns my Minecraft purchase, so I cannot access the game.

Main errors:

• Xbox app original error: 0x80048820 after entering the email verification code.

Microsoft Store error: “Detetámos um erro. Tente iniciar sessão novamente mais tarde.”

OneDrive/Windows account login error: 0x800704cf, saying I need internet, even though the internet works.

Browser login once showed: “server_error: The contextID supplied in the request did not have a matching cookie.”

Minecraft/Xbox Live error: 0x8000000D.

Windows Settings > Accounts shows “É necessário validar a sua identidade”, but validation fails with: “Existe um problema com o servidor; de momento, não é possível iniciar sessão.”

Important details:

The account works in the browser with the current password.

I created a second Windows user profile and Microsoft Store can sign in there with another account, so the Store app itself and the PC internet connection work.

In my main Windows profile, the same Microsoft account keeps appearing duplicated under Settings > Accounts > Your accounts. If I remove the duplicate, it comes back after trying to sign in again.

Already tried:

Reset Xbox app.

Reset/reinstall Microsoft Store.

wsreset.exe.

Deleted Xbox/Xbl credentials from Credential Manager.

Deleted MicrosoftAccount credential from Credential Manager.

Changed the Microsoft account password.

Checked services: wlidsvc, TokenBroker, VaultSvc, InstallService and ClipSVC are all running.

Reset proxy/network settings.

Cleared browser cookies/cache for Microsoft login.

Tested OneDrive in browser successfully.

Tried validating identity in Windows Settings, but it fails.

Tried Xbox Identity Provider / Gaming Services updates and repair.

Please do not redirect me only to password reset, because the password works in the browser. The issue is that this Microsoft account cannot authenticate properly inside Windows apps/Microsoft Store/Xbox Live on my Windows profile.

Answer 1

Hi David Afonso,

I understand how frustrating this must be, especially since you've already done most of the common troubleshooting. Based on the symptoms you've described, this points more toward a damaged Windows account authentication component or corruption within the affected user profile. Here's a few other things I can think of: 

1 - Check date, time, time zone, and synchronization 

Authentication errors such as 0x80048820 can occur when Windows authentication components detect time mismatches. 

• Go to Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time > Enable: 
  • Set time automatically
  • Set time zone automatically
• Click Sync now > restart Windows and check again. 
• If the issue persists, press Win + S > find Clock app > App settings: 
  • Scroll to the bottom, click Terminate > then Repair 
  • If the issue persists, go back and click Reset. 
• Avoid Uninstall for now since you cannot sign into the Store at the moment and might not be able to reinstall Windows Clock. But if you still want to try: 
  • Click Uninstall and wait for app to be removed > restart PC.
  • Visit apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfj3pr > click Download
  • Double-click the downloaded .exe to reinstall the Windows Clock app.

2 - Reinstallation repair (keeping files and apps)

• Use built-in repair option 
  • Open Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update
  • Click Reinstall now > follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall Windows. 
• If that fails, perform an in-place upgrade: 
  • Refer to Reinstall Windows with the installation media - Microsoft Support 
  • Navigate to the bottom of the page and expand In-place Upgrade > follow the instructions. 
  • You can also check out the instructions from one of the Moderators here: How to run In-place upgrade in Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A 

Disclaimer: Both Windows reinstallation and in-place upgrade will refresh your Windows files and operating system without removing files or applications. That being said, we always recommend that if you have important data, you should back it up first before making large system changes.

Since you tested with another Windows profile and it worked, I think it's more likely that something on your original profile was corrupted, hence the suggestions above. Just to make sure we are on the same page, you used the same account to test on the other profile, right?

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