How to reset Outlook to remove an account

Question

In migrating my Xfinity email accounts to Yahoo mail, I foolishly tried Outlook rather than using Yahoo's web mail platform. I set up an account in Outlook using my Xfinity password. Then I successfully migrated that account to Yahoo, where it suggested I change my password, and I did. Now Outlook recognizes neither password, and I cannot get past the sign-in screen, so I can't get to any Outlook menus to remove the account.

Is there a way to reset Outlook to remove the account and the conflicting passwords? I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook, but that changed nothing, the first screen that appears is the sign-in screen and I can't get past it.

Answer 1

Sorry I wasn't able to help, but did you try Hornblower409's advice?

Answer 2

@Judy Johnson said

Now Outlook recognizes neither password, and I cannot get past the sign-in screen,

1 -- You need to completely reset your New Outlook for Windows profile to remove all traces of the old accounts.

See the answer by "Hornblower409 Dec 11, 2025" in
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5655980/outlook-starting-error-repair-reinstall-reset-does

migrating my Xfinity email accounts to Yahoo mail

2 -- When adding the migrated account you need to follow these instructions:

New Outlook - Adding a Comcast account that has been migrated to Yahoo
See the Answer by "Hornblower409 Apr 23, 2026" in
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5868248/email-sync-error-on-new-comcast-email-account

Answer 3

You may be using your Comcast/Yahoo address as a username for a Microsoft account, but if you use that address to log into Outlook.com, you won't be able to see your Comcast/Yahoo mailbox there. You need an address ending in @outlook.com (or some other Microsoft domain) in order to use an Outlook online mailbox.

Is the image you have included Outlook online or the new Outlook desktop app? Do you use your @comcast.net address to log into Windows? I don't see if you said whether or not you have multifactor authentication or passkeys enabled for the Comcast/Yahoo account. Have you tried creating an app password? See this: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/create-party-passwords-sln15241.html

Answer 4

I can access my account with Yahoo web mail, so I'm not missing my emails, I just thought Outlook would be more useful and allow me to switch between accounts.

I have tried using the online Outlook web mail, but it does not show my mail, or any of my folders, even though it says I am logged in with the correct account. My folders had been populated in the desktop Outlook app from Xfinity web mail. Somewhere on the Outlook web mail I found where I could forget my email, so I tried that but when I launch the Outlook app it pops back up. I often can see a glimpse of my folders when I launch the Outlook app, but that disappears when the login screen pops up. I have tried a simple uninstall of Outlook, but it still loads with the account after I reinstall it.
Attached are two screenshots showing what I see. I have tried other accounts, I have tried making a new account. Nothing gets me past the login.

Answer 5

Hi. I'm Brian and I'll try to help.

Can you access your Yahoo mailbox using a web browser? If so, can you see your messages? Do you have multifactor authentication enabled for your mailbox or passkeys? When you say "Outlook recognizes neither password," at what point does that happen? For example, is this when you are trying to add the account to Outlook? Are you allowing Outlook to configure the account automatically or are you trying to configure it manually? Supply as many details of what you're doing and what happens when you do it as possible.