Outlook Login Problems

How to Fix Outlook Repeatedly Asking for a Password on Windows

Emma Brown Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where Microsoft Outlook continually prompts for a password despite entering the correct credentials.

How to Fix Outlook Repeatedly Asking for a Password on Windows

Product: Microsoft Outlook
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Accessing emails after a password change or when dealing with corrupted Microsoft 365 identity tokens.
Observed behavior: Outlook repeatedly rejects the correct password and continuously prompts the user to enter it again.

Before you start

Before proceeding, confirm that your password is correct by successfully signing into your Microsoft account online, and ensure that you completely close Outlook and all other Office applications.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear the Microsoft Identity Cache and OneAuth Folders

Use this solution to remove outdated or corrupted credential caches, forcing Outlook to request a fresh and valid login token.

When you change your password, the local cache used by Microsoft 365 applications may fail to update properly. Deleting these cached files is a safe and effective way to clear the outdated identity tokens without affecting your actual emails or account settings.

Open the Run dialog

Press the Windows Key + R simultaneously on your keyboard to open the Run window.

Navigate to the OneAuth folder

Type '%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneAuth' in the Run dialog and press Enter. Select all files inside this folder and delete them.

Navigate to the IdentityCache folder

Press the Windows Key + R again, type '%localappdata%\Microsoft\IdentityCache', and press Enter. Select and delete all files in this folder as well.

Restart Outlook

Open Microsoft Outlook. You will be prompted to sign in again; enter your updated credentials to resolve the issue.

Clear the Microsoft Identity Cache and OneAuth Folders

Solution 2

Remove the Office Identity Key from the Registry

Use this advanced method if clearing the local app data folders does not stop the repeated password prompts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Outlook asking for my password after I just changed it?

When you change your email password, Outlook's locally cached credentials may become outdated or corrupted. The application attempts to use the old, stored identity tokens instead of requesting a new verification, leading to continuous password prompts.

Will deleting the IdentityCache folder erase my emails?

No, deleting the contents of the OneAuth and IdentityCache folders only removes temporary sign-in tokens. Your emails, contacts, and account settings are safely stored on the mail server and will sync automatically once you sign back in.

What should I do if the registry fix doesn't work?

If modifying the registry doesn't stop the password prompts, you can try creating a completely new Outlook profile via the Mail applet in the Windows Control Panel, or run the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant tool to diagnose deeper account issues.

Outlook & Email Problems