Sign-in & Login Problems

Fix Microsoft 365 Keeps Asking to Pick an Account in Excel

Jason Miller Oct 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

Microsoft 365 continuously prompts the user to select an account, disrupting automated Excel tasks like Jet Reports.

Fix Microsoft 365 Keeps Asking to Pick an Account in Excel

Product: Microsoft 365, Excel
Device & OS: Windows (Azure Virtual Machine)
Scenario: Running scheduled Excel reports using Jet Reports on a virtual machine.
Observed behavior: Scheduled reports fail to run because the Microsoft 365 sign-in prompt repeatedly interrupts the process, even after reinstalling Office, clearing credentials, and creating new virtual machines.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrator access to your Windows environment and the Microsoft 365 admin center before troubleshooting advanced authentication and virtual machine issues.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Windows Credentials and Reconnect the Account

Removing stale or corrupted login tokens from Windows can often resolve continuous account selection prompts in Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 relies on the Windows Credential Manager to store authentication tokens. If these tokens become corrupted or duplicated across different sessions (especially on virtual machines), Office will fail to authenticate silently and will repeatedly ask you to pick an account.

Close all Office applications

Ensure Excel, Word, and any automated reporting tools like Jet Reports are completely closed.

Open Credential Manager

Click the Windows Start button, type 'Credential Manager', and open the application.

Clear Office credentials

Select 'Windows Credentials'. Scroll down to the 'Generic Credentials' section and remove every entry that starts with 'MicrosoftOffice16'.

Disconnect the work account

Go to Windows Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. Select your Microsoft 365 account and click 'Disconnect'.

Re-authenticate

Restart your virtual machine, open Excel, and sign in again. Be sure to check 'Allow my organization to manage my device' if prompted to keep the session active.

Clear Windows Credentials and Reconnect the Account

Credential Reset: Clearing credentials forces Office to fetch a fresh, uncorrupted authentication token from Microsoft 365.

Solution 2

Configure Office to Stay Signed In

Verify that your account settings allow continuous sessions without requiring interactive prompts.

Solution 3

Investigate Conditional Access Policies and Add-in Compatibility

Since automated tools often struggle with modern authentication (MFA), special configuration or support intervention may be required.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Seamless Spreadsheet Experience

If Microsoft 365 authentication loops and cloud-sync requirements are disrupting your workflow, consider WPS Office. It provides a robust, locally reliable spreadsheet application without the heavy enterprise sign-in requirements.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package.
2. Install the software: Run the lightweight installer to quickly set up WPS Office on your Windows PC or virtual machine.
3. Open your spreadsheets: Open your existing Excel reports directly in WPS Spreadsheets without worrying about constant sign-in prompts.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) formatsLightweight desktop application with no forced cloud sign-in loopsFamiliar user interface for immediate productivityFree to use for essential spreadsheet, document, and presentation tasks

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft 365 keep asking for my password or to pick an account?

This usually happens due to corrupted authentication tokens in the Windows Credential Manager, conflicting Microsoft accounts on the same device, or strict Azure AD Conditional Access policies forcing a session refresh.

How do I stop Office 365 from asking for credentials on a Virtual Machine?

Ensure the virtual machine is properly joined to Azure AD (if required by your organization) and that user profiles persist across sessions. You may also need your IT admin to configure IP-based exemptions in Conditional Access for the VM's static IP.

Can multi-factor authentication (MFA) break automated Excel reports?

Yes. Automated tasks like scheduled Jet Reports run in the background and cannot interact with MFA prompts. If a token expires and requires MFA to renew, the automated task will fail and trigger an account selection loop.

Login & Account Issues