Sign-in & Login Problems

How to Remove an Old Account That Keeps Appearing in Microsoft Office

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to permanently remove an old or inactive Microsoft account that repeatedly reappears and automatically signs in when opening Office applications.

How to Remove an Old Account That Keeps Appearing in Microsoft Office

Product: Microsoft Office
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Launching or attempting to use Microsoft Office applications on a personal Windows device.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Office applications reopen using an old or inactive account due to cached identity credentials, even after removing account entries from the Windows Credential Manager.

Before you start

Ensure you know the correct email and password for the active Microsoft account you intend to use, and save all your open documents before closing any Office applications.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Office Identity Cache and Windows Account Settings

Manually deleting cached identity files and disconnecting obsolete accounts from Windows Settings is the most effective way to prevent old accounts from reappearing in Office.

Microsoft Office relies on local cache folders to store authentication tokens. When these tokens are not properly cleared, Office bypasses the standard Credential Manager and restores the old account upon startup.

Sign out and close applications

Sign out of every Office account currently logged into your applications, then completely close all Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Clear the OneAuth folder

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneAuth, and press Enter. Delete all files and folders inside this directory.

Clear the IdentityCache folder

Open the Run dialog again (Win + R), type %localappdata%\Microsoft\IdentityCache, and press Enter. Delete the entire contents of this folder.

Remove obsolete Windows accounts

Go to Windows Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. Locate any obsolete, old, or inactive accounts listed there and disconnect them.

Restart and sign in

Restart your computer. Open any Office application and sign in with your active account. When prompted by Windows, select 'No, sign in to this app only' to prevent the account from being added system-wide.

Clear Office Identity Cache and Windows Account Settings

Repeat if necessary: Sometimes you may need to perform the folder deletion process twice if the old accounts reappear after your first system restart.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't clearing the Credential Manager fix the Office login issue?

Microsoft Office uses additional local directories, specifically OneAuth and IdentityCache, to store persistent authentication tokens. If these folders are not manually cleared, Office will continue to restore the old account credentials upon startup regardless of the Credential Manager.

What does the 'No, sign in to this app only' option do?

Selecting this option prevents Windows from applying your login credentials globally across the entire operating system and other apps. It restricts the login strictly to the specific Office application you are using, reducing future caching conflicts.

Will deleting the OneAuth and IdentityCache folders delete my documents?

No. These folders only store temporary authentication tokens for Microsoft accounts. Deleting them simply forces you to log back into your account; your personal files, documents, and settings remain completely safe.

Do I really need to restart my computer after clearing the cache?

Yes. Restarting your computer ensures that all background Microsoft authentication services are completely reset. This prevents active background processes from restoring the deleted cache files from memory.

Login & Account Issues