Sign-in & Login Problems

How to Stop OneNote Sign-In Prompts for an Old School Account

Camila Milosovich Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is continuously prompted to sign in to an old school account while using OneNote and wants to permanently stop these notifications.

How to Stop OneNote Sign-In Prompts for an Old School Account

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Attempting to use Office applications normally after finishing school or changing organizations, but the system keeps prompting for obsolete credentials.
Observed behavior: Windows automatically recreates deleted credentials via AutoDiscover, resulting in persistent and uncloseable sign-in loops for the old account in OneNote.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrator access to your Windows PC and make a backup of your important notebooks before modifying system configurations or registry keys.

Solution 1Recommended

Disconnect the Old Account and Clear Credentials

Use this method to manually remove the old school email configuration from the Windows Control Panel and Office account settings.

Often, Office applications hold onto old connected services. Severing these ties stops the apps from pinging the old school servers.

Open Control Panel Mail Settings

Open the Windows Control Panel, search for 'Mail' in the top-right search bar, and click on 'Mail (Microsoft Outlook)'. Then, select 'Email Accounts'.

Remove the School Email

Under the Email tab, locate your old school account, click on it, and select 'Remove' to delete the configuration.

Disconnect from Office

Open Word or OneNote, go to 'File' > 'Account', look under 'Connected Services', and click 'Remove' next to any services tied to the old school account.

Disconnect the Old Account and Clear Credentials

Windows Settings Check: You may also need to go to Windows Settings > Accounts > Access work or school, click on the old school account, and select 'Disconnect'.

Solution 2

Remove AutoDiscover Keys in Registry Editor

If credentials keep recreating themselves, an outdated AutoDiscover registry key might be the culprit.

Solution 3

Create a New Windows User Profile

Use this if the current Windows user profile is corrupted and continuously forces the old credentials to regenerate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote keep asking for my old school account?

This usually happens when your old school account is still saved in the Windows Credential Manager, listed under 'Access work or school' in Windows Settings, or deeply cached in Office's Connected Services and AutoDiscover registry entries.

How do I safely back up my OneNote files before deleting the profile?

Open OneNote, go to File > Export, and choose to export your notebooks as a OneNote Package (*.onepkg) to a local drive. You can then open this exported package with your personal Microsoft account.

Does creating a new Windows profile delete my existing files?

No, creating a new profile simply gives you a fresh workspace. Your old files remain completely safe in the C:\Users\[OldProfileName] folder, which you can manually access and copy over to your new profile.

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