Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix an Outdated Profile Picture in Microsoft Word

Camila Milosovich Oct 7, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to update their profile picture in Microsoft Word, which has not synced after being changed on the Microsoft website.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Updating user account profile information across Office applications.
Observed behavior: The profile picture remains outdated in Word despite being successfully changed online, typically due to cached credentials or an incorrect account license.

Before you start

Ensure you have your correct Microsoft account login details available, as you will need to sign back into your Office applications after clearing the cached credentials.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Cached Credentials in Windows Credential Manager

Removing old saved credentials forces Microsoft Word to fetch your most recent account data, including your new profile picture, directly from the server.

Sign out of Office

Open Microsoft Word, click on your profile picture or account name at the top right, select 'Sign out', and then close all open Office applications.

Open Credential Manager

Click the Windows Start menu, type 'Credential Manager' in the search bar, and press Enter to open the utility.

Remove Office credentials

Click on 'Windows Credentials'. Scroll down to find any saved entries starting with 'MicrosoftOffice'. Click the drop-down arrow next to the entry and select 'Remove'.

Sign in again

Reopen Microsoft Word. You will be prompted to sign in. Enter your Microsoft account details to log in and sync your updated profile picture.

Clear Cached Credentials in Windows Credential Manager

Synchronization Successful: Once signed back in, your updated profile picture from the Microsoft website should now display correctly in Word.

Solution 2

Remove Outdated Licenses using OSPP.VBS

If clearing credentials does not work, there might be a conflicting outdated license. You can use the Office licensing script to verify and remove old licenses.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't my profile picture update in Word automatically?

Office applications often cache your account information locally on your device to speed up loading times. If this local cache doesn't refresh automatically, Word will continue to display the old picture until you manually clear the credentials.

Will removing Windows Credentials delete my documents?

No. Removing saved entries in the Windows Credential Manager only deletes your locally stored login tokens. Your saved documents, both on your local drive and in cloud storage, remain completely safe and untouched.

What if I can't find 'OSPP.VBS' in the specified folder?

The location of OSPP.VBS depends on your Office version and system architecture. If it is not in 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16', check 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16' or search your C: drive for 'OSPP.VBS'.

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