Fixes / Outlook · Checked

Outlook "Need Password": what it means and how to fix it

Short answer

"Need Password" in the Outlook status bar means classic Outlook for Windows has lost its sign-in token for your mailbox and has stopped sending and receiving until you sign in again. Most often the password changed or the saved credentials went stale. Close Outlook, delete the Outlook/Office entries in Windows Credential Manager, reopen Outlook and sign in when prompted.

What this message means

Classic Outlook for Windows shows "Need Password" (with a padlock icon) in the status bar at the bottom right when it can't authenticate to your mail server without your help. Until you sign in successfully, mail is not sent or received. Normally clicking the text opens a sign-in window. On Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com accounts, sign-in is handled by a Windows component called Web Account Manager (WAM). If that component or the saved token is broken, the window may flash and close, never appear, or say "This feature has been disabled by your administrator." Your mail and mailbox are safe. This is purely a sign-in problem.

Common causes

CauseHow to tell
Your password changed, expired or was resetThe message appeared right after you (or IT) changed the password, or you get a password-expiry notice on your work PC. Signing in at outlook.office.com or outlook.com in a browser with the old password fails.
Stale or corrupted credentials saved in WindowsYou type the correct password and Outlook accepts it, but "Need Password" comes back after a restart. Credential Manager lists several MicrosoftOffice16_Data or email-address entries.
Office is not allowed to connect to online servicesClicking "Need Password" shows "This feature has been disabled by your administrator." This happens when the Trust Center privacy option is turned off, either by you or by Group Policy.
Broken Windows sign-in (WAM) packagesThe sign-in window flashes and disappears, or nothing happens at all when you click "Need Password" or Send / Receive > Enter password. Teams, Word or OneDrive may also fail to sign in on their own.
Known bug in older Outlook builds with Outlook.com accountsYou use a personal Outlook.com or Hotmail account, your Outlook version is older than Version 2303 (Build 16227.20202), and you may also see "You can't sign in here with a personal account."
"Always prompt for logon credentials" is turned onOn an Exchange or Microsoft 365 account, Outlook asks for the password every single time it starts, even when you tick "Remember my credentials".

How to fix it

1. Confirm your password, then sign in again

  1. In a browser, sign in to your mail at outlook.office.com (work or school) or outlook.com (personal). If this fails, reset the password there or ask IT. Outlook cannot sign in until this works.
  2. In Outlook, click "Need Password" in the status bar, or go to the Send / Receive tab and select Enter password (if shown).
  3. Enter the current password and, if you see it, tick Remember my credentials.
  4. If no window appears, close Outlook completely, check it is gone in Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), and open it again. The sign-in prompt usually appears on startup.

2. Clear saved credentials in Credential Manager

Classic Outlook on Windows 10 and Windows 11

  1. Close Outlook and all other Office apps.
  2. Open Start, type Credential Manager and open it, then select Windows Credentials.
  3. Under Generic Credentials, expand and select Remove on every entry that starts with MicrosoftOffice16_Data, and any entry that contains your email address or mail server name.
  4. Restart the computer, open Outlook and sign in with your current password when asked.

3. Allow Office to connect to online services

Outlook for Microsoft 365, 2021, 2019, 2016 on Windows. Use when clicking Need Password says "This feature has been disabled by your administrator."

  1. In Outlook, go to File > Options.
  2. Select Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings.
  3. Select Privacy Options and tick "Let Office connect to online services from Microsoft to provide functionality that's relevant to your usage and preferences" (Outlook 2013: "Allow Office to connect to the Internet").
  4. Select OK twice and restart Outlook.
  5. If the box is greyed out, the UseOnlineContent value is set to 0, often by Group Policy under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Internet. Ask your IT admin to change it.

4. Turn off "Always prompt for logon credentials"

Exchange and Microsoft 365 accounts in classic Outlook for Windows

  1. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
  2. Select your email account and click Change.
  3. Click More Settings and open the Security tab.
  4. Clear the Always prompt for logon credentials check box, click OK, then Next and Finish.
  5. Restart Outlook.

5. Update Office

Microsoft 365 / Click-to-Run Office on Windows. Required for the Outlook.com bug fixed in Version 2303 Build 16227.20202

  1. In Outlook, go to File > Office Account.
  2. Check the version under About Outlook.
  3. Select Update Options > Update Now and wait for it to finish.
  4. Restart Outlook and sign in when prompted.

6. Re-register the Windows sign-in packages (sign-in window flashes or never opens)

Windows 10 version 1703 or later and Windows 11, Microsoft 365 Apps version 1807 or later

  1. Close all Office apps.
  2. Right-click Start and choose Windows PowerShell (Admin) on Windows 10, or Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11. Select Yes at the UAC prompt.
  3. For a work or school account, run: if (-not (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin)) { Add-AppxPackage -Register "$env:windir\SystemApps\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown } Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin
  4. For a personal account (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com), run: if (-not (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost)) { Add-AppxPackage -Register "$env:windir\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown } Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost
  5. Once the command finishes without errors and shows the package details, restart the PC and open Outlook.

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Still not fixed?

Run Microsoft's Sign-in troubleshooter at aka.ms/SaRA-OfficeSignIn-sarahome, which checks and repairs common Office sign-in faults automatically. If that fails, create a new Outlook profile: close Outlook, open Control Panel > Mail (Microsoft Outlook) > Show Profiles > Add, set up the account again, and choose Always use this profile. On a work or school account, contact your IT helpdesk. They can check for an expired or locked account, Conditional Access or MFA blocks, and Group Policy settings such as UseOnlineContent. Don't apply registry changes that turn off WAM or modern authentication unless IT tells you to, because Microsoft 365 accounts need them.

Questions people ask

Why does the password window flash and disappear when I click Need Password?

The Windows sign-in component (Web Account Manager) is failing to open the prompt, usually because of a stale token or damaged sign-in packages. Clear Credential Manager first. If it still flashes, re-register the AAD.BrokerPlugin or CloudExperienceHost package with the PowerShell command above.

Why does Outlook keep saying Need Password when my password is correct?

Outlook is often reusing an old saved credential or token rather than the password you type. Remove the MicrosoftOffice16_Data entries in Credential Manager, turn off "Always prompt for logon credentials", and update Office.

What does "This feature has been disabled by your administrator" mean after clicking Need Password?

Office has been blocked from connecting to Microsoft's online services, which modern sign-in needs. Turn on the online services option under File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Privacy Options. If it is greyed out, your IT admin has to change the policy.

Will I lose my emails if I fix Need Password?

No. Clearing credentials, updating Office or re-registering sign-in packages only changes how Outlook signs in. Mail on Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and Exchange accounts stays on the server and syncs again once you are signed in.

Does Need Password appear in new Outlook or Outlook for Mac?

The "Need Password" status bar message belongs to classic Outlook for Windows. New Outlook and Outlook for Mac show their own sign-in banners or prompts instead, and the Credential Manager and PowerShell fixes don't apply to them.

Sources

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