A Fix: Microsoft Outlook Continually Keeps Asking for Password

Summary: With the launch of Windows 10, applications like Microsoft Outlook underwent many significant transformations. For example, once Outlook was installed and configured to be used with the new operating system, users reported facing unexpected errors like repetitive prompts to re-enter their login password. Usually, the reason behind such erratic Outlook behavior is some problem with its settings and it can be rectified easily. In this post we will be discussing the possible reasons and solutions.

OS upgrades while aimed at improving your system’s efficiency and performance, sometimes cause more damage than good. When an operating system is upgraded, many system settings are reset, modified, or replaced with new ones. This is meant to remove bugs and hidden glitches that user activity may have caused to system files, but sometimes, it overwrites the preference settings you may have deliberately made to installed programs.

This post is dedicated to this very user problem. Herein we’re providing some solutions to the issue when Outlook keeps asking for password even after you’ve logged into it successfully.

Solutions to the “Outlook continually prompts for password” problem

After conducting ample research across various technical forums and Outlook user communities, we’ve compiled the following list of solutions to the “Outlook keeps asking for password” problem that affects Outlook versions 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007. Try each solution one at a time and proceed to the next solution only if the previous one fails to work.

1. Verify that your Outlook installation is working properly

To ensure your Outlook application is working as it should take care of the following:

• Check if your Outlook installation is up-to-date. If not, update it by installing the latest service pack.
• Remove all previously saved Outlook credentials and force Outlook to use Windows Desktop based credentials (so that it logs in to Outlook as soon as you login to your system. This, however, is entirely up to your choice)

2. Manually reset the login settings for Outlook through Windows Credentials Manager

1. Go to Control Panel -> Credentials Manager -> Account and Family Safety
2. Look for the set of credentials that has “MS Outlook” (or something similar) as its name for mail server
3. Click on the name to expand the set of credentials and then click on “Remove from vaults”
4. Repeat above steps for all the set of credentials that start with word “Outlook”
5. Close the Credentials Manager and Control Panel
6. Launch Outlook

3. Enable the “Remember Password” Option

Sometimes the real problem can be as simple as a missed “remember password” option.

1. Launch Outlook and go to File Tab -> Account Settings
2. Select the Account under the Email Tab
3. At the bottom of the window that appears, you will see a “Remember Password” option. Make sure this option is selected

4. Restart your Computer

Rebooting your system gives it the much needed refreshment it needs. A simple system restart reloads all registry files so don’t forget to give this a try.

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5. Fix problems within Outlook PST file through ScanPST.exe

If none of the above tricks work, there might be an issue with your Outlook PST file. To repair it, use Microsoft’s inbuilt Inbox Repair Utility ScanPST.exe.

1. On Windows Explorer, navigate to the system directory where Outlook is installed
2. Locate ScanPST.exe and double-click it to launch it
3. Follow the instructions on the wizard to detect and repair minor damages within Outlook PST file

Note: This approach suffers from the following limitations:

• ScanPST.exe cannot fix major corruptions within PST files
• You should know exactly where your Outlook PST file is located for this to work
• This is a very time taking procedure

6. Fix problems within Outlook PST file through third-party software

If you’ve been unable to resolve the error even after using ScanPST.exe, or if you’ve been unsuccessful in using it, there’s no need to despair. You still have one more option left to overcome the problem at hand. Try using commercial third-party software Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair to repair Outlook PST. This software has a proven record of fixing even the most severe of PST file corruptions and bringing Outlook to a fully working state. Additionally, it can save your time and effort since it works fast and includes a convenient ‘Find PST’ option if you don’t know the exact location of your Outlook PST file. Moreover, this tool comes laced with an interactive GUI which makes its operation super smooth.

The best approach…

When facing issues like “Outlook continually prompts for password”, avoid hit-and-trials with system settings that can worsen the damage. Instead, stick to techniques you know will definitely work or that are backed by ample research. To keep things simple, rely on competent third-party products like Stellar Phoenix Outlook PST Repair.

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