Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-05-26

How to Fix: Outlook keeps giving an 'access denied' error. It frequently prompts for my

Outlook access denied error persists despite deleting credentials and reinstalling Office 365.


The 'access denied' error in Outlook occurs when the application is unable to authenticate your credentials. This issue can be caused by a variety of factors, including outdated or corrupted Windows Credential Manager entries, incorrect password settings, or conflicts with other applications that share similar credentials.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • Outdated or corrupted Windows Credential Manager entries
  • Incorrect password settings, such as using a different username or password than in the application
  • Conflicts with other applications that share similar credentials

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Method 1: Reset Outlook Credentials

  1. Step 1: Close Outlook and any other applications that use the same credentials
  2. Step 2: Go to Microsoft's password reset page and follow the instructions to reset your Office 365 password
  3. Step 3: Reopen Outlook and try authenticating with the new password

Method 2: Clear Windows Credential Manager Entries

  1. Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box, type %userprofile%\AppData overs edentialstore ameless.cred, and press Enter
  2. Step 2: Delete the file with a name like Outlook.cred
  3. Step 3: Restart Outlook and try authenticating again

Method 3: Reinstall Office 365

  1. Step 1: Go to the Microsoft Office 365 download page and select the 'Reinstall' option
  2. Step 2: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reinstall process
  3. Step 3: Restart Outlook and try authenticating again

💡 Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the 'access denied' error in Outlook and regain access to your Office 365 account. Remember to always keep your passwords up-to-date and secure.

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