Solved Office 365 Home/Outlook.com vs. MS password?

[markg2]

I think I just screwed up my wife's Outlook.com account or her MS account.

Attempting to correct desktop Outlook's persistently annoying periodic prompt for her Outlook.com password (despite checking the 'remember' box each time the password is entered),(Btw..OL, Account settings, Change, Advanced, Security (I think)...'prompt for password is not checked')), I downloaded and ran the MS utility SetupProd.exe (I forgot the actual name of the MS utility so I'm using the name of the setup file).

One of the last screens requests the MS account credentials (the screen did not say Outlook.com credentials).

I entered the password (copy/pasted) we last used to login to her MS account. Failed. I reset, used new password, SetupProd ran and returned some nonsense that it couldn't fix since something was the wrong type or account. I'm being hazy on this since the password prompt, although a problem, is not the purpose of this post.

After I closed the utility and opened Outlook and was prompted for the Outlook.com password I entered her long standing (~2 years) credential. It failed. I then tried the 'new' (what I thought to be) MS password and it worked. Arrrgh.

(original history) I am the primary holder of the 365 account (I invited or whatever it's called my wife 2 machines). She downloaded and installed the 365 modules using the email MS sent upon my initiation their website my account.

1. Is there 1 location on MS that houses both the MS credentials and Outlook.com credentials?

2. Not wanting to mess things up on her end any more than I might have already, what would be a straightforward way to confirm which password is for which at this point?

3. Since she's an 'invitee' or 'recipient of a share' of 365 does she use her own MS 365 credentials or mine?

4. Is there a different set of credentials for logging into one's 'MS account' vs. MS 365 account?


Mark

 

[Ranger4]

Is this password required to open Outlook or are you referring to the password registered with your email provider?.

You could try repairing the email account. To do that open Outlook, click on File, then click on Account Settings, when that opens click on the account in question & select Repair.

Generally speaking 3rd party repair programs rarely work & often result in even more problems.

 

[markg2]

My statement may have been confusing. Outlook itself on the desktop has no password. OL has 2 email accounts: Outlook.com and an Exchange account. It is the Outlook.com account that issues the password word prompt.

I checked and now her MS account and Outlook.com account have the same password which is good. I didn't screw that part up.

The util that I tried wasn't a 3rd party, it was MS and it surely didn't work.

 

[Ranger4]

If the Outlook email account is requesting a password, it usually means that the account settings are not correct. Can you contact the email provider & go through all the settings that are needed. If a setting is incorrect then you will have problems.

I don't think it's any problem with Outlook itself, it's your email account settings that need resetting.

 

[markg2]

I wish you were correct but I highly doubt it.

I know the problem is not Outlook but the email account [email protected]. However, Outlook.com is an automatic setup. Select it (same for Exchange, Yahoo, etc) and all you're asked for is the name, email address and password. Not much to monkey with.

 

[Ranger4]

The password that is needed is the password that you use for your wife's MS account. For example if you are switching from Windows live.com or a hotmail.com account, she will have used a password & unless that password have been changed you should continue to use that password.

Each user email account has a separate password & account user name, that is unique to that user. That's why I am asking if it's possible her password has been changed

To check if everything is the way it always has been try logging into her account at MS. If that works properly then the password & account details are correct & should work with Outlook. If she can't login to MS then she should request a new password & then change the Outlook password after setting up the new one.

This website might help you to check that you have followed the necessary path

How to Create a New Outlook.com
Email Account

 

[markg2]

Your passing mention of Hotmail helped.

Problem likely resolved--time will tell.

Her Outlook.com password was the same from our original pop mail server ~17 years ago, moved to Gmail, moved to MS migrated to Outlook.com Exchange--and did not match her MS password. Although I changed to match the result was no login. MS Help remoted in, reset her MS password in some different way than mere humans are allowed, which then was her new Outlook.com password and she logged in pre and post boot, on her laptop and the server.

Now it's a waiting game. The tech said the password will now stick. Hopefully, not to be continued.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[Ranger4]

Thanks for getting back & glad to hear it seems like it might be fixed.