Sometimes the most simple thing can give us the most grief. Especially when the pressure is on and a deadline is impending. Nothing simple seems to work.
First, stop the action. Repeatedly doing the same thing will get nowhere and your account will be blocked. Close all applications and files. Restart the computer if it hasn’t been restarted in a few days.
Second, prepare. Open Windows (or Mac) notepad. Cut and paste the last known password(s) and username into the notepad. Remove any extra spaces added when pasting from Windows Word or Outlook.
Note: if you are unsure about the password, request a new password from your system administrator.
The most common reason people have difficulty signing-in to Microsoft is when using multiple accounts in the same browser. All websites (including Microsoft) store cookies (software and settings) in your browsers. When there are multiple cookies from the same website the browser gets confused. When Microsoft receives confusing data, it will not provide access.
Steps to sign-in to Microsoft:
- Using your browser, open an Incognito window (Chrome) or InPrivate window (Edge). Access these using the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your browser.
- Cut and paste (do not click) the following link into the URL address bar (not the search bar) of an Incognito (Chrome) or Private (Edge) browser window: https://myaccount.microsoft.com/
- Copy and paste the username and password carefully from Windows Notepad and sign-in.
- Review your account before using the nine-dots icons in the top left corner to access other applications like email.
Note: We have presumed you have already setup multifactor authentication (MFA) and are familiar with its use. If this is the first time you are signing-in to the account, you may be prompted to add authentication.
One you are confident working in an Incognito window (Chrome) or InPrivate window (Edge), follow your browser instructions for clearing the cookies and restart the browser. Deliberately follow all the steps above but using a normal browser window.
If you need to access multiple Microsoft accounts, then you will need to use different browsers. For example, Edge for work and Chrome for personal.