Reset Microsoft 365 App Authentication in Windows

Introduction

This article provides steps on clearing your saved RIC Microsoft 365/SSO credentials on a computer running Windows 10 or Windows 11.  Microsoft Office caches your credentials onto your computer the first time you configure applications such as Word, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, etc.  Periodically, you will need to re-enter your RIC account credentials to maintain access to the Microsoft 365 applications installed on your computer.

This procedure is sometimes required if you receive an error trying to re-authenticate to Microsoft 365 desktop applications on your system.  Removing your account, then re-authenticating, usually will restore access to the Microsoft 365 linked applications on your computer when this issue occurs.

Requirements

  • A computer running Windows 10 or Windows 11, with Microsoft 365 desktop applications installed.
  • Microsoft 365 desktop applications authenticated with a RIC Microsoft 365/SSO account.

Instructions/Procedure

  • Close all applications and windows on your computer.  This includes applications like Microsoft Teams and Microsoft OneDrive, which are usually running in the background, and only have icons that display their activity in the task bar near the clock on the bottom right of the screen.

Disconnect RIC Microsoft 365 Account

  • Open Settings application in Windows.
  • Select Accounts
  • Select Access Work or School
  • Select your RIC account.
    • Select Disconnect.
    • Acknowledge or select OK to any confirmation to disconnect your RIC account.
  • Close the Settings application.

Clear Saved Credentials in Credential Manager

  • Open Control Panel
  • Select Credential Manager
    • Select Windows Credentials
      • Search for credentials linked to Microsoft 365 applications.  These may not have straightforward names, but look for entries with or similar to the following keywords:
        • OneDrive
        • Teams
        • Office & Office365
        • Microsoft365
          • Select Remove for these Microsoft 365 associated credentials from the list - leave the others not associated with Microsoft 365, as they are associated with other applications installed on your computer (such as Adobe, etc).
  • Close Credential Manager and Control Panel.
  • Restart the computer.

Re-authenticate Microsoft 365 Applications

  • After the restart, log back into your computer
  • Open up a Microsoft 365 application, such as Microsoft Word.
  • Login with your RIC Microsoft 365/SSO username and password.
  • When completing authentication, select the No, This App Only (wording may vary depending on app or Windows version) option, which helps reduce future authentication errors, but may require logins to other apps like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive to occur separately.

Additional Resources

Manage User Accounts in Windows (Sections: Connect a Work or School Account, Disconnect a Work or School Account)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-signin/manage-user-accounts-in-windows

Credential Manager in Windows
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/credential-manager-in-windows

 

 

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