How to Update Your Email Password in Outlook Without Removing the Account

You need to change your email password in Outlook after a security update or company policy change. Outlook will prompt you for the new password but may not always accept it correctly. This article explains how to update your password directly in the account settings without deleting and re-adding your entire email profile.

Why You Need to Update Passwords in Outlook Settings

Outlook stores your email account password to connect to your mail server automatically. When you change your password with your email provider, the stored credential becomes outdated. Outlook will repeatedly ask for the new password in a pop-up window.

Simply typing the new password into that prompt often works. If it does not, the credential may be cached incorrectly or the setting for outgoing server authentication may be separate. You must access the account settings to input the password manually and ensure both incoming and outgoing servers use the updated login.

Prerequisites for Updating Your Password

Before starting, know your new email password exactly as set with your provider. For work accounts, this is often managed by your IT department. Ensure you have an active internet connection. For Microsoft 365 or Exchange accounts, your new password must be synced with Azure Active Directory before Outlook will accept it.

Steps to Change Your Password in Account Settings

This is the primary method within the Outlook application. It updates the password for receiving and usually for sending mail.

1. Open Account Settings
   In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings. This opens the dialog box listing all your email accounts.
2. Select Your Account
   Click on the email account you need to update to highlight it. Then, click the Change button above the list.
3. Enter the New Password
   In the Change Account window, locate the Password field. Type your new password here. You can leave the User Name field as is.
4. Update Outgoing Server Authentication
   Click More Settings. Go to the Outgoing Server tab. Check the box for “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication.” Ensure “Use same settings as my incoming mail server” is selected. Click OK.
5. Test the Settings
   Back in the Change Account window, click Next. Outlook will test the account settings with the new password. Wait for a success message and click Close, then Finish.

Using the Windows Control Panel Mail Applet

If Outlook is not responding or the main method fails, use the system-level Mail setup. This is especially useful for older POP/IMAP accounts.

1. Open Mail in Control Panel
   Close Outlook. Press Windows key + R, type control panel, and press Enter. Search for “Mail” and open the Mail (Microsoft Outlook) applet.
2. Access Your Profile
   Click Show Profiles. Select your profile name and click Properties.
3. Repair the Account
   In the new window, click Email Accounts. Select your account and click Repair. Follow the on-screen prompts; this wizard will often let you enter a new password directly.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Outlook Keeps Asking for Password After Update

If prompts continue, the outgoing server setting may be incorrect. Verify Step 4 in the primary method. For Exchange or Microsoft 365 accounts, open File > Office Account > Sign out, then sign back in with the new password to refresh the modern authentication token.

Password Field is Grayed Out or Unavailable

Some corporate accounts use modern authentication and do not store a password locally. Updating it here is not possible. You must sign out and back into the Microsoft 365 suite or wait for your IT admin to push the credential update.

Error Message “The Connection to Microsoft Exchange is Unavailable”

This can occur if the new password is not yet active on the server or if you are offline. Check your internet connection and confirm the password change with your email provider before retrying in Outlook.

Manual Update vs Automatic Prompt: Key Differences

Item	Manual Update in Account Settings	Automatic Password Prompt
Control	Full access to both incoming and outgoing server passwords	Only updates the cached credential Outlook detects as wrong
Reliability	More reliable for complex accounts and SMTP authentication	Can fail if multiple authentication layers exist
Best For	Persistent password errors, IMAP/POP accounts, and shared mailboxes	First-time password change after a simple provider reset
Location	File > Account Settings or Control Panel > Mail	Pop-up dialog box when Outlook tries to send/receive

You can now update your email password directly in Outlook settings. This prevents the hassle of recreating your account and rules. If you use multiple profiles, repeat the steps for each one. For advanced security, consider enabling Windows Hello or a security key in File > Account Settings > Security to bypass password prompts entirely.