After you change your Microsoft 365 password, Teams may open to a blank white window with no sign-in prompt. This happens because Teams caches your old credentials and cannot refresh them automatically. The app loads its shell but fails to authenticate, leaving an empty screen. This article explains the root cause and gives you a step-by-step fix to restore Teams.
Key Takeaways: Fixing a Blank White Teams Window After a Password Change
- Sign out of Teams and clear the cached credentials: Forces Teams to prompt for the new password.
- Delete the Teams credential folder in %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams: Removes stale authentication tokens that cause the blank screen.
- Use the Windows Credential Manager to remove the saved Microsoft 365 credentials: Prevents Windows from sending the old password to Teams.
Why Changing a Microsoft 365 Password Leaves Teams With a Blank White Window
Teams stores your authentication tokens in a local cache. When you change your Microsoft 365 password, those cached tokens become invalid. Teams does not automatically detect the change. Instead, it tries to use the old token, fails, and then shows a blank white window instead of a sign-in prompt.
The root cause is a mismatch between the cached token and the new password. Windows Credential Manager also holds a saved copy of your old password. Even if you sign out of Teams, the credential manager can feed the old password back, causing the same failure. The blank window is Teams’ way of failing silently without crashing.
The fix involves three clear actions: sign out of Teams, clear the local credential cache, and remove the saved password from Windows Credential Manager. After that, Teams will prompt for the new password and load normally.
Steps to Clear Teams Credentials and Fix the Blank White Window
Follow these steps in order. Each step removes a layer of stale authentication data.
- Sign out of Teams completely
Open Teams. Click your profile picture at the top right. Select “Sign out.” Wait for the sign-in window to appear. If the window is blank, close Teams completely using the system tray icon. Right-click the Teams icon in the notification area and choose “Quit.” - Close all Teams processes
Press Ctrl+Shift+Escape to open Task Manager. Look for any process named “Teams” or “ms-teams.” Select each one and click “End task.” This stops background processes that may hold the old token. - Delete the Teams credential folder
Press the Windows key and type “%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams” then press Enter. In the File Explorer window, select all files and folders inside the Teams folder. Press Delete. Confirm if prompted. This removes the cached tokens and settings. - Clear the Windows Credential Manager
Press the Windows key and type “Credential Manager.” Open the app. Click “Windows Credentials.” Scroll to the section “Generic Credentials.” Look for entries that contain “Microsoft” or “Teams” or “Office.” Click each entry to expand it, then click “Remove.” Confirm the removal. Repeat for all matching entries. - Restart Teams and sign in with the new password
Press the Windows key and type “Teams.” Open Teams. A sign-in window should appear. Enter your full Microsoft 365 email address and click “Next.” Enter your new password and click “Sign in.” Teams will load the main interface normally.
If the Blank Window Still Appears After Clearing Credentials
Sometimes the Teams cache is stored in a different location. Try deleting the folder at %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams\Service Worker. Also check %localappdata%\Microsoft\Teams. Delete the contents of both folders while Teams is closed. Then restart Teams.
If Teams Still Shows a Blank Window After the Main Fix
Teams Shows a Blank White Window After Clearing Credentials
If the problem persists, the issue may be a corrupt Teams installation. Repair Teams by going to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Find “Microsoft Teams.” Click the three-dot menu and choose “Advanced options.” Click “Repair.” Wait for the repair to finish, then restart Teams.
Teams Opens but the Sign-in Page Never Loads
This can happen if the Teams web service is blocked by a proxy or firewall. Check your network connection. Try signing in through the web version at teams.microsoft.com. If the web version works, the problem is local. Reset the Teams cache by deleting the entire %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams folder again, then reinstall Teams.
Teams Keeps Asking for the Old Password
Windows Credential Manager may still hold an old password even after you removed entries. Open Credential Manager again and look for entries under “Web Credentials” as well. Remove any entry that contains “login.microsoftonline.com” or “teams.microsoft.com.” Then restart Teams.
New Teams Desktop vs Teams on the Web: Key Differences
| Item | New Teams Desktop | Teams on the Web |
|---|---|---|
| Credential cache | Stores tokens locally in %appdata% | Uses browser cookies and session storage |
| Password change behavior | May show blank window until cache is cleared | Usually prompts for sign-in automatically |
| Repair method | Use Settings > Apps > Repair | Clear browser cache or use incognito window |
After following these steps, you can sign in to Teams with your new Microsoft 365 password. The blank white window should no longer appear. If the issue returns after a future password change, repeat the credential clearing steps. For a faster fix, use the web version of Teams while you clear the desktop cache. You can also set up Windows Hello for Business to reduce password prompts in the future.