How to Change Your Outlook Password (All Versions: Outlook 2007 to Microsoft 365)

Updated on October 21, 2026 by Savita Sharma

Summary: Want to change or reset your Outlook password but can't find the option? This guide covers every type of account (Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Gmail, Yahoo and more) and every version of Outlook, from the older desktop editions to the new Outlook. You will also learn what to do when Outlook keeps asking for the password or shows errors after the change.

Introduction

Microsoft Outlook is used by individuals and businesses worldwide to send and receive email, manage calendars and store contacts. A strong password is the first line of defense for all of that data. But people forget passwords, reuse them across sites, or need to change them after a suspicious sign-in.

The confusing part is that Outlook itself has no "Change password" button. The password belongs to your email account, so the steps depend on which type of account you use and which Outlook version you have. Follow the section that matches your setup.

Before You Start: Back Up Your Outlook Data

Changing or resetting a password, especially after a suspected hack, is the right time to make a backup. If Outlook crashes during an account change, or the data file is damaged, a recent backup saves you from losing emails.

• For personal Outlook.com or Hotmail mailboxes, use the Outlook.com (Hotmail) Backup tool.
• For work or school Microsoft 365 mailboxes, use the Office 365 Backup Tool.
• For Gmail, Yahoo and other providers, use the Email Backup Software.
• For emails already stored in an Outlook PST file, simply copy the PST file to a safe location.

Which Account Do You Have?

Find your setup in the table, then jump to the matching method.

5 Effective ways to Change your Outlook Password

Method 1: Change a Known Password for Outlook.com or Hotmail

Use this if you can still sign in and remember your current password. It works the same for every Outlook version, because the password belongs to your Microsoft account.

1. Open a browser and go to account.microsoft.com, then sign in.
2. Select Security from the top menu.
3. Select Change password. Microsoft may ask you to verify your identity with a code first.
4. Enter your current password, then type the new password and confirm it.
5. Optionally tick the box that asks you to change your password every 72 days.
6. Select Save.
7. Open Outlook and enter the new password when it asks you to sign in again.

Tip: If you use Outlook 2016 or an earlier version and your account has two-step verification turned on, Outlook may reject your normal password. In that case, create an app password in your Microsoft account security settings and use it in Outlook.

Method 2: Reset a Forgotten Microsoft Account Password

Use this if you cannot remember your password.

1. Go to the Microsoft sign-in page and enter your email address, or go directly to account.live.com/password/reset.
2. Select Forgot password?
3. Choose where Microsoft should send a verification code: your recovery email, phone number or authenticator app.
4. For your protection, retype the hinted part of the email address or the last four digits of the phone number, then select Get code.
5. Enter the code you received.
6. Type your new password, confirm it and select Next.
7. Sign in to Outlook with the new password.

If you no longer have access to any verification option: use Microsoft's Sign-in helper tool to recover your account. Microsoft support agents cannot reset the password or bypass verification for you, so be careful with websites or callers claiming they can.

Method 3: Change or Reset a Work or School (Microsoft 365) Password

If your Outlook email comes from your employer or school, the password is managed by Microsoft 365 and your organization.

To change a password you remember:

1. Go to myaccount.microsoft.com and sign in with your work or school account.
2. Select Change password from the left menu.
3. Enter your old password, create the new one and confirm it.
4. Select Submit. You will be asked to sign in again.

To reset a forgotten password:

1. Go to passwordreset.microsoftonline.com.
2. Enter your work or school email and complete the verification steps.
3. Set a new password.

If self-service password reset is not enabled for your organization, or the option does not appear, contact your IT administrator. Your organization may also limit how often or how you can change the password.

Method 4: Change the Password for POP or IMAP Accounts in Outlook (Gmail, Yahoo, ISP and Others)

For these accounts, change the password on the provider's website first (for example, your Gmail or Yahoo account settings). Then update the saved password in Outlook so it can keep sending and receiving mail.

Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365 (classic Outlook):

1. Open Outlook and select File.
2. Select Account Settings, then Account Settings again.
3. On the Email tab, select your account and click Change (or double-click the account).
4. Type the new password in the Password box.
5. Click Next and then Finish.
6. Restart Outlook.

Outlook 2007:

1. Go to Tools > Account Settings.
2. On the E-mail tab, select the account and click Change.
3. Enter the new password, click Next, then Finish.

Some providers (such as Gmail and Yahoo) require an app password instead of your normal password when two-step verification is on. Generate one in the provider's security settings and use that in Outlook.

Method 5: Change the Password for an Exchange Account

If you use a company Exchange server, Outlook usually signs in with your Windows or domain password. The steps are:

1. Change your password through your organization's method (Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Change a password on a domain-joined PC, a company portal, or the IT helpdesk).
2. Sign out of Windows and sign back in with the new password. If you skip this, Outlook may keep trying the old password and ask for it repeatedly.
3. Open Outlook and enter the new password if it prompts you.

The older Outlook Web App may also offer Settings > Change password for some organizations. If you cannot find it, ask your helpdesk.

New Outlook, Outlook on the Web and Outlook Mobile App

• New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web: There is no separate password setting. Change the password using Method 1 or Method 3, then sign in again when prompted.
• Outlook mobile app (Android and iPhone): Change the password with your provider. The app usually detects it and asks you to sign in again. If it does not, remove the account from the app and add it again.

Outlook Keeps Asking for the Password After Changing It

This is the most common problem after a password change. Try these fixes in order:

1. Restart Outlook, then restart your computer.
2. Sign out of Windows and sign in again (especially for Exchange or work accounts).
3. Clear saved credentials: open Control Panel > Credential Manager > Windows Credentials. Remove entries related to Outlook or Office (for example, entries beginning with MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSPI) and your email address. Reopen Outlook and enter the new password.
4. Use an app password if two-step verification is on and your Outlook version is older.
5. Update Outlook to the latest available update for your version, since older builds can have sign-in problems with current Microsoft services.
6. Remove and re-add the account in Outlook if nothing else works.

After Changing Your Password: Keep Your Account Secure

1. Turn on two-step verification in your Microsoft account security settings.
2. Consider passwordless sign-in with Microsoft Authenticator, Windows Hello, a passkey or a security key. If your account is passwordless, there is no password to change.
3. Review recent sign-in activity and use Sign out everywhere if you suspect someone else had access.
4. Use a unique passphrase that you do not use on any other website, and consider a password manager.

Outlook Showing Errors or Not Opening Emails After the Change?

Most password problems are only sign-in problems. But sometimes Outlook starts showing errors such as "Cannot open Outlook data file," "The file is not an Outlook data file," or emails fail to open at the same time. This can happen if Outlook crashed or froze while you were changing settings, the system shut down suddenly, or the PST file was already damaged or too large.

A password change does not delete your emails. If your PST file is corrupt or inaccessible, you can use Regain Outlook Recovery tool to repair it and get your data back. Please note that this tool repairs damaged PST files. It does not change or recover Outlook passwords.

Steps to repair a PST file with Regain Outlook Recovery:

• Firstly, download and install the Regain Outlook PST Repair software on your device.
• Then browse and add the PST files you need to repair.
• After completing the scan, see the preview to avoid any confusion.
• Select your desired format and the specific location.
• Finally, click on the save button to save the file.

The Advantages of Using Outlook PST Repair Software

If you are facing a PST file corruption problem, then at the same time, you can get the facilities to convert PST files to other formats and vice-versa. Some of the eye-catching benefits are listed below:

• It can repair corrupted or inaccessible PST files and convert pst files to multiple formats.
• It has simple-to-use features and an extensive interface.
• This software has a preview facility.
• It uses file's original structure to repair or convert files.

Conclusion:

Changing your Outlook password is simple once you know which account type and Outlook version you use. For Outlook.com, use your Microsoft account security page. For work or school accounts, use My Account or your IT team. For Gmail, Yahoo and other POP/IMAP accounts, change it with the provider and update Outlook's account settings. Always take a backup first, and if Outlook shows data file errors afterwards, a PST repair tool such as Regain Outlook Recovery can help you get your emails back safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1. How do I change my Outlook password in older versions like Outlook 2010, 2013 or 2016?

Ans. Outlook does not store a separate account password. Change the password with your email provider (Microsoft account, Microsoft 365 or your POP/IMAP provider). Then, for POP/IMAP accounts, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the account, click Change and enter the new password. For Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 accounts, Outlook will ask you to sign in again.

Q 2. How do I change my password in Outlook 365 or Microsoft 365?

Ans. For a work or school account, go to myaccount.microsoft.com, select Change password, enter the old and new passwords and click Submit. For a personal Microsoft account, use account.microsoft.com > Security > Change password.

Q 3. I forgot my Outlook password. What should I do?

Ans. Select Forgot password? on the sign-in page, or go to account.live.com/password/reset (personal) or passwordreset.microsoftonline.com (work or school). Verify your identity with a code and set a new password. If you cannot receive a code, use Microsoft's Sign-in helper.

Q 4. Can I change my Outlook password from the Outlook desktop app?

Ans. No. The desktop app has no password-change option for Microsoft accounts. Change it on the web, then enter the new password in Outlook. Only for POP/IMAP accounts do you update the saved password in the Account Settings after changing it with your provider.

Q 5. Why does Outlook keep asking for my password after I changed it?

Ans. Outlook is likely using the old saved credentials. Sign out of Windows and back in, remove the Outlook entries from Windows Credential Manager, update Outlook, or re-add the account.

Q 6. Does Regain Outlook Recovery change or reset my Outlook password?

Ans. No. Regain Outlook Recovery tool is built to repair corrupt or inaccessible PST files and recover your mailbox data. Your password is managed by your email provider, so it must be changed with them.

Q 7. I changed my password and now Outlook shows PST errors. Is my data lost?

Ans. Usually not. A password change affects sign-in, not the emails stored in your data file. If errors continue, the PST file may be damaged, and Regain Outlook Recovery can scan it and recover emails, contacts, calendars and attachments.

Q 8. Can a crash during an account change damage my PST file?

Ans.Yes. If Outlook closes suddenly or the system shuts down while the file is in use, the PST can become corrupt. Keep a backup before changing account settings, and run a PST repair scan if Outlook reports errors.

Q 9. Can I check the recovered data before saving it?

Ans. Yes. Regain Outlook Email Recovery shows a preview of the recovered items after the scan, so you can confirm the data before saving it.

Q 10. Can I try Regain Outlook Recovery for free?

Ans. Yes. The free trial lets you add a PST file, scan it and preview the recovered items. Buy a license when you are satisfied with the results to save the data.