16 Fixes: Unable To Login With Microsoft Account In Windows 10

If you are a Windows user, you’ll know that your Microsoft account is an important part of your Windows OS. Like other accounts, this account is not error-free anymore. Without a Microsoft account, you won’t be able to access many functionalities of Windows 10. 

unable to login with microsoft account

So, you must keep your Microsoft account updated at all times and also free from errors.

We know how frustrating it can be to get the message “unable to login with Microsoft account” while trying to log in to your Windows system. This means you won’t be able to log in to your system and are losing a lot.

Not to worry, because we’ll give you several different ways to fix the “unable to login with Microsoft account” error and get your system up and running in no time!

What Are Some Of The Common Windows 10 Login Problems?

We have compiled a list of the most common login issues reported by users. You might be facing any of the following login issues:

Windows 10 can’t sign in with Microsoft account. Something went wrong…

  • Can’t sign in with a Microsoft account. Windows 10
  • Windows 10 won’t let me sign into my Microsoft account
  • Windows 10 can’t sign in to your account.

Now, let’s discuss some of the reasons why you might be facing these issues:

  • You are not entering the correct username and password for your account
  • Your account has been hacked! Check if you are entering the correct password or if you have forgotten your password. Also, verify if you can log into other Microsoft services. If you can’t, that means your account has been hacked.
  • Your Microsoft profile is corrupted
  • If the Windows login screen is not present, then your installation is probably damaged, and you’ll need to repair it, perform a system restore, or reinstall your OS

How To Fix Unable To Login With Microsoft Account To Windows 10/11

If you are facing the “unable to login with Microsoft account” error and struggling to fix it, then you are not alone. Many users report Microsoft account sign-in issues with Windows 10/11. You will be able to fix it using one of the solutions given below:

  1. Check Your Network Speed
  2. Do Basic Recovery Steps
  3. Disable Or Remove Your Antivirus
  4. Change EnableLUA Value In The Registry
  5. Check Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant Service
  6.  Create A New User Account
  7. Install The Latest Updates
  8. Change Group Policy Settings
  9. Edit Your Registry
  10. Check If Your Account Is Hacked
  11. Delete The Corrupted Profile From The Registry
  12. Delete The Credentials Directory
  13. Restart Your System
  14. Incorrect Password
  15. Run Startup Repair Tool
  16. Boot Your System In Safe Mode

Solution 1. Check Your Network Speed

If your internet speed is very slow while trying to log in to your Microsoft account, that might be why you can’t log in. To solve this, you need to analyze your network connection and try logging in again several times until you are successful.

Solution 2. Do Basic Recovery Steps

Microsoft provides some basic recovery actions, and if you cannot enter your account, these will surely work. If your account has been blocked for some reason by Microsoft, then you can get to know why and look for a solution. Follow the steps given below to know how to do so:

You first need to select the Microsoft account for which you want to reset the password.

  • Next, click “I forgot my password,” located below your password box.
  • A new screen opens up; type in the characters as shown in the box, and click Next.
  • Now, you’ll need to choose how you wish to receive the security code (by text or email). Then, follow the on-screen instructions and get a security code.
  • Once you have the code, type in the code and click on “Next.”
  • Then, you’ll find a Reset password screen. Create a new password and click on Next. This should create your new password.

Solution 3. Disable Or Remove Your Antivirus

Users have also reported that if you cannot log in to your system using your Microsoft account, the issue could be due to your antivirus. Your system’s antivirus software might be interfering with your Operating system, which could be holding you back from logging in with your Microsoft account.

To resolve this, you can try removing or disabling your antivirus. Some users have reported that they suspect Avast to be the reason behind the problem. However, after removing it, the problem was fixed. Other antivirus tools can also cause this issue, so make sure you get rid of them.

Solution 4. Change EnableLUA Value In The Registry

Sometimes, certain values in the registry might get modified, which could lead to this issue. To fix this, you can edit your registry manually by following the steps given below:

  • Start the Registry Editor
  • Once the Registry Editor opens up, navigate to the following address from the left pane:

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem

  • Now, from the right panel, double-click on EnableLUA DWORD
Change EnableLUA Value In The Registry
  • If the Value data is set to be 0, you have to change it to 1 and then click on OK to save the changes made
  • If the value of EnableLUA is set to 1 already, you might need to recreate the DWORD. And to do that, right-click on EnableLUA DWORD and click on Delete from the dropdown menu.
EnableLUA
  • Then, right-click on the space from the right panel and click on New, followed by DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  • Type in EnableLUA for the name of this new DWORD and ensure that its Value data is set as 1.
  • Once the changes are made to the registry, just restart the system and check if the problem is resolved or not.

Solution 5. Check Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant Service

If the Microsoft Account Sign-in Service is somehow disabled on your system, that might be why you can’t log in with your Microsoft Account into your Windows 10. 

You can try activating the Microsoft account sign-in assistant service to check if that helps resolve your issue. Here are the steps you need to follow:

  • Right-click on the Windows 10 Start button
  • Select the Run option from the menu that shows up
  • Type in services.msc in the Run dialog box and then click on the OK box.
  • Now, from the Services window, scroll down to find the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant. 
Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant
  • Then, double-click on it.
  • In the Microsoft Account Sign-in, Assistant Properties window set the Startup type to Automatic. 
  • If the Service status says Stopped, click on Start and then click on Apply > OK.
  • Restart your system and check if you can log in with your Microsoft Account to your Windows 10.

Solution 6. Create A New User Account

Another way you can fix the “unable to login with Microsoft account” is by creating a new user account. This is an easier fix as compared to some of the complicated ones. Moreover, many users have claimed that creating a new Microsoft account even fixed the older account. So, you could try it out. 

We can create a new user account by following the steps given below:

  • Open the Settings application and go to the Accounts section
  • Go to the menu bar on your left and choose Family & other people.
  • Click on the plus button beside Add someone else to this PC
  • When prompted, click on “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information” and hit the Next button
  • Now, you’ll be prompted to enter your Microsoft information.
  • Select the option that says Add a user without a Microsoft account and click on the Next button
  • Now, enter a user name and click the Next button
  • Once that is done, switch to a newer account. If the new account is working fine for you, then probably you’d want to convert this account to your default Microsoft account. Check if the problem at hand gets resolved now.

Solution 7. Install The Latest Updates

Windows Update

Sometimes, we face issues with Windows and Microsoft because the latest updates are not installed on our system yet. So, try fixing the “unable to login with Microsoft account” issue by simply checking if any new updates are available or not. Usually, Windows will install the latest updates on its own by default. However, sometimes, some important might get skipped.

Follow the steps given below to check for updates manually:

  • Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings app
  • Next, navigate to the Update & Security section in the Settings app
  • Then, click the Check for updates button
  • Now, Windows will check for updates. If any updates are found, Windows downloads them and installs them at your desired time.
  • Once the latest Windows updates are installed, log in with your Microsoft account again. The problem should now be resolved.

Solution 8. Change Group Policy Settings

The Group Policy may have blocked your Microsoft Account. In this case, the following solution will help you unblock your Microsoft Account, and then you should be able to log in again. Here are the steps you need to follow to change your system’s Group Policy settings:

  • Go to the Search section and enter “group policy.” Then, click on the Edit group policies option to open it.
 Edit group policies
  • Next, go to the path given below:

Computer ConfigurationWindows SettingsSecurity SettingsLocal PoliciesSecurity OptionsAccounts: Block Microsoft Accounts

Block Microsoft Accounts
  • Look for Accounts: Block your Microsoft account and then right-click on it. Next, click on Properties.
  • The dropdown menu for Properties will be displayed. Click on “This policy is disabled.”
  • Click on Apply and OK to save the changes you have made.

Solution 9. Edit Your Registry

There are a couple of complicated solutions you could try out to fix your “unable to login with Microsoft account” issue. The registry fix is one such potential solution. Follow the steps given below to resolve your Microsoft account login issues by editing your Registry:

  • Navigate to the search bar and type in regedit
Run
  • Then, open the Registry Editor
Registry Editor
  • Go to the path given below: HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTSoftwareMicrosoftIdentityCRLStoredIdentities
  • Your account will be located there. Right-click on your account and click on Delete from the dropdown menu
  • Close the Registry Editor and go to Settings, and select Accounts.
  • Try adding your account now.

Solution 10. Check If Your Account Is Hacked

There is also a possibility that your Microsoft Account got hacked. Given the number of cyber threats across the internet, this situation might happen to anyone. So, check if your Microsoft account has been hacked and fix it in no time.

Solution 11. Delete The Corrupted Profile From The Registry

Another possibility could be that a specific profile directory has been removed from the system. And that is causing the unable to log in with the Microsoft account issue. The good news is that you can delete the troublesome profile from your registry, which would recreate the profile directory. 

Follow the steps given below to do so:

  • Open your Registry Editor and from the left pane, go to the following address:

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList

  • Click on the ProfileList key. All the keys that show up now represent a single user profile of your system
Click on the ProfileList key
  • Next, you need to go through all the keys and search for the one related to your corrupt profile.
  • Check the ProfileImagePath value to identify the corrupted profile
  • Once the troublesome profile is found, make sure that you delete its key from your registry.
  • All you need to do is just right-click the key associated with the profile and then click on the Delete option from the dropdown menu.
  • Click on the Yes button to confirm when prompted.
  • Next, you must restart your system and log into the problematic account. Once that is done, the profile will be recreated, and now, you can access it without facing any issues. 

Solution 12. Delete The Credentials Directory

Perhaps, the “unable to login with your Microsoft account” issue is occurring due to corrupted credentials. If that is happening with your case, you will need to locate the credentials directory and get rid of it. Follow the steps given below to do that:

  • Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box. Next, enter %localappdata% and press the Enter key or click on the OK button
  • Go to the Microsoft directory and get rid of the Credentials folder
  • Once that is done, you need to restart your system. The “unable to login with Microsoft account” problem should be resolved.

Solution 13. Restart Your System

The first thing to try out every time your computer starts acting up is restarting your system. If you are on your Windows login screen, click on the power icon at the bottom-right corner of your screen and click on Restart. This should restart your system, and then you can check if the issue is still present or not. 

Else, you can use the Reset button located on your PC. If your system does not have this button, press the Power button and hold it until your computer shuts down. Then, press it again to restart your system.

Solution 14. Incorrect Password

If Windows 10 can’t sign in to your Microsoft account due to an incorrect password, you need to reset your Microsoft password.

If your account is linked to your local account, go to the Microsoft reset password website and reset your password from there.

However, if your Microsoft account existed only on your Windows 10, you can reset it via the Windows 10 login screen. Follow the steps given below to do so:

  • First, click on the “I forgot my password” option located under the password field on your system’s login screen
  • Now, Windows will ask you to verify your account. Click on your linked email address or phone number, and then enter your requested information. 
  • Click on Get code.
  • Now, enter the code that you received and then click on Next.
  • If your account has two-step verification turned on, you’ll be required to verify your identity by entering some security info. So, choose your second verification option and enter the information needed.
  • Click on Get code. If you didn’t have two-step verification for your account, jump straight to the next step.
  • Enter the code you received and click on Next
  • A page titled “Reset your password” will show up. Enter a new password for your account and click on the Next button
  • Now, your Microsoft account password will be reset successfully.
  • Click on Sign in, and you will return to your Windows 10 login screen. Enter your new password to sign in to your account.

Solution 15. Run Startup Repair Tool

Many users have claimed that running the Startup Repair tool has helped them resolve their “unable to login with Microsoft account.” This tool can be accessible to anybody but requires a couple of extra steps to run. Here are the steps you need to follow to run the Startup repair tool:

  • Shut down your system and press the power button to restart it. When you notice that your Windows 10 system is starting, press and hold the power button until the computer has shut down
  • Keep repeating this process until you enter the winRE (Windows Runtime Environment)
  • In the winRE interface, you will find the “Choose an option” page.
  • Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Automatic Repair. It might also be listed as “Startup Repair.”
Automatic Repair
  • Wait until the process finishes, and try logging in to your Windows 10 account again.

Solution 16. Boot Your System In Safe Mode

Sometimes, starting your device in Safe Mode can help you troubleshoot the issue. Follow the steps given below to do so:

  • Switch off your system and press the power button to restart it. Hold the power button when you see Windows 10 booting up until your computer turns off again. Repeat this process until you have entered the winRE.
  • Now, you will get the Choose an option page in the winRE interface. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup settings > Restart.
Advanced options
  • Your computer will restart now. When it boots up, you’ll be shown a list of options. Select option number 5 from the list to enter the Safe Mode.
Startup Settings

Final Words

Not being able to log in to your Windows computer with your Microsoft account can be quite scary. You won’t be able to access your system, which means you won’t get any work done on it.

We hope the above fixes have come to your rescue and helped you eliminate the “unable to login with Microsoft account” issue. Try out the above methods one by one until the error is gone, and let us know if you still have any queries.