Urgent: Email account [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@kingdao.com.sg keeps prompting for password in Outlook

Test the same account in the provider’s webmail first: if webmail also rejects the login, the mail administrator must check the account or server; if webmail works, clear Outlook’s saved Windows credentials and authenticate again.

Microsoft cannot inspect or unlock the third-party kingdao.com.sg mail server from this forum.

1. Determine whether the problem is server-side or Outlook-only

1. Close Outlook so repeated attempts do not continue.
2. Open the organization’s normal webmail page in a browser. Obtain the exact webmail address from the company’s mail administrator rather than assuming it from the mail-server name.
3. Sign in using the full email address as the username. Classic Outlook can repeatedly prompt when the username is incomplete; Microsoft documents that the username is normally the full email address.^1^
4. Interpret the result:
   • Webmail fails too: this is not limited to the local Outlook profile. Ask the mail administrator or hosting provider to check account lockout, password expiration, whether IMAP/SMTP access is enabled, authentication logs, and any recent server, TLS certificate, port, or security-policy changes.
   • Webmail succeeds: the mailbox and password are functioning; continue with the Outlook-side steps below.
   • No webmail is available: test the account on another device or mail client, or ask the provider to confirm authentication directly.

Do not keep retrying continuously if lockout policies might apply.

2. If webmail works, remove Outlook’s cached credentials

Entering the correct password in the prompt does not necessarily replace a stale Windows credential.

1. Exit Outlook completely.
2. Open Control Panel → User Accounts → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials.
3. Under Generic Credentials, remove entries associated with:
   • The affected email address
   • Outlook or Microsoft Office
   • The organization’s mail-server name
4. Restart Windows.
5. Open Outlook and sign in once using the full email address.

Removing relevant cached credentials and signing in again is a commonly recommended resolution for this exact Classic Outlook password loop.^2^

3. Verify the provider-specific configuration

For a third-party POP/IMAP mailbox, request these exact values from the hosting provider:

• Account type: IMAP or POP
• Incoming server name and port
• Incoming encryption type
• Outgoing SMTP server name and port
• Outgoing encryption type
• Whether SMTP authentication is required
• Whether the username must be the full email address
• Whether an app password is required

If two-factor authentication was recently enabled, the provider may require an app password instead of the normal account password.^3^

If the current settings differ from the provider’s values, create a clean configuration:

1. In Outlook, select File → Add Account.
2. Enter the email address.
3. Select Advanced options → Let me set up my account manually.
4. Select IMAP or POP, as specified by the provider.
5. Enter the provider’s incoming, outgoing, port, encryption, and authentication settings.
6. Connect using the full email address and either the normal password or provider-generated app password.

Microsoft notes that manual POP/IMAP setup requires values supplied by the email provider.^1^

4. If only the existing Outlook profile still fails

Create a separate test profile rather than deleting the existing one:

1. Close Outlook.
2. Open Control Panel → Mail (Microsoft Outlook) → Show Profiles.
3. Select Add, create a profile, and configure the mailbox.
4. Select Prompt for a profile to be used, then start Outlook with the test profile.
5. If the new profile works, make it the default after confirming that all required mailbox data is available.

Profile repair or replacement is Microsoft’s next path when Classic Outlook’s local profile is damaged.^4^

When escalating to the hosting provider, include the time of the failed attempt, whether webmail works, the configured account type, incoming and outgoing server names, ports, encryption modes, Outlook version from File → Office Account → About Outlook, and the exact error message—without sending the password.

References

1. Troubleshoot Outlook email setup | Microsoft Support
2. constant error "Continuous Password Prompt Glitch" when I try to sign in - Microsoft Q&A
3. [Classic Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/outlook/getstarted/add-an-email-account-to-outlook-for-windows#troubleshoot)
4. [Classic Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/outlook/i-can-t-send-or-receive-messages-in-outlook#repair-your-classic-outlook-program)