Unwanted microsoft pop up on start

Mark Martin 0 Reputation points
2026-10-14T16:20:28.2766667+00:00

In the last two days I have started to get a pop up when I start up. This states: "Microsoft. We need a little more help. It looks like this email is used with more than one account with Microsoft. Which one do you want to use?" (Work or personal). The email is not one that I use anymore and I do not use outlook. The email is one that I have used in the past, though it does not appear in my microsoft account. I think that this is related to an update which reinstalled outlook. I did try to delete outlook, but that has not helped.

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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Hornblower409 16,820 Reputation points
2026-10-15T02:13:51.35+00:00

@Mark Martin said

In the last two days I have started to get a pop up when I start up ... I did try to delete outlook, but that has not helped.

Looks like this is probably coming from Windows or another Office App.

1 -- When the popup appears, please look in Task Manager immediately afterward and see whether OneDrive, Teams, Copilot, or any Office application has started automatically?

2 -- Under Windows Settings > Accounts > Your Accounts, and Settings -> Accounts -> Access work or school, do you see that old email address listed?

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  1. Emma1-N 13,700 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-15T03:09:38.89+00:00

    Welcome Mark Martin,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand an old email address is unexpectedly triggering a Microsoft work-or-personal account prompt each time Windows starts, and uninstalling Outlook did not stop it.

    Does the prompt appear immediately after signing in to Windows, before you open any application? Also, if you search for Credential Manager from Start, do you see any Windows or Generic credential containing the old email address?

    In the meantime, you can try these steps:

    1, Check for the old account under Email & accounts.

    • Open Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts.
    • Check both Accounts used by email, calendar, and contacts and Accounts used by other apps.
    • If the old account is listed and you no longer use it, select it and remove it.

    2, Check Windows Credential Manager.

    • Search Start for Credential Manager and open it.
    • Select Windows Credentials.
    • Expand Generic Credentials and look carefully for entries associated with the old Microsoft/Office account.
    • Remove only credentials you can identify as belonging to that old account.

    3, Restart Windows and check whether the account-selection prompt returns.

    Looking forward to your update.

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