Unable to add Outlook.com account to Windows Mail App

[Kari]

Hi geeks.

Long version:

An old Microsoft email account (xxxxxxxx@MSN.COM) from the days before Hotmail when you still could get @msn.com addresses. Account correctly set up in Windows Mail App on Windows 8 machines, no issues. Account has one outlook.com alias.

This was the only email address I have had without two step verification. Last week something happened which made to rethink my complete online / domain / email security. I both changed the password of this @msn.com account to a very complicated one and set up the two step verification using the MS Authenticator App for Windows Phone 8. Tested the set up by logging out and logging back in with the new password and as it should be, outlook.com asked for the authentication code. All was well and working.

Next step was to open Windows Mail App and change the account password there. As expected, the Mail App told me to check settings of this account, clicking the Check Settings link opened the credentials dialog. I entered the xxxxxxxx@msn.com as email address, and the new password. Got an error message telling the credentials were wrong. Logged out, logged back in, tried again, could not get the app to accept credentials.

Signed out from Windows, back in, relaunched the Mail App, removed the xxxxxxxx@msn.com account as nothing I tried with original @msn.com or newer @outlook.com alias did work. From account settings I added a new account, trying both the original @msn.com and the @outlook.com aliases. Wrong credentials tells the app and does not let me add the account. Trying the same credentials on Outlook.com web interface works, no issues in signing in.

Notice that I am absolutely sure that although my new password is really complicated, I have typed it every time right. I have checked it using the View password feature, #1 in below screenshot:

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Short version:

Can't add an email account to Windows Mail App, credentials 100% sure correct.

Additional issue:

This might be impossible to solve: I would like to set my 20 years old original @msn.com address again as the primary alias but apparently it is not possible:

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It was the primary alias before the issues told above, has worked as an MS account to be used for instance as the login account for Windows 8.

Any ideas?

Kari

 

[Brink]

Hello Kari,

If your password has more than 16 characters, then that may be the issue. Test it with no more than 16 to see if you are able to add it afterwards.

 

[Kari]

Tested with a new password, changed to one with only 10 characters. Works well on web interface, using both aliases, but Windows Mail Account is still telling me about wrong credentials.

Anyway, thanks for the tip. I had not known the 16 character limit.

 

[Brink]

Is this outlook.com account the same Microsoft account that you use to sign in to Windows with?

If so, then usually it gets setup and added automatically to the Mail app.

 

[Kari]

No, this is not the MS account I use to sign in to Windows. I do not want to use it for anything else than as a contact email on both hosting companies I have my domains in.

I will try to set up an user account on this computer using this address, let's see if that works.

 

[ICit2lol]

No, this is not the MS account I use to sign in to Windows. I do not want to use it for anything else than as a contact email on both hosting companies I have my domains in.

I will try to set up an user account on this computer using this address, let's see if that works.

Kari I might be way off line but is what you are using WLM? because my work account I can add to accounts but being work will not download anything because of security.

 

[Kari]

No, I use Office Outlook for my "normal" email accounts, and Windows 8 Mail App for these MSN / Hotmail / Outlook.com accounts. I do not use WLM.

 

[Kari]

Is this outlook.com account the same Microsoft account that you use to sign in to Windows with?

If so, then usually it gets setup and added automatically to the Mail app.

No, this is not the MS account I use to sign in to Windows. I do not want to use it for anything else than as a contact email on both hosting companies I have my domains in.

I will try to set up an user account on this computer using this address, let's see if that works.

OK, I have no created a Windows 8.1 user account on three computers, a desktop and two laptops, using this MS account. All three computers gave when signing in first an error message about not being able to sign in at the moment, pleas try later. Rebooting and trying again accepts the credentials but all three computers only show black screen with cursor. A laptop here next to me ATM has been like that over 20 minutes now.

While in this black screen, I can press the CTRL + ALT + DEL and launch Task Manager. Users tab shows the account as signed in, the same if I go back to user selection screen, it shows the account as signed in, but none of the three computers never show anything else than a black screen with cursor. HDD light shows there's HDD activity.

Again, I can login to this MS account using both aliases from any browser on any computer.

 

[Brink]

Interesting that it'll let you setup the Microsoft account with the password on the PCs, but not let you sign in without an error.

Possibly not able to connect to the internet?

 

[Kari]

Internet is fine.

This 16 character password length limit, I did not know it exists. When changing the password and setting the two step verification (using web interface at outlook.com), I used a 24 character password. Outlook.com accepted it and as I have mentioned, I had no issues in logging out and back in to outlook.com.

When I had checked that the password works and two step verification is in place, I went to mail app to change the password, account had already been set up in Mail App but of course after changing the password you need update it in app. it's then when the difficulties started as described in previous posts.

After your tip about the 16 character limit I changed the the password again. Checked it works by signing out and in again, checked that two step verification works and again to Mail App to update password. No luck. Created a new Windows user profile using this MS account, as i mentioned it kind of signs me in but nothing happens; HDD is working all the time but I have just a black screen with cursor.

I apologize the quality of these photos made by my phone.

This is what I can see at the moment on a laptop, over hour and a half after I signed in to a new user profile using this MS account. Credentials were accepted, then I got this. HDD is working almost all the time, nothing else happens:

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I can press CTRL+ALT+DEL and select Task Manager:

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Task Manager shows I am logged in:

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Also selecting Switch User to enter user selection screen shows I am logged in. I have the same results from three computers, all are connected to Internet during the sign in process which is clearly seen if I switch user; I am able to sign in to Windows with all other MS accounts on all computers.

 

[DavidY]

Sorry if I'm off-beam here... but some mail apps need 'App Passwords' to work with accounts with 2-step turned on.
App passwords and two-step verification - Windows Help

Could that be worth a try?

 

[Brink]

David,

I bet that could just be the issue.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/24004-microsoft-account-app-passwords-create-remove.html

 

[Kari]

Yes, one obstacle cleared. Thanks David .

I was able to finally add this account to Mail App using the App Password feature. However, I am still unable to add a user profile to Windows 8.1 using this MS account, primary or alias.

 

[adamf]

You could try this troubleshooter How to Troubleshoot Microsoft Account Issues - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki

 

[Kari]

Some advance. One laptop, signed in to Windows 8 with my main MS account, deleted this problematic user profile. Rebooted, added the account again, switched user to sign in. This time I came this far, first step after giving your credentials:

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After that, again a black screen with visible cursor. Gave up after waiting over 20 minutes, HDD working all the time.