Can't Sign in to Personal Account

Hi Toralu,

Being repeatedly forced to sign in with your personal account, while your work account works fine, must feel frustrating. Since Q&A Assist already covered general sign‑in troubleshooting, here’s a few additional checks you can consider:

1 - Reset the Windows account token cache

• Sign out of Microsoft Store, OneDrive, Outlook, Xbox app… everything
• Press Win + R > type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages > press Enter
• Delete (or rename) all of these folders if present:
  • Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
  • Microsoft.AccountsControl_*
• Restart the PC > Sign in first to Microsoft Store then open other apps.

2 - Remove and re‑add the personal account in Windows

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts
• Under Accounts used by other apps, remove the account
• Restart Windows > Add the account back and sign-in to Microsoft Store.

3 - Clear cached Windows credentials

• Press Win + R > type: control keymgr.dll > press Enter
• Remove any entries related to:
  • MicrosoftAccount
  • OneDrive
  • Xbox
• Restart and test again.

4 - Log out of all places then readd

• Sign into account.live.com/proofs/manage with your personal account
• Make sure you have verification methods ready (if use 2FA)
• Scroll to bottom and click Sign out everywhere
• Restart your PC and retry signing in.

If this still fails after multiple attempts, this might be a server‑side throttling caused by repeated failed background sign‑ins. In that case, Contact - Microsoft Support is the only supported resolution path.

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The errors and repeated sign‑in prompts indicate a problem with the personal Microsoft account itself rather than Windows or the apps, especially since the work account and browser sign‑in work.

Use the account self‑help and recovery tools to check and repair the personal account:

1. If the password has started failing intermittently, use the Sign‑in Helper tool described under “Recover lost access to your Microsoft account” to diagnose sign‑in issues for that personal account.
2. If the account password is forgotten or unreliable, reset it using the Reset your password flow, then sign out of the affected apps (Microsoft Store, OneDrive, Outlook, Xbox app) and sign back in with the new password.
3. If the username or email is not always recognized, follow “My username has stopped working” and “Look up your Microsoft account” to confirm the correct sign‑in name is being used in Windows and all apps.
4. If there are verification‑code or MFA issues when those apps try to re‑authenticate, follow the troubleshooting steps for verification codes to ensure security info (phone/email) is valid and working.
5. If sign‑in attempts have triggered temporary protection (too many attempts or suspicious activity), wait out any lockout period and then use the Sign‑in Helper tool again, as recommended under “Steps to recover your Microsoft account”.
6. If Windows sign‑in itself is affected (for example, if using the same personal Microsoft account to sign in to Windows), use the Windows sign‑in troubleshooting entry point and, if necessary, the Forgot your Microsoft account password path to re‑establish a clean sign‑in.

If these steps do not resolve the issue and the account appears blocked or compromised, continue with the Microsoft account recovery form and, if needed, escalate via the “I need to talk to a customer support agent” option listed under the Microsoft account FAQ.

References:

• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Troubleshoot Problems Signing In to Windows
• "We can't sign in to your account" error message