How to Retrieve Email Password in Outlook

If you’ve forgotten the password for your email account and use Microsoft Outlook to read and send messages, you may be able to retrieve it directly from Outlook’s saved credentials. This guide walks you through the exact steps to recover your password using Windows Credential Manager, Outlook’s account settings, and a few alternative methods that work for both classic Outlook and the new Outlook for Windows.

What You’ll Need

• Access to the Windows computer where Outlook is installed and where you last signed in successfully.
• Administrator rights on that computer (required to view and edit saved credentials).
• Your Windows login password (needed to open Credential Manager).
• If you use two-factor authentication, you may need your phone or authentication app to verify your identity when resetting the password through your email provider.

Step-by-Step

1. Close Outlook completely. Right-click the Outlook icon in the system tray (bottom-right near the clock) and choose “Exit” to ensure no processes are locking the credential files.
2. Open Windows Credential Manager. Press the Windows key, type “Credential Manager”, and press Enter. Alternatively, go to Control Panel → User Accounts → Credential Manager.
3. Select “Windows Credentials”. In the Credential Manager window, click the “Windows Credentials” tab. This is where Outlook stores its login info for email servers.
4. Find your email account. Scroll through the list under “Generic Credentials”. Look for entries that start with “Microsoft Office” or contain your email address (e.g., MicrosoftOffice16_Data:Outlook:yourname@domain.com).
5. Expand the entry and click “Show”. Click the small arrow next to the entry to expand it. Then click the “Show” link next to the password field. Windows will ask for your computer’s login password (the one you use to sign into Windows). Enter it and click “OK”.
6. Note the password. The password will appear in plain text. Write it down or copy it to a secure location. Do not leave it visible on screen longer than necessary.
7. If the password is not there, check Outlook’s account settings. Open Outlook, go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings. Select your email account and click “Change”. In the window that opens, click “More Settings” → “Outlook Anywhere” or “Advanced” tab (depending on your version). Look for a “Password” field that may be pre-filled. If it shows dots, you can often reveal it by clearing and retyping, but this only works if you already know it.
8. For the new Outlook for Windows (free version): Open the new Outlook, click the gear icon (Settings) → Accounts → Email accounts. Select your account, click “Manage”, then “Change mailbox sync settings”. You may see a password field, but it’s usually hidden. Instead, use the “Repair” option which will prompt you to re-enter the password – but that doesn’t reveal the old one.
9. Use the registry as a last resort (advanced). Press Win+R, type regedit, and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Profiles\Outlook\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676. Look for a key named 001f6622 or 001f6623. The password might be stored in a binary or string value, but it’s often encrypted and not readable. This method is not recommended unless you’re comfortable with the registry.
10. If all else fails, reset the password with your email provider. Go to your email provider’s website (e.g., Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo) and use the “Forgot password” link. Follow their verification steps (usually via phone or alternate email). Once reset, update Outlook with the new password.

Common Mistakes

• Looking in the wrong Credential Manager tab. Outlook stores credentials under “Windows Credentials”, not “Web Credentials”.
• Checking while Outlook is still running. Outlook locks its credential files; you must close it completely before Credential Manager shows the latest entries.
• Confusing the Windows password with the email password. Credential Manager asks for your Windows login password to reveal any stored password – that’s not the email password itself.
• Assuming the password is stored in Outlook’s settings. In modern Outlook, the password is rarely shown in Account Settings; it’s almost always stored in Credential Manager.
• Using the registry without proper knowledge. Editing the registry can corrupt your Outlook profile if done incorrectly.

Tips

• If you find the password, consider updating it to something you’ll remember, and store it in a reputable password manager.
• Enable two-factor authentication on your email account for extra security – this also gives you a backup way to reset the password.
• If you use a work or school account, the password may be managed by your IT department. Contact them instead of trying to retrieve it yourself.
• For Outlook.com accounts, you can also check the password by signing into the web version – if you’re already logged in there, you can change the password without knowing the old one.
• Keep your Windows account password handy – you’ll need it every time you want to reveal a stored credential.

Troubleshooting

No credential entry found. If you don’t see any entry related to Outlook or your email, it’s possible that Outlook is configured to use OAuth (modern authentication) and doesn’t store the password locally. In that case, you cannot retrieve it from the computer. Proceed to reset via your email provider.

“Show” button is grayed out. This usually happens when the credential is managed by the system or when you don’t have administrator rights. Log in with an admin account and try again.

Password shown is wrong or outdated. Outlook may have cached an old password. Try removing the credential entry (click “Remove”) and then restart Outlook – it will prompt you for the password, and you can enter the correct one. This doesn’t recover the old one, but it fixes the login issue.

Credential Manager is empty. If you’re using a Microsoft account (e.g., @outlook.com) with modern authentication, the password is stored in the cloud, not locally. You cannot retrieve it from your PC.

Outlook keeps asking for password after retrieval. If you found a password but Outlook still prompts, it might be because the password is for a different server (e.g., IMAP vs Exchange). Check the incoming/outgoing server settings in Account Settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I retrieve my Outlook email password from my phone?

No, the password is not stored in the Outlook mobile app. You can only reset it via your email provider’s website.

Is it legal to retrieve my own email password?

Yes, retrieving your own password for your own account is perfectly legal. However, attempting to access someone else’s account without permission is illegal.

Why doesn’t Outlook show my password in Account Settings?

For security, Outlook hides passwords and stores them in Windows Credential Manager. The password field in Account Settings is often left blank or shows only dots.

What if I use a work or school email account?

Your IT department controls the password. Contact them directly – they can reset it for you, and they may have policies that prevent local retrieval.

Can I use the registry to find my password?

It’s possible, but the password is usually encrypted and not human-readable. It’s not worth the risk of corrupting your Outlook profile.

What’s the easiest way to reset my Outlook.com password?

Go to account.live.com/password/reset, follow the prompts, and you’ll receive a verification code via email or phone. After resetting, update Outlook with the new password.

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