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Adding one exchange account from work and one personal account doesn't work in Outlook classic

Shreenanda Ghosh 20 Reputation points
2025-11-23T01:31:37.3333333+00:00

I am trying to have one personal Outlook.com account and one work Exchange account coexist in Outlook Classic. It does not work at all; Outlook New doesn't even show the option, Outlook Classic keeps crashing, and signing in to the personal account 1000 times doesn't work; it keeps asking for the login or password or sends a code in the associated email. And then repeats it. Also, how can I ensure I can use the apps from the work account's subscription and not from my personal account? Please help.

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For education
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  1. Viego An 5,815 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-25T12:03:45.6366667+00:00

    Dear @Shreenanda Ghosh,

    Thank you for your response.

    From your description, you’re facing two related issues: Device registration failing when activating Microsoft 365 with your work account and Outlook crashing or repeatedly requesting credentials when trying to use both a personal and work account in Outlook Classic

    These behaviors are typically caused by conflicting profiles, cached credentials, or device registration/Entra ID (Azure AD) issues. Please try the following steps in order:

    1. Disconnect your device from work/school accounts

    • Go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school
    • If your work account is listed, select it and click Disconnect
    • Restart your computer

    2. Clear cached Office and Windows credentials

    • Open Control Panel > Credential Manager
    • Select Windows Credentials and Generic Credentials
    • Remove any entries related to: MicrosoftOffice Outlook ADAL MSOID Your work email address
    • Restart your device

    3. Remove old Outlook profiles

    • Close Outlook
    • Open Control Panel > Mail (Microsoft Outlook)
    • Click Show Profiles
    • Remove all existing profiles
    • Create a new clean profile and only add your work account first

    4. Test Outlook Behavior

    After completing the previous steps:

    First, test Outlook with only your work Exchange account.

    Once it runs smoothly, add your personal Outlook.com account.

    Outlook Classic can experience instability when combining Exchange work accounts and personal Outlook.com accounts in a single profile. To avoid issues, Microsoft recommends one of the following approaches:

    • Use separate Windows profiles, or
    • Switch to Outlook (New), or
    • Access mail via Outlook on the Web.

    5. About device registration failure

    If device registration still fails after these steps, this usually indicates: A device limit in Entra ID or Conditional Access or Intune restrictions

    In that case, your organization’s IT administrator will need to check:

    • Entra ID > Devices Sign-in logs Conditional Access policies

    Please try the above and let us know if the issue persists.

    I hope this information is helpful. If you need any further assistance, please feel free to reach out. We are here to help. Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation.

    If you found the answer useful, please click "Accepted Answer" and kindly give it an upvote.

    If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to click "Comment" to continue the discussion.

    Note: To receive email notifications related to this thread, please follow the steps in our documentation to enable email alerts.

    1 person found this answer helpful.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-11-23T01:31:45.1+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    In Outlook Classic, adding both a personal Outlook.com account and a work Exchange account can lead to issues, especially if the accounts are not compatible. Here are some points to consider:

    1. Account Compatibility: Outlook Classic may not support certain account types or configurations. Ensure that the accounts you are trying to add are compatible with Outlook Classic. For instance, POP or on-premises Exchange accounts can cause problems.
    2. Multiple Exchange Accounts: If you are trying to add multiple Exchange accounts, you need to have Full Access permission to the additional Exchange mailboxes or the credentials to access them. If these conditions are not met, it can lead to unexpected behavior, including crashes.
    3. Login Issues: If you are repeatedly prompted for login credentials, it may be due to incorrect account settings or compatibility issues. Ensure that you are entering the correct credentials and that your accounts are set up properly.
    4. Using Work Account Apps: To ensure you can use the apps from your work account's subscription, make sure that your work account has the necessary licenses for the apps you want to use. If the account does not carry licenses for Outlook client apps, it may not function as expected.
    5. Troubleshooting Steps: If Outlook Classic keeps crashing, consider checking for updates, repairing the Office installation, or creating a new Outlook profile to see if that resolves the issue.

    If the problems persist, you may want to consider using the new Outlook for Windows, which supports a wider range of account types and may provide a more stable experience.

    References:

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  2. Viego An 5,815 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-23T09:15:43.2966667+00:00

    Dear @Shreenanda Ghosh, Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum. To better assist you, could you provide some additional details?  

    • Are you trying to use both accounts in the same Outlook profile, or are you open to using separate profiles for each account?
    • Have you already activated Microsoft 365 using your work account on your device, or is it currently activated under your personal account?

    These details will help us determine the best way to help. Looking forward to your response so we can assist you further!  

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