Microsoft 365 stop functioning

Microsoft 365 cannot directly fix or reset an AOL email account password. The AOL account and its password are managed by AOL, not by Microsoft.

To troubleshoot:

1. Verify the AOL account password
   • Try signing in to the AOL webmail site in a browser using the same email address and password.
   • If sign-in fails there as well, use AOL’s account recovery or password reset options to regain access.
2. Update the account in Outlook/Microsoft 365 after the password is fixed
   • Once the AOL password is successfully reset and confirmed working on the web:
     • Open Outlook (classic Outlook for Microsoft 365).
     • Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings….
     • Select the AOL account and choose Repair or Change.
     • Enter the new AOL password when prompted and complete the wizard.
   • If Outlook still fails to connect, remove and re-add the AOL account in Outlook using the updated password.
3. If Outlook still will not connect
   • Run Windows Update to ensure Outlook and Office are fully updated, as out-of-date software can cause connection issues.
   • If using classic Outlook and the account was added with the wrong account type (for example, not using the correct IMAP/POP settings for AOL), remove the account and re-add it with the correct type and settings.

If the Microsoft 365 sign-in itself (for the Microsoft account) has also stopped working, use the Microsoft account recovery flow:

1. Go to Recover your account at https://account.live.com/password/reset.
2. Enter the Microsoft email/phone/Skype name used for Microsoft 365.
3. Choose where to receive the security code and complete the verification steps.
4. Set a new password and then sign back in to Microsoft 365.

If the Microsoft account still cannot be found or recovered after this, contact Microsoft support using the Contact support option provided in the account help article.

References:

• My username and password have stopped working
• Troubleshoot Outlook email setup
• Fix Outlook connection problems for Microsoft 365 account