cannot log in to my school account on desktop microsoft apps

Question

cannot log in to my school account on desktop microsoft apps

Lina 0

It works when I log in on web, but it is inconvenient.

I tried to delete the sign in info from the setting but i can't log in to do so.

error code : 657rx

Ruby Nguyen 2,050 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-17T11:45:45.9733333+00:00

Hi Lina,

I hope you're having a good week.

I'm just checking in to see if there have been any updates on the issue. I hope things are moving in the right direction and that a resolution is near.

Whenever you have an update, I'd be grateful if you could let me know.

Thanks again for your time.

2 answers

Your answer

Ruby Nguyen 2,050 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-17T11:45:45.9733333+00:00

Hi Lina,

I hope you're having a good week.

I'm just checking in to see if there have been any updates on the issue. I hope things are moving in the right direction and that a resolution is near.

Whenever you have an update, I'd be grateful if you could let me know.

Thanks again for your time.

Answer 1

Good day Lina,

Since your school account works on the web but not in the Microsoft 365 desktop apps, I recommend checking the license assigned to your school account first.

To do this, please sign in at office.com using your school account, then go to Apps and more > More apps > Install apps > Microsoft 365 apps. Please review the Subscriptions section to see which license has been assigned to your school account:

Imagen del usuario

1/ If you have an Office 365 A1 license, you can use Word and other Office apps through your web browser, but you will not be able to activate the desktop version.

You can sign in to office.com, open the Apps and more > Select the Office app you would like to use online.

2/ If your school account has an A3, A5, or another license that includes desktop apps and you still receive error 657rx, please follow these steps:

Step 1: Please follow all the troubleshooting steps outlined in the AI Answer.

Step 2: If the issue still occurs after completing the previous steps, please reset the activation state of your school account.

Download OLicenseCleanup.vbs and launch it. With this package, you can delete the license, delete the identities saved in the registry, and delete the credentials.

You can follow this guide to reset your activation status: Reset activation state for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn

Restart your device.

Open any Office app and sign in with your school account again.

If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Answer 2

For error 657rx when the school account works on the web but not in desktop Microsoft 365 apps, the issue is commonly tied to cached credentials or a broken work/school account device registration on Windows.

Try this in order:

Sign out of all Microsoft 365 desktop apps
- Close Word, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, and other Office apps completely.
Clear the local AAD broker cache
- Open File Explorer.
- Paste this path into the address bar:
```
     %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
```
- Delete all files and folders there.
- Warning: this removes local sign-in cache for work/school authentication on the device.
Reconnect the school account in Windows
- Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
- If the school account is listed, select it and choose Disconnect.
- Then select Connect and sign in again with the school account to re-register the device.
- If the account is not listed, select Connect and add it.
Clear saved credentials
- Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager.
- Under Windows Credentials and Generic Credentials, remove entries related to the Microsoft 365 school account.
- Restart the PC.
Open one Office app and sign in again
- Start with Word or Excel.
- Sign in with the school account and check whether activation and account access now work.

If the problem started after many failed sign-in attempts, Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication can temporarily block more attempts. In that case, wait and try again later, or use a different MFA method if available.

If the account still works in the browser but continues to fail in desktop apps after the steps above, the issue may require the school IT administrator to investigate device registration, conditional access, or sign-in logs. In that case, contact the school IT helpdesk or ask the admin to open a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

References: