How to change your password in Outlook for mail accounts, data files and in the web app

If you link your e-mail address with Outlook you will need to enter your e-mail account password. Outlook stores the password to automatically retrieve and view messages that arrive in your mailbox. Consequently, if you change your password at any time (for security reasons, for example) you will need to also make those changes in Outlook, as otherwise the client application will no longer be able to access the account and your e-mails.

Unless the account you set up is a Microsoft Exchange account (this can only be done with the help of an administrator), you can change your Microsoft Outlook password in just a few steps. But how can you do this within the desktop client? And how does this work for other Outlook passwords, such as data file passwords and Outlook Web App?

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How to change your e-mail password in Outlook

If you have changed your e-mail account password at hotmail.com, Gmail, or elsewhere, and you would like to also make this change in your Outlook client, you must first open the account settings in Microsoft Outlook. Click on the “File” tab that is located on the far left of the menu bar with your e-mail clients:

Outlook 2016: Start view
Click on the tab “File” to open your account information in Outlook.

Select “Account Settings” and then in the pop-up menu again click on “Account Settings:”

Account Information in Outlook 2016
To change your e-mail password in Outlook you are required to make the change within the account settings.

Outlook presents you with all the e-mail accounts you have linked to the Microsoft client. Click on the account name for which you want to change the password, and press the option “Change.”

Outlook account settings: overview of linked e-mail addresses
Outlook lists all connected e-mail accounts alphabetically in the account settings, displaying the standard account information and informing you about the underlying protocol types (POP3, IMAP, Microsoft Exchange).

Insert the correct new password for your desired e-mail address and click “Next” and then “Finish.”

Server and registration settings for the selected e-mail account in Outlook 2016
Select the option “Remember password” if you want to change your Outlook password and do not want to have to enter it again every time.

How to change your password for an Outlook data file

When you link mail accounts to Outlook, the client stores various pieces of information, such as calendar entries, contracts, and copies of sent and received messages, locally in Outlook data files (PST or OST files) on your hard disk. To protect them from external access, you can password protect these data files. If you want to make use of this option or change the current password for an Outlook data file, follow these steps:

From the default view of your Outlook client (the “Start” tab) right-click on the e-mail account for which you want to start using a data file password, or want to change the existing password. In the pop-up menu, select the option “Data File Properties.”

Outlook 2016: e-mail account quick menu
The format of the data file is determined by the account type: information from POP and IMAP accounts will be saved in the PST folder, while files from Outlook or Exchange accounts will go in the OST folder.

Click on “Advanced Search” and select “Change Password”:

Outlook Data File menu
From the data file menu, you can not only change or assign a password, but also change the location of the file, rename, or compress it.

At this point you can assign a new password to the file or change the current one. In either scenario, enter the password of your choice in the line “New password” and then enter it again to confirm in the line below (“Confirm password”). When changing an existing password, you will need to enter the currently valid password in the first line. If required, save the new password in the Outlook password list and confirm the changes by clicking “Ok.”

Outlook data file: menu for password change
For Exchange profiles you cannot change passwords, as the Exchange network password is used by default to protect the information in the OST file.

Change password in the Outlook web app (OWA)

The Outlook web app (OWA) lets you use the Microsoft e-mail client away from your PC and without requiring installation on another device. To do this, log into Microsoft’s web-based e-mail client solution with your address and password. To change the password, simply bring up the account settings by clicking on your user profile and selecting “My Account.”

The Outlook web app: overview of accounts
The Outlook web app account menu can be selected by clicking on your profile picture or profile name.

In the following overview select the item “Security and Privacy.”

OWA: account menu
Account management allows you to manage your Outlook web app password, customize your profile photo, manage your personal information, or view subscription and app permissions information.

Click on “Password” and the web app will automatically redirect you to the landing page where you can change your Microsoft Outlook password.

Area to change password in the Microsoft Outlook web app
Enter a new password and Microsoft will automatically let you know how secure it is (“Password strength”).

Enter your current password and then the new password, confirming it once again in the next line, before completing the change and clicking “submit.”

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