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‘We Need to Fix Your Microsoft Account’ issue is a serious problem with your Microsoft account that could cause your apps to stop working. This error could show up on different devices. We need to fix your Microsoft account” message every time you log in to your Windows computer? Or does the error message show up at random times when you use your computer? When you try to use certain Microsoft apps, like Windows Mail or Calendar, you might sometimes get the following message.
Most likely, you’re getting this error because there’s a problem with the “Shared experiences” settings in Windows 10. This is a feature that makes it easy to share files between different Windows devices. Windows may also show the “Microsoft account problem” message if there is a problem with the file system or if your PC can’t sync your account information with the Microsoft server. Here are the ways to fix ‘We Need to Fix Your Microsoft Account’ issue.
What is the “We Need to Fix Your Microsoft Account” issue?
OneDrive, Skype, Office 365, and the Edge browser are all built into Windows. Microsoft connects your account to these services so that they work well in the background. The ‘we need to fix your account’ banner appears when the company can’t verify your account information. You might get an error message when you’re using your computer that tells you to fix your Microsoft account. Here is the error message in its entirety: You need to fix your Microsoft Account for apps on your other devices before you can use this device to open apps and continue experiences.
Most of the time, Windows shows the “we need to fix your account” error when it can’t sync your Microsoft account with things like OneDrive, Office, or Edge that are running in the background. Microsoft can’t verify your account information, so it needs to verify your account before it can sync your services. Windows could also show the error if the “shared experiences” settings are wrong, if system files are damaged, or if there are too many connected accounts. There are a few things you can try to fix it.
Why do I get the “We Need to Fix Your Microsoft Account” issue?
- Incorrect sign-in information: If you enter incorrect login credentials for your Microsoft account, it can trigger the issue. Make sure you enter the correct email address and password.
- Expired password: If your Microsoft account password has expired, you may encounter this issue. Microsoft often requires users to change their passwords periodically for security reasons. Try resetting your password to resolve the problem.
- Security measures: Microsoft has implemented various security measures to protect user accounts. If Microsoft detects any suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts, it may temporarily lock your account and display the “We Need to Fix Your Microsoft Account” message. In such cases, you may need to go through an account recovery process or contact Microsoft support for assistance.
- Account verification: Sometimes, Microsoft may require additional verification to ensure the security of your account. This can include providing a phone number or alternate email address to receive a verification code. Failure to complete the verification process can lead to the account issue.
- Outdated software or settings: Using outdated software or settings on your device can cause compatibility issues with your Microsoft account, resulting in the error message. Ensure that your operating system, web browser, and related software are up to date.
Ways to Fix ‘We Need to Fix Your Microsoft Account’ issue
Fix the Problem via Settings
Sometimes, the error shows up on your Windows 10 PC or Windows Phone after a major update. This method could also be helpful in other situations, and we strongly suggest that you take a minute to try it out. No matter if you try it on your computer or your phone, it shouldn’t take more than a minute.

- Click Settings on your phone or click the gear icon at the bottom left of the Start menu on your PC and then click Settings.
- Go to Accounts > Email & app accounts and look for the “Fix” option for the account that is giving you trouble.
- You may have to re-enter your login information before you can move on.
- After that, check to see if the problem is fixed.
Move Apps Back to Phone Storage
If you use the same Microsoft account on both your Windows 10 computer and your Windows phone, this method should be able to fix the problem. This error shows up when other things go wrong, like when you can’t update apps on your phone. It can be fixed by moving the apps from your phone’s SD card back into the phone’s storage. Follow the steps below to give this a try.
- Open Settings on your Windows Phone and click on the Storage area.
- Click “Phone” and then “Apps & Games.”
- This should bring up a list of all the apps you have on your phone.
- Find the apps that don’t update properly and click on them to open a window that shows how much space they use.
- You should see the option to move to the phone’s storage. Click on it.
- Do the same thing for every app you have on your computer.
- Check to see if the annoying message is no longer there.
Update Windows to the Latest Version
If the error is caused by a bug in your Windows installation, it won’t be long before the problem is noticed by Microsoft and a patch is made available to fix it right away. Most likely, the patch has already been made available, but you may not have been able to get it in time. It might have something to do with how your computer installs updates. In either case, follow the steps below to install all of the updates right away.
- Right-click the Start menu button.
- Click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) option from the context menu.
- If Command Prompt is there instead of PowerShell, look for it in the Start menu or the search bar.
- Right-click on the first result.
- Choose “Run as administrator” from the menu that comes up.
- Type “cmd” into the PowerShell console.
- Wait for PowerShell to switch to the cmd-like window.
- In the “cmd”-like console, type the following command: wuauclt.exe /updatenow.
- Press Enter.
- Give this command at least an hour to complete.
- Check back to see if any updates were found and installed without any problems.
- This method works for all versions of Windows, including Windows 10.
Log out and Back in
Users have said that there was a strange fix where they logged out of their usual account but couldn’t sign in with their usual password. This is a strange bug or feature: Windows automatically links your Microsoft ID to your PC, and you have to log back in with this ID to use your computer normally again. Here’s an example:
- Click the Start button.
- Click the Account icon at the top of the icons on the right.
- Look for a button that says Sign out.
- Alternatively, press the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys at the same time.
- This will bring up a blue screen with different options.
- Pick Sign out or Change users.
- When you try to sign in to your account again, you may find that your old password doesn’t work and that other things have changed.
- Try logging back into Windows with your Microsoft ID credentials (username and password).
- Now, things should be fine.
Use Group Policy
Group Policy is always useful as long as you follow the right steps for the situation. Inside the Group Policy environment, you can change a lot of settings and options, so you should be able to solve your problem if you follow the steps below.
- Press the Windows Key and the R key at the same time to open the Run box on your computer.
- In the Run box, type “gpedit.msc” and press the OK button to open the Group Policy Editor.
- In the Local Group Policy Editor, double-click on Administrative Templates under User Configuration on the left side.
- Navigate to Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > Notifications.
- Double-click the Notifications folder to open it, then go to the right side.
- Double-click on the policy option that says “Turn off toast notifications,” check the box next to “Enabled,” and then apply the changes you’ve made before leaving the Group Policy Editor.
- Lastly, restart your computer to save these changes, and then check to see if the annoying message has gone away.
Questions and Answers
Check Settings > Accounts > Your Info to see if there is a Verify your account button. If so, check it out because this can lead to these problems. Do you have an account for work or school on your home computer? Go to Settings > Accounts > Access Work & School to do this.
Most of the time, an old account is caused by a wrong password. In the notification bar at the top of the Mail or Calendar app, tap Fix account. If your password is wrong, you will get a message telling you to change it. Type in the new password and then click “Done.”
Microsoft temporarily locks accounts when strange activity is seen to help protect them from fraud or abuse. Sign in to your Microsoft account and follow the steps to get a security code. This will let you unlock your account.