How to Fix Outlook Error 0x800ccc92 - Authentication Rejected

Understanding Error 0x800ccc92: Authentication Failure

This error occurs exclusively during the authentication phase of sending emails. Here's what's happening behind the scenes:

• Successful connection: Outlook connects to smtp.yourdomain.com
• Authentication attempt: Outlook sends your username and password
• Server rejection: The server responds with "Authentication failed"
• Error display: Outlook shows error 0x800ccc92

Primary causes in order of frequency:

• Incorrect password (70% of cases) - Most common after password changes
• Two-factor authentication enabled without app-specific password
• Wrong username format (using partial email instead of full address)
• Authentication method mismatch (SPA enabled when server requires normal login)
• Account locked or suspended by email provider
• Less secure app access disabled (Gmail-specific)
• Password expired on corporate Exchange servers

Method 1: Verify and Update Your Password

In 70% of cases, error 0x800ccc92 is caused by an incorrect password. This often happens after changing your email password through your provider's website without updating it in Outlook.

1. First, verify your password works by logging into your email provider's webmail:
   • Gmail: Go to mail.google.com
   • Outlook.com: Go to outlook.live.com
   • Yahoo: Go to mail.yahoo.com
2. If you can't log in via webmail, reset your password there first
3. Once you confirm the correct password, open Outlook
4. Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings
5. Select your email account and click Change
6. In the password field, delete the old password completely (important: don't just type over it)
7. Type your current password carefully (watch for caps lock, spaces, or special characters)
8. Click Next to test the account
9. If successful, click Finish
10. Send a test email to confirm the fix

Password tips to avoid errors:

• Copy-paste passwords from a password manager when possible to avoid typos
• If typing manually, use Notepad to verify the password before entering it in Outlook
• Check for extra spaces at the beginning or end of the password field
• Verify caps lock is off—passwords are case-sensitive
• Special characters (!, @, #, $) are common sources of typos

Method 2: Generate App-Specific Password (For 2FA Accounts)

If you've enabled two-factor authentication on your email account, you cannot use your regular password in Outlook. You must generate an app-specific password instead. This is required for Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, and most major providers with 2FA enabled.

For Gmail Accounts:

1. Go to myaccount.google.com
2. Click Security in the left sidebar
3. Under "Signing in to Google", click 2-Step Verification
4. Scroll down and click App passwords
5. You may need to sign in again
6. In the "Select app" dropdown, choose Mail
7. In the "Select device" dropdown, choose Windows Computer or Other (Custom name)
8. Click Generate
9. Google will display a 16-character password (e.g., "abcd efgh ijkl mnop")
10. Copy this password immediately (you won't see it again)
11. In Outlook, go to account settings and paste this app password instead of your regular password
12. Remove spaces when pasting (or type it as one continuous string)

For Microsoft Account (Outlook.com, Hotmail):

1. Go to account.microsoft.com/security
2. Click Advanced security options
3. Under "App passwords", click Create a new app password
4. Copy the generated password
5. Use this password in Outlook instead of your regular password

For Yahoo Mail:

1. Go to Yahoo Account Security
2. Click Generate app password
3. Select Outlook Desktop from the app dropdown
4. Click Generate
5. Copy the password and use it in Outlook

Important: App passwords are one-time use. Write them down or save them in a password manager. If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one.

Method 3: Correct Username Format

Many users enter only their username (e.g., "john") instead of their full email address (e.g., "john@gmail.com"). Most modern email servers require the complete email address for authentication.

1. Open Outlook and go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings
2. Select your email account and click Change
3. Check the User Name field
4. Ensure it contains your complete email address, not just the username:
   • ❌ Wrong: "john" or "john.smith"
   • ✅ Correct: "john@gmail.com" or "john.smith@company.com"
5. Click More Settings → Outgoing Server tab
6. Verify the User Name there also shows the full email address
7. If it's different, correct it to match the incoming server username
8. Click OK, then Next, then Finish
9. Test sending an email

Provider-specific username requirements:

• Gmail: Always use full email: yourname@gmail.com
• Outlook.com/Hotmail: Full email: yourname@outlook.com or yourname@hotmail.com
• Yahoo: Full email: yourname@yahoo.com
• Corporate Exchange: May use domain\username or email address (check with IT)
• Custom domains: Always full email: yourname@yourdomain.com

Method 4: Disable Secure Password Authentication (SPA)

Outlook has an option called "Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)" which uses Windows authentication instead of standard username/password. Most email providers don't support SPA, causing authentication failures when it's enabled.

1. In Outlook, go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings
2. Select your email account and click Change
3. Click More Settings
4. Go to the Outgoing Server tab
5. Ensure "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" is checked
6. Select "Use same settings as my incoming mail server"
7. Go to the Advanced tab
8. Look for "Require logon using Secure Password Authentication (SPA)" under both incoming and outgoing server sections
9. Uncheck this option for both servers (unless you're on a corporate Exchange server that specifically requires it)
10. Click OK, then Next, then Finish
11. Restart Outlook and test

When to enable SPA: Only enable SPA if you're on a corporate network using Microsoft Exchange and your IT department specifically instructs you to. For Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook.com, and most standard email providers, SPA should always be disabled.

Method 5: Enable "Less Secure Apps" or Modern Authentication

Email providers are increasingly requiring modern authentication methods. If you're using an older Outlook version, you may need to enable specific settings on your email provider's website.

For Gmail (Accounts Without 2FA):

1. Go to myaccount.google.com/lesssecureapps
2. Turn on "Allow less secure apps"
3. Note: This option is only available if 2FA is disabled
4. Return to Outlook and test your account

For Outlook.com (Modern Authentication):

1. Open Outlook 2016 or later
2. When adding/modifying your account, choose Exchange as the account type
3. Enter your Outlook.com email address
4. A browser window will pop up asking you to sign in
5. Sign in with your Microsoft account (this uses modern OAuth authentication)
6. Grant Outlook permission to access your account
7. Your account will be configured automatically with modern authentication

For Yahoo Mail (Enable Third-Party Access):

1. Go to Yahoo Account Security
2. Toggle on "Allow apps that use less secure sign in"
3. This allows Outlook to authenticate with your Yahoo account
4. Alternatively, generate an app password for better security

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

Check for Account Lock or Suspension

Log into your email provider's website directly. If you see messages about "unusual activity", "account suspended", or "security alert", follow the provider's instructions to unlock your account. Common triggers include logging in from new locations, too many failed login attempts, or suspected spam activity.

Update Outlook to Latest Version

Older versions of Outlook may not support modern authentication protocols. Go to File → Office Account → Update Options → Update Now. Microsoft regularly updates authentication methods to meet provider requirements.

Recreate Outlook Profile

If password corrections don't work, your Outlook profile may have corrupted authentication credentials. Create a fresh profile: Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles → Add. Create a new profile and configure your account from scratch.

Check Server Outages

Rarely, authentication errors can be server-side. Check your email provider's status page:

• Gmail: Google Workspace Status
• Outlook.com: Microsoft Service Status
• Yahoo: Check @YahooCare on Twitter

Prevention and Best Practices

• Use a password manager to avoid typos and track password changes
• Enable two-factor authentication and use app passwords for better security
• When changing your email password, update it in Outlook immediately
• Keep a record of app passwords in a secure location
• Update Outlook regularly to support latest authentication protocols
• For corporate accounts, coordinate password changes with IT to avoid lockouts
• Test email sending/receiving after any password or security changes

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I changed my password and updated it in Outlook, but still get error 0x800ccc92. Why?

A: There are multiple password fields in Outlook. Check both: 1) Main account password (File → Account Settings → Change), and 2) Outgoing server password (More Settings → Outgoing Server tab). They should both match your current password. Also verify you're using the correct username format (full email address).

Q: What's the difference between an app password and my regular password?

A: Your regular password is what you use to log into websites. An app password is a unique, randomly generated password specifically for email clients like Outlook. It allows Outlook to access your email without bypassing two-factor authentication security. App passwords work only for specific apps and can be revoked individually without changing your main password.

Q: Do I need to update my password on all my devices?

A: Yes. If you change your email password or generate a new app password, you must update it on every device and application that accesses that email account—phone, tablet, other computers, and email clients. Each device needs the current authentication credentials.

Q: Can I use the same app password for multiple devices?

A: Yes, technically you can reuse the same app password on multiple devices. However, for better security, it's recommended to generate a unique app password for each device. This way, if one device is lost or compromised, you can revoke only that app password without affecting your other devices.

Q: Why does Outlook work with POP3 but not SMTP?

A: Error 0x800ccc92 is an outgoing server (SMTP) authentication error. Some email providers use different authentication requirements for incoming (POP3/IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) servers. Check your outgoing server settings specifically—it may require authentication when your incoming server doesn't, or vice versa. Ensure "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication" is checked in More Settings → Outgoing Server.