If the configured account is not an Exchange account (which can only be changed by an administrator), you can update the Outlook password yourself in just a few steps. But how exactly do you change the password for an email account in Outlook? And what about other Outlook-related passwords—such as those used for data files?

How to change your email password in Outlook quick guide

  1. Open the “File” tab.
  2. Go to “Account Settings” and open the “Manage Profiles” menu.
  3. Select the desired email account and click “Change…”.
  4. Update your Outlook password.
Note

These instructions apply to Microsoft 365 versions of Outlook as well as Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, and Outlook 2016. Depending on your version and Outlook view settings, the interface may vary slightly.

How to change your email password in Outlook step by step

If you’ve changed the password for your email account (e.g., Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) and want this change to take effect in your Outlook client, you’ll need to update your account settings in Outlook. To do this, start by opening the “File” tab. Then, under Account Information, click on “Account Settings”. In the pop-up menu, select “Manage Profiles”:

Image: Manage profiles in Outlook
To change the email password in Outlook, you also need to update the account settings.

In the Mail Setup window, select the option “Email Accounts”. Outlook will then display a list of all email accounts linked to your Microsoft client. Click on the account for which you want to change the password, and then click “Change…”.

Image: Outlook Account Settings: Overview of linked email Accounts
In the account settings, Outlook displays all configured email accounts in alphabetical order, indicates the default account, and provides information about the underlying protocol type (POP3, IMAP, Microsoft Exchange).

Now replace the password stored in Outlook with the new password for your email account. Then click “Next”, and finally “Finish”.

Image: Outlook 365: Server and login information
Select the “Save Password” option if you want to change the password in Outlook and avoid entering it manually each time you check your email.

How to change your password for an Outlook data file

When you link email accounts to Outlook, the client stores various types of information—such as calendar entries or contacts—as well as copies of sent and received messages locally in so-called Outlook data files (PST or OST files. PST files, in particular, can be password-protected for added security. If you want to take advantage of this feature—or change the current password of an existing PST Outlook data file—follow these steps:

Open the “File” tab and select “Account Settings”. In the pop-up menu, click “Manage Profiles”:

Image: Manage profile in in Outlook 365
You can manage data files just like email accounts through the “Manage Profiles” menu.

In the Mail Setup window, select the “Data Files” option. A menu will appear listing all currently available Outlook data files. Click on the desired PST file, then click the “Settings…” button.

Image: List of Outlook Data Files
You can easily identify whether a file is an OST or a PST file in the list of Outlook data files by looking at its file extension.

Enter the current password for the data file and then click “Change Password”. You’ll be prompted to enter the old password again and then set a new password for the data file.

Image: Outlook Data File menu: Change Password
In the data file menu, you can not only change or set a password, but also modify the file location, rename the file, or compress it.
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