How do I clear my credential manager?

Clearing your Credential Manager is a key step to resolve persistent login issues, especially after password changes or when troubleshooting connection problems with various applications and websites. This process involves removing stored usernames and passwords, prompting applications to ask for new authentication details.

Steps to Clear Your Credential Manager

Follow these steps to effectively clear your Credential Manager:

1. Access Credential Manager

There are a couple of straightforward ways to open the Credential Manager on your Windows computer:

• Via Search:
  1. Click the Start button or press the Windows key.
  2. Type "Credential Manager" into the search bar.
  3. Select Credential Manager from the search results.
• Via Control Panel:
  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Change the "View by" option to Large icons or Small icons, if necessary.
  3. Click on Credential Manager.

2. Understand Credential Types

Once in the Credential Manager, you'll typically see two main sections:

• Web Credentials: These are credentials saved by web browsers (like Edge, Chrome, Firefox) for websites you visit. Removing these will require you to re-enter your username and password the next time you visit those sites.
• Windows Credentials: These store login information for network shares, connected devices, and various Windows-based applications, including Microsoft Office programs and other desktop software. This section also encompasses "Generic Credentials" which often include application-specific login tokens.

3. Remove Specific Credentials

You can choose to remove all credentials or target specific ones causing issues.

Clearing Web Credentials

1. Click on Web Credentials to expand the list of saved web logins.
2. Locate the credential you wish to remove.
3. Click the down arrow icon next to the credential to expand its details.
4. Click Remove or Remove from vault.
5. Confirm your action when prompted.

Clearing Windows Credentials (Including Office 365/Microsoft Office)

1. Click on Windows Credentials to expand the list.
2. In the Windows Credentials and Generic Credentials sections, you can find and remove all stored credentials that refer to Office 365 or Microsoft Office applications. To do this, simply select the specific credential entry (often labeled with "MicrosoftOffice", "Office365", "MS.Outlook", or similar names) and then click the Remove option.
3. For other Windows credentials, identify the entry related to the application or service causing problems.
4. Click the down arrow next to the credential to view its details.
5. Click Remove.
6. Confirm your action when prompted.

When to Clear Credentials

Clearing credentials can be a vital troubleshooting step in several scenarios:

• Login Failures: If you're consistently unable to log into an application or website despite knowing your password.
• Password Changes: After changing your password for an online service or network, applications might still be trying to use the old, saved credential, leading to login errors.
• Account Migration: When migrating to a new account or domain, old credentials might interfere with new access.
• Security Concerns: If you suspect unauthorized access or simply want to remove old, unused login information.
• Application Troubleshooting: Many desktop applications that integrate with online services rely on Credential Manager. Clearing relevant entries can often fix connection issues.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage and clear your stored credentials, resolving many common login and application access problems.