Office 2016 sign-in window not responding on multiple computers – unable to sign in

Question

Office 2016 sign-in window not responding on multiple computers – unable to sign in

Szymon 0

Hello,

We are experiencing an issue with Microsoft Office 2016 sign-in on multiple computers in our organization.

The problem is very similar to the one described here: “MS Office 2016 cannot sign in”

The Office sign-in window opens, but it does not work correctly. The controls inside the window are displayed, but clicking them does not allow us to continue the sign-in process. As a result, it is impossible to sign in with a Microsoft work or school account.

Important: this is not limited to a single computer or Windows user profile. We have now confirmed the same behavior on at least three different computers.

On one of the affected computers, we performed extensive troubleshooting:

Installed all available Windows updates.
Installed all available Microsoft Office updates.
Restarted the computer after applying the updates.
Confirmed that Office applications themselves start and work normally.
Tested the Microsoft account sign-in window again after the updates.
Reset the Windows Web Account Manager (WAM) components.
Restarted Windows after the WAM reset.
Ran the Microsoft Get Help / GetHelpCmd diagnostic tool.
Performed the troubleshooting and reset operations suggested by the Microsoft diagnostic tool.
Restarted the computer again after completing the diagnostic procedure.
Tested the issue again – the sign-in window still does not respond correctly.
Checked additional computers and confirmed that the same issue occurs there as well.

The issue therefore does not appear to be caused by a single Windows profile or a single PC.

All affected computers have the latest available Windows and Office updates installed.

Because the same problem appeared on several computers, we suspect that it may be related to a recent Windows or Office update, or to a change in the authentication/sign-in components used by Office 2016.

Office 2016 itself continues to work, but authentication through the Office sign-in window cannot be completed.

Screenshot of the issue is attached below.

[ATTACH SCREENSHOT HERE]

Could Microsoft please confirm:

whether this is a known issue affecting Office 2016,
whether any recent Windows or Office update may have caused this behavior,
whether there is a known issue with WAM / authentication components and Office 2016,
and whether there is currently a workaround or permanent fix?Hello, We are experiencing an issue with Microsoft Office 2016 sign-in on multiple computers in our organization. The problem is very similar to the one described here:
“MS Office 2016 cannot sign in” The Office sign-in window opens, but it does not work correctly. The controls inside the window are displayed, but clicking them does not allow us to continue the sign-in process. As a result, it is impossible to sign in with a Microsoft work or school account. Important: this is not limited to a single computer or Windows user profile. We have now confirmed the same behavior on at least three different computers. On one of the affected computers, we performed extensive troubleshooting:
- Installed all available Windows updates.
- Installed all available Microsoft Office updates.
- Restarted the computer after applying the updates.
- Confirmed that Office applications themselves start and work normally.
- Tested the Microsoft account sign-in window again after the updates.
- Reset the Windows Web Account Manager (WAM) components.
- Restarted Windows after the WAM reset.
- Ran the Microsoft Get Help / GetHelpCmd diagnostic tool.
- Performed the troubleshooting and reset operations suggested by the Microsoft diagnostic tool.
- Restarted the computer again after completing the diagnostic procedure.
- Tested the issue again – the sign-in window still does not respond correctly.
- Checked additional computers and confirmed that the same issue occurs there as well.
The issue therefore does not appear to be caused by a single Windows profile or a single PC. All affected computers have the latest available Windows and Office updates installed. Because the same problem appeared on several computers, we suspect that it may be related to a recent Windows or Office update, or to a change in the authentication/sign-in components used by Office 2016. Office 2016 itself continues to work, but authentication through the Office sign-in window cannot be completed. Screenshot of the issue is attached below. Could Microsoft please confirm:
- whether this is a known issue affecting Office 2016,
- whether any recent Windows or Office update may have caused this behavior,
- whether there is a known issue with WAM / authentication components and Office 2016,
- and whether there is currently a workaround or permanent fix?

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Answer 1

Hi Szymon,

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing this issue, and I understand how frustrating it must be, especially after you've already performed extensive troubleshooting across multiple devices.

I noticed that the similar thread you referenced has a marked answer. I would recommend reviewing and testing the steps provided there, as they may help resolve the sign-in issue you're encountering.

It's also worth noting that Office 2016 is a legacy product and has reached the end of its support lifecycle. As a result, Microsoft no longer provides regular fixes or updates for newly discovered issues affecting Office 2016.

If the suggested solution from the related thread does not resolve the problem, I recommend contacting Microsoft Support directly for further investigation. They can help determine whether this is related to a recent service-side authentication change or another issue affecting your environment.

I understand this may not be the answer you were hoping for, but I hope the information in the marked solution helps point you in the right direction.