Microsoft breaks Microsoft account sign-ins in Windows 11 with latest update
- Reference: 1774013820
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/03/20/microsoft_account_not_working_have/
- Source link:
The [1]glitch affects sign-in operations for Microsoft accounts. Businesses using Entra ID (previously known as Azure Active Directory) for application authentication are not affected.
However, users of Microsoft Teams Free, or anyone signing into Word, Excel, OneDrive, or Microsoft 365 Copilot with a Microsoft account, may see a message along the lines of "You'll need the Internet for this. It doesn't look like you're connected to the Internet" - regardless of whether the device actually is.
[2]
According to Microsoft: "This issue occurs when the device enters a specific network connectivity state, and may resolve on its own." A restart should also fix it, provided the device is online at the time.
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"If the device is restarted without an active internet connection," Microsoft cautioned, "it might return to a connectivity state where the issue can occur again."
[5]Windows 11 tops market share as 10 faces extended farewell
[6]'Windows sucks,' former Microsoft engineer says, explains how to fix it
[7]Windows 11, not AI, kick-started the PC upgrade cycle
[8]Sat Nad declares Windows 11 has a billion users – just don't bother asking for details
As for a fix that doesn't involve a weary reach for the big red button – virtual or otherwise – Microsoft wrote: "We are working to release a resolution for this issue in the next few days." This sounds a lot like yet another out-of-band update to deal with whatever the company broke in the March 10 update for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2.
It hasn't been a good year for Windows updates. January brought a string of out-of-band fixes after Patch Tuesday caused woes for some users, including remote desktop sign-in problems and difficulties when saving or opening cloud storage files, which, in some instances, resulted in Outlook hanging if the PST file was stored on OneDrive.
February was relatively quiet in comparison, however, it looks like Microsoft might return to form in March. As well [9]Bluetooth problems for enterprise users with hotpatching enabled, a fix for the latest Windows update malady could end up classified as an out-of-band update.
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What a time to be a Windows user. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-25H2#3360msgdesc
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ab19MhR6AUCOy1gJ-n-mdwAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ab19MhR6AUCOy1gJ-n-mdwAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ab19MhR6AUCOy1gJ-n-mdwAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/02/windows_11_market_share/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/07/does_windows_really_suck_that/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/20/windows_11_pc_refresh/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/29/windows_11_billion/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/17/microsoft_bluetooth_hotpatch/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ab19MhR6AUCOy1gJ-n-mdwAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Headline error!
Task failed successfully.
Can Microsoft just leave account signins broken?
I'm sure many Windows users won't mind if Microsoft signins remain broken and they can log in locally. Hopefully forever.
Re: Can Microsoft just leave account signins broken?
Last time I bought a mini PC, there was no option to log in locally. None of the tricks shown on the interwebs have worked.
Fortunately I found a fool proof solution. Just put Ubuntu on it.
Re: Can Microsoft just leave account signins broken?
Have an update even though you said Ubuntu. Ubuntu is, like the Debian it's based on, infected with malware which is trying to turn linux into a Windows mini-me - complex bug ridden software, check; developers who don't care what users want, check; attitude to bugs is "won't fix that", check; fix things that weren't broken, check; stated ambition to take over everything, check; and a few more that don't come to mind right now.
Better to choose a systemd free distro (such as Devuan) if your reason for switching to GNU/Linux is to escape the tangled mess of Windows. But even GNU/SystemD/Linux is better than sticking with Windows.
OK, let the downvotes begin ...
Hardly a week goes by where I don't get another bit of justification for persuading customers to stick to local accounts (and buying one-time licences for Office if they really must have that pile of junk.)
Vibe
It's just their vibe these days.
Windows Windows let me know, will you let me in or should I go.
Daft.
Why would you need to sign in to use a word processor on a computer?
Oh, I forgot. We live in China now.
Re: Daft.
In case you want to write something bad about our dear leader.
Honesty Microsoft quality control has never been worse, what the heck is going on?
Well MS are very vocal about how much AI is helping them to write software these days. I know correlation is not causation, but it is definitely where I'd be looking if I were tasked with finding out "what the heck is going on".
"What a time to be a Windows user."
Was there ever a good time?
Re: "What a time to be a Windows user."
Laugh now, but sometimes a coworker microwaves something really pungent in the breakroom. There might come a day when you're very thankful to open windows.
Re: "What a time to be a Windows user."
A breakroom with windows? You were lucky...
Re: "What a time to be a Windows user."
A while ago "use Windows Professional, less crappy, gives you more local control".
Now: "Use Windows Server, less crappy, gives you more local control, and is by default not cloud dependent".
I never had any "home" version on my devices ever... That constant teletubby-style color scheme XP home is bombarding you with... I know, 'cause I had to deal with them...
Re: "What a time to be a Windows user."
It's coming to something when the server version of an OS is a 'better' option than the consumer version; 'better' here being a matter of degree or use case.
Re: "What a time to be a Windows user."
Windows 95 apparently.
And Windows 98 SE has a lot of retro fans cause games.
Windows XP had problems but people hated Vista so much XP was suddenly gold.
Windows 7 was the last Windows most people actually liked and part of it was Windows 8 being hated, the rest Windows 10 being bad and Windows 11 somehow being worse.
Re: "What a time to be a Windows user."
Windows 2000 was a pretty welcome release for everyone who had been suffering the instability, insecurity, and networking limitations of the Win95/Win98/WinME track. Shortly thereafter XP built on 2000. For all the hate we like to dump on Microsoft, 2000/XP did represent them paying attention to why customers found 95/98/ME so absolutely terrible. That same attitude of customer-centric focus was missing from 8/10/11.
I think the 2000/XP era was the last time when Windows users were overwhelmingly thrilled that the new release arrived. 7 made quite a few Windows users happy as an incremental upgrade from XP, but not really a desperately-awaited game changer. Since then, new Windows have been mostly about the latest thing rather than giving users something to look forward to.
Feel like that's the true test of OS innovation: whether users are looking forward to a warmly-received upgrade, versus moving away from the old thing which it goes EOL.
Maybe they could break it some more and remove it altogether. That would be a huge upgrade.
Perhaps I'm being cynical, but...
Why do I expect the fix to not just log the user back in, but to also do stuff like making Edge the default, reinstating OneDrive as the default save location, converting local accounts to MS accounts, logging every app into said Microsoft account, starting Bitlocker encryption quietly, and probably deactivating perpetual versions of Office in favour of a 365 subscription... with a bonus auto-upgrade to New Outlook.
It will be an 'unintended consequence' of course.
Win10 updates
So... about that reason to upgrade from Win10 to Win11 and have all the latest updates. Looks like that is going well.
Headline error!
"Microsoft fixes Microsoft account sign-ins in Windows 11 with latest update"
I call "unable to login into Microsoft cloud" a fix, not break.