How to Fix Fix Error 0x80048820 — Microsoft Account Sign-In Failed on Windows
Getting error 0x80048820 when signing into Microsoft account, OneDrive, or Office? "We ran into a problem" authentication error? Fix this sign-in issue.
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Error 0x80048820 when signing into Microsoft account in Settings
- •OneDrive shows this error and won't sync
- •Office apps can't sign in — error 0x80048820
- •Microsoft Store sign-in fails with this error
- •Windows Hello setup fails during account verification
- •"Something went wrong" with error code 0x80048820
Common Causes
- ⚠Microsoft account authentication token expired or corrupted
- ⚠Network connectivity issues to Microsoft auth servers
- ⚠Proxy or firewall blocking Microsoft authentication endpoints
- ⚠Windows Credential Manager has stale credentials
- ⚠Date/time incorrect on the PC (breaks TLS certificates)
- ⚠Two-factor authentication change not synced to device
Solutions
Solution 1: Clear Cached Credentials
- 1Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials
- 2Remove all entries starting with "MicrosoftAccount" or "Microsoft Office"
- 3Also remove entries for "login.live.com" and "login.microsoftonline.com"
- 4Restart the PC
- 5Sign in again — you'll need your Microsoft account password
- 6If using 2FA: have your authenticator app ready
Solution 2: Check Network and Time
- 1Verify internet connection works (open a website)
- 2Check date/time: Settings → Time & language → Date & time
- 3Enable "Set time automatically" and "Set time zone automatically"
- 4If behind a proxy: Settings → Network → Proxy → verify settings
- 5Test Microsoft auth endpoint: open https://login.live.com in browser
- 6If that doesn't load: firewall/proxy is blocking Microsoft auth
Solution 3: Reset Microsoft Account Connection
- 1Settings → Accounts → Email & accounts
- 2Remove your Microsoft account → restart → add it back
- 3For OneDrive specifically: right-click OneDrive icon → Settings → Account → Unlink this PC
- 4Then sign in again to OneDrive
- 5For Office: File → Account → Sign out → Sign in again
- 6If nothing works: Settings → Accounts → Access work or school → Disconnect → Reconnect
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