How to prevent Outlook from saving credentials for Basic Authentication

The main purpose of Basic Authentication in Outlook is to allow users to save credentials when it is being used against a server. However, if you want to prevent users from saving credentials for Basic Authentication in Outlook, here is how you can do that. For your information, both are almost the same, and they can be configured via Local Group Policy Editor and Registry Editor.

How to prevent Outlook from saving credentials for Basic Authentication

To configure saving credentials for Basic Authentication in Outlook, follow these steps:

1. Search for gpedit.msc in the Taskbar search box.
2. Click on the search result.
3. Go to Account Settings > E-mail in User Configuration.
4. Double-click on Prevent saving credentials for Basic Authentication policy setting.
5. Select the Enabled option.
6. Click the OK button.

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

First, you need to open the Local Group Policy Editor. For that, you can search for gpedit.msc or gpedit in the Taskbar search box and click on the individual search result.

Then, navigate to this path:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Outlook 2016 > Account Settings > E-mail

Here you can find a setting named Prevent saving credentials for Basic Authentication policy. You need to double-click on this setting and choose the Enabled option to prevent users from saving credentials for the Basic Authentication policy.

On the other hand, if you want to opt for the original setting, you need to choose the Disabled or Not Configured option.

At last, click the OK button and restart the Outlook app.

How to configure saving credentials for Basic Authentication in Outlook using Registry

To configure saving credentials for Basic Authentication in Outlook using Registry, follow these steps:

1. Press Win+R and type regedit in the box.
2. Click the OK button and click on the Yes button.
3. Navigate to Microsoft\office\16.0 in HKCU.
4. Right-click on 0 > New > Key and name it as outlook.
5. Right-click on outlook > New > Keyand name it as rpc.
6. Right-click on rpc > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
7. Set the name as disablebasicauthsavedcreds.
8. Double-click on it to set the Value data as 1.
9. Click the OK button.
10. Restart your computer.

Let’s find out more about these steps to know more.

To get started, press Win+R to display the Run prompt. Then, type regedit, and click the OK button. If the UAC prompt appears on your screen, you need to click on the Yes button to open the Registry Editor on your computer.

Next, you need to navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0

Right-click on 16.0 > New > Key and name it outlook. Then, right-click on the outlook key, select New > Key, and set the name as rpc.

Once done, you need to create a REG_DWORD value. For that, right-click on rpc > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it disablebasicauthsavedcreds.

The default value data is set to 0. If you want to get the factory defaults, this is what you need. However, if you want to prevent saving credentials for the Basic Authentication policy in Outlook, you need to double-click on it and set the Value data as 1.

Finally, click the OK button, close all windows, and restart your computer to get the change.

As said earlier, if you want to get the original setting, you have two options. You can set the Value data as 0 or delete the REG_DWORD value. For that, right-click on the disablebasicauthsavedcreds, select the Delete option, and click on the Yes button.

Read: Outlook prompts for password when Modern Authentication is enabled

How do I stop Credential Manager from storing passwords?

To stop Credential Manager from storing password in Windows 11/10, you need to use the Local Security Policy. Therefore, search for it in the Taskbar search box and open the Local Security Policy Panel. Then, go to Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options. Here you can find a setting named Network Access: Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials for network authentication. Double-click on it and choose the Enabled option.

How do I stop Outlook from remembering my credentials?

To stop Outlook from remembering your credentials, you can go through the aforementioned steps. You need to open the Local Group Policy Editor and go to Microsoft Outlook 2016 > Account Settings > E-mail. Double-click on the Prevent saving credentials for Basic Authentication policy and choose the Enabled option. Finally, click the OK button and restart the Outlook app.

Read: Outlook not saving passwords in Windows.