Overview
If Outlook on your computer suddenly stops recognizing your license, or does not autoconfigure correctly during initial setup, often the easiest fix is to open another Microsoft Office application such as Microsoft Word and sign out of/back into your @usc.edu account.
If you'd like assistance with these steps or any other licensing issue, we welcome you to submit a ticket to our Help Desk or start a chat with us (red droplet-shaped icon 
in the bottom right corner of this page).
USC faculty and staff are licensed for Microsoft Outlook for Windows PC and Mac. Affiliates (iVIPs), however, do not have a Microsoft Outlook license assigned and will need to log into Outlook online at https://usc.edu/office365.
Signing out of and back into Microsoft on a Windows PC
Solution 1: Sign out of and back into Outlook through Microsoft Word
Quick guide
- Quit Outlook and open Microsoft Word (or another Microsoft Office application such as PowerPoint or Excel).
- In the top right edge of the Word window, click on your name.
- Note that your email address may be showing up as @dts.usc.edu rather than @usc.edu. Click on Sign in with a different account.
- A Microsoft sign in window opens. Input your @usc.edu email address and click on Next.
- The Shibboleth login page displays. Log in using your USC credentials.
- The Duo screen displays. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete authentication.
- Once this completes, you can double-check by clicking on your name in the top right edge of the window to confirm the @usc.edu address is logged in.
- Close Microsoft Word and re-open Outlook, which should now load without the "Something went wrong" message.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Quit Outlook and open Microsoft Word (or another Microsoft Office application such as PowerPoint or Excel).
- Type word into your Windows Start menu search bar and click on Word to open it.
- In the top right edge of the Word window, click on your name.
- Click on Sign in with a different account.
- A Microsoft sign in window opens. Input your @usc.edu email address and click on Next.
- The Shibboleth login page displays. Log in using your USC credentials.
- The Duo screen displays. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete authentication.
- Once this completes, you can double-check by clicking on your name in the top right edge of the window to confirm the @usc.edu address is logged in.
- Close Microsoft Word and re-open Outlook, which should now load without the "Something went wrong" message.
Solution 2: Delete Outlook folder, sign out in Word, and sign in to Outlook
If after following the steps above for solution 1, you still receive the "Something went wrong" message, please follow the more extensive steps below to resolve the licensing issue:
Quick guide
Step 1: Close Outlook and delete its folder
- Close the Outlook application on your computer.
- Open File Explorer. Click on the address bar at the top and type the following:
-
C:\Users\yourNetID\AppData\Local\Microsoft
- Replace yourNetID with your USC NetID. For example, if your email address is ttrojan@usc.edu, your USC NetID is ttrojan, so you would input:
C:\Users\ttrojan\AppData\Local\Microsoft
- Press Enter/Return on your keyboard.
- File Explorer navigates to the location. If you see an Outlook folder, right-click on it and select Delete from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Open Word and log out of your account
- Open Microsoft Word (or another Microsoft Office application such as PowerPoint or Excel).
- In the left-side menu, click on Account.
- Click on Sign out.
- If prompted, click on Yes.
- Close Word.
Step 3: Re-open Outlook and log in
- Re-open the Outlook application.
- Click on Sign in with another account.
- Input your USC email address and click on Next.
- The Shibboleth login page displays. Log in using your USC NetID credentials.
- The Duo screen displays. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete authentication.
- Outlook setup completes. Click on OK.
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
Step 1: Close Outlook and delete the specified folder
- Close the Outlook application on your computer.
- Open File Explorer. Click on the address bar at the top and type the following:
-
C:\Users\yourNetID\AppData\Local\Microsoft
- Replace yourNetID with your USC NetID. For example, if your email address is ttrojan@usc.edu, your USC NetID is ttrojan, so you would input:
C:\Users\ttrojan\AppData\Local\Microsoft
- Press Enter/Return on your keyboard.
- File Explorer navigates to the location. If you see an Outlook folder, right-click on it and select Delete from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Open Word and log out of your account
- Open Microsoft Word (or another Microsoft Office application such as PowerPoint or Excel).
- In the left-side menu, click on Account.
- Click on Sign out.
- If prompted, click on Yes.
- Close Word.
Step 3: Re-open Outlook and log in
- Re-open the Outlook application.
- Click on Sign in with another account.
- Input your USC email address and click on Next.
- The Shibboleth login page displays. Log in using your USC NetID credentials.
- The Duo screen displays. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete authentication.
- Outlook setup completes. Click on OK.
Signing out of and back into Microsoft on a Mac
If you are on a Mac, you are less likely to encounter the licensing issue that sometimes occurs on a Windows PC.
However, if you remove your individual @usc.edu account from Outlook for Mac, you will need to re-activate your Microsoft license to use Outlook. Since the licensing issue occurs because you were already signed out, you simply have to sign back in again:
Quick guide
- Open Microsoft Outlook.
- In the top menu bar, click on Outlook and select Preferences… from the dropdown menu (note that Outlook is set to "Work offline").
- Click on Accounts.
- Click on the [+] icon.
- Select New Account… from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Go Online.
- Click on Activate.
- If a message pops up saying that "The application 'Microsoft Update Assistant' can't be opened," click on OK.
- Click on Already bought Office? Sign in.
- Input your @usc.edu email address and click on Continue.
- The Shibboleth login page displays. Log in using your USC credentials.
- The Duo screen displays. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete authentication.
- Click on Start Using Outlook.
- Click on Go Online again.
- Input your @usc.edu email address and click on Continue.
- Outlook should automatically begin signing you in using the USC credentials you previously entered. Click on Done.
- Close the "Accounts" window and return to your inbox.
- Outlook should begin loading your account folders and emails (may take a moment to update).
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Open Microsoft Outlook.
- Open Finder. Navigate to the Applications folder, and double-click on Microsoft Outlook.
- In the top menu bar, click on Outlook and select Preferences… from the dropdown menu (note that Outlook is set to "Work offline").
- Click on Accounts.
- Click on the [+] icon.
- Select New Account… from the dropdown menu.
- Click on Go Online.
- Click on Activate.
- If a message pops up saying that "The application 'Microsoft Update Assistant' can't be opened," click on OK.
- Click on Already bought Office? Sign in.
- Input your @usc.edu email address and click on Next.
- The Shibboleth login page displays. Log in using your USC credentials.
- The Duo screen displays. Follow the on-screen prompt to complete authentication.
- Click on Start Using Outlook.
- Click on Go Online again.
- Input your @usc.edu email address and click on Continue.
- Outlook should automatically begin signing you in using the USC credentials you previously entered. Click on Done.
- Close the "Accounts" window and return to your inbox.
- Outlook should begin loading your account folders and emails (may take a moment to update).
Contributor(s): Jerry Word.