Microsoft Office Outlook Exchange Error 80090016 After a System Board Replacement

After a technician replaces the motherboard (system board) in your Dell computer, Microsoft Outlook or other Microsoft 365 apps may display the following error:

"Your computer's Trusted Platform Module has malfunctioned. If this error persists, contact your system administrator with the error code 80090016."

or

"Keyset does not exist (0x80090016)."

Your computer uses a security chip on the motherboard called the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). The TPM securely stores cryptographic keys, PINs, and sign-in tokens used by Windows, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).

When the motherboard is replaced, the computer receives a new TPM chip. The security tokens previously created by Windows and Outlook still look for the original TPM chip. Because the old TPM is gone, the token verification fails, triggering error 80090016.

Before You Begin:

Review the accounts needed for these steps:

Role Account Required Description Affected User Your standard Windows sign-in account Used to remove old tokens, disconnect accounts, and re-sign in to Outlook. Local Administrator A local or domain administrator account Required only if your organization blocks access to Windows Settings, registry, or folder renaming. IT / Tenant Administrator Microsoft 365 / Intune Administrator Required only if the device must be re-registered in Microsoft Entra ID.

Solutions to resolve 80090016 errors

Follow these solutions in order. Close Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive before you start.

Solution 1: Disconnect and Reconnect Your Work or School Account

• Who performs this step: Affected User (signed in to the affected Windows profile).

1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts.
2. Select Access work or school.
3. Locate the account you use for Outlook:
   
   • If the account is listed, select it, then select Disconnect.
   • Confirm the prompt to remove the account. (This does not delete your email or cloud data.)
4. Restart your computer.
5. After restarting, go back to Start > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
6. Select Connect, enter your work or school email address and password, and complete any multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompts.
7. Open Outlook and sign in.

Solution 2: Clear the Microsoft Authentication Broker Cache

If the error persists, old authentication tokens may still be cached in your local user profile.

• Who performs this step: Affected User (must be signed out of Office applications).

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the Open box, copy and paste the following path, then select OK:
   %localappdata%\Packages
3. Locate the folder named:
   Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy
4. Right-click the folder and select Rename. Rename it to:
   Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin_cw5n1h2txyewy.old
   
   Note: If Windows says the folder is in use, sign out of Windows, sign in with a Local Administrator account, and rename the folder inside the affected user's directory (C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Packages).
5. Restart your computer.
6. Sign in with the Affected User account and open Outlook. Windows will automatically rebuild the authentication package.

Solution 3: Remove Stale Credentials from Credential Manager

• Who performs this step: Affected User.

1. Select Start, type Credential Manager, and select it from the search results.
2. Select Windows Credentials.
3. Scroll down to the Generic Credentials section.
4. Look for entries starting with:
   
   • MicrosoftOffice16_Data...
   • msteams_...
   • ADAL...
5. Select each entry, then select Remove.
6. Restart Outlook and sign in with your email address and password.

Solution 4: Create a New Outlook Profile

If the profile configuration itself is damaged:

• Who performs this step: Affected User.

1. Close Outlook.
2. Select Start, type Control Panel, and select it.
3. In the top-right search box of Control Panel, type Mail, then select Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
4. Select Show Profiles.
5. Select Add.
6. Enter a name for the new profile (for example, Outlook-New), and select OK.
7. Follow the on-screen prompts to configure your email account.
8. Under When starting Microsoft Outlook, use this profile, select Always use this profile, and choose your new profile from the dropdown list.
9. Select Apply, then select OK.
10. Open Outlook.

Troubleshooting & Advanced Steps (For IT Administrators)

If the steps above do not resolve the issue, your IT Administrator may need to perform the following:

1. Verify TPM Status:
   
   1. Press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Confirm that the status shows: "The TPM is ready for use."
2. Re-register the Device in Microsoft Entra ID:
   
   1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
   2. Run dsregcmd /status to check device join state.
   3. If the device registration is invalid, run dsregcmd /leave followed by dsregcmd /join.
   4. Clear TPM (Optional / Data Loss Warning):
      If BitLocker is enabled, ensure the recovery key is backed up before clearing the TPM.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Will I lose my emails if I remove my account or create a new profile?

No. Your emails, calendar events, and contacts are stored in the cloud on the Microsoft Exchange server. Once you reconnect your account, Outlook will sync your data back to your computer.

Why didn't reinstalling Microsoft Office fix this error?

Error 80090016 is tied to Windows TPM hardware keys and account broker tokens, not the Office installation files. Reinstalling Office does not clear the cached security tokens on the motherboard.