The Fastest Way to Fix a “Bad Username/Password” Error (Free!)

Getting a “username or password incorrect” error? This article explains why you might be unable to log into your online accounts and what steps you can take to fix it.

By following these steps, you can save time and extra support fees by fixing it on your own before writing support.

Remember:

Please always contact support at the domain you’re trying to log into FIRST (ex: your web host, domain registrar, business profile, etc.). You’ll save time/money. As an ongoing customer of these services, it’s their job to support you (typically at no extra cost). Excellent Presence charges to help with these issues (unless you’re trying to log into the excellentpresence.com domain, of course!).

Quick Tip: If you get a “bad username/password” error only sometimes with the same credentials … it’s probably a VPN, device, or cookie/cache issue.

This is the quickest fix, as long as you have access to the email account associated with the site you’re trying to log into.

Look for a “reset your password” or “forgot password” link somewhere around the username or password box on the login page. Follow the instructions to reset your password and try logging in again.

Again, this should be your first step, as it fixes the issue most quickly.

This is actually preventative, but it’s crucial. A password manager (like Bitwarden) helps avoid errors caused by copying, pasting, and manually entering passwords.

Because it fills it in for you, you know you’re using the right password each time.

So in the future, store your passwords in a password manager. Let it autofill your passwords to avoid time-consuming errors.

Ensure that absolutely no spaces are used before or after the password or username. Spaces are never allowed in those fields.

Then, double-check letters vs. digits, capitals vs. lowercase, etc., to distinguish between similar characters. Ex:

• 0 (zero) vs. O (capital O)
• 1 (one) and l (lowercase L)
• 5 (five) vs. S (capital S)

VPNs often trigger security measures on the website you’re trying to log into, preventing access.

Other than a wrong password, this is the most common problem faced as a VPN user. And most companies don’t know to suggest this as an option. (I found this out the hard way over the years!)

VPNs often cause username/password errors, even when the issue is NOT either one. (Sometimes, you can get a username/password error when your VPN is on, then get a completely different error once you turn it off.)

If you suspect your VPN, try this:

1. Switch to another same-state location. Reload the page and try logging in again.

Since we use our VPNs for privacy and security, turning them off obviously feels risky! So, first, at least switch your VPN’s location. Then reload the page and try logging in again.

Excellent Presence sets your accounts up using the closest location to you when possible. This reduces the likelihood of back-end login problems once we turn your accounts over. (Example, if you’re one of our AZ clients, we’ve set up your accounts using a Phoenix, AZ location.)

When switching your VPN location, avoid drastic changes, like going from Phoenix, AZ to Alaska or Hawaii. Instead, you’d try Phoenix, AZ Location #2 or #7 (if you have that option), under the same city and state.

2. Turn off your VPN completely. Reload the page and try logging in again.

First, try logging in using an incognito mode, or a different browser.

Then, try logging in from a different device type (e.g., switch from your phone to a computer or tablet).

If you can log in after trying one of these, it’s probably a cookie/cache or VPN issue.

This is still browser stuff. But sometimes, a website’s cookies or cache can become corrupt and cause login issues.

First, close all browser tabs containing the problematic website. Then, search your browser settings for “cookie.” From there, the fastest/easiest option is to delete all cookies.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to be logged out of all websites online (your email, etc.), you can do this instead:

Search your browser settings for “cookie.” From there, search for cookies specific to the domain you’re trying to log into. (Ex: Search for “bluehost”.) Then, delete those only.

Next, search for “cache” in your browser’s settings and clear the browser cache completely.

If you still can’t log in after following all steps above, contact the support team of the website you’re trying to access.

You’re probably not trying to log into ExcellentPresence.com. So it probably won’t help to contact us about this.

Remember: Writing us for login support will result in charges or delayed replies if you’re not in a free support period. (And if you are, our responses about login issues still may be slower, as we prioritize tasks.)

When you contact support at the site you’re trying to access, you should, AT MINIMUM:

1. have already reset your password,
2. tell them exactly what you tried (including resetting your password),
3. give them the exact error message you’re getting, and when, and
4. give them the email address or username associated with the account.

It also really speeds up support to provide a screenshot or screen recording of you taking steps to get the error message.