Microsoft 365 : PowerShell – Connect-PnPOnline – resolving error – AADSTS50126: Error validating credentials due to invalid username or passwordMicrosoft – even though user name and password are correct

Hi All,

Greetings for the day!!! Today new issue and solution !!!

Use Case / Background

• We need to connect one of our SharePoint site in our tenant
• Though we can use Connect-SPOService and Get-SPOSite but we are using PnP CMDLETs since for further operations its easy with PnP Online
• So we are using Connect-PnPOnline CMDLET to connect to our SiteCollections
• We are connecting with our UserName and Password
• While connecting to our SharePoint site with Connect-PnPOnline CMDLET with correct user name and password but then we are getting an error – error validating credentials

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://knowledgejunction1.sharepoint.com/demoremoveuserpermissions 

• The above CMDLET prompt for user name and password and we were sure that we entered correct user name and password

Issue / Error :

Connect-PnPOnline : AADSTS50126: Error validating credentials due to invalid username or password.
Trace ID: b49df603-9ccc-4d49-be1e-803b51431501
Correlation ID: d714ca32-14c9-4a90-9c4f-51a2e4312ebb
Timestamp: 2023-04-02 23:59:51Z
At line:1 char:1

• Connect-PnPOnline
• ~~~~~
  • CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Connect-PnPOnline], MsalUiRequiredException
  • FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.Identity.Client.MsalUiRequiredException,PnP.PowerShell.Commands.Base.ConnectOnline

Cause / Why such issue

• This is the error because we are connecting the site with user which has “multi-factor authentication” enabled
• So when we have multi-factor authentication is in place for users and we try to do normal connection we get an issue / error

Solution

• To avoid this error we can connect with either of following two parameters
  • UseWebLogin
    • With this parameter we connect to SharePoint site using cookie based legacy authentication
    • With this type authentication we are limited to few functionality
    • We can not use GRAPH APIs with this type of authentication
    • Also few functionality related to provisioning templates like – Get-PnPSiteTemplate, Get-PnPTenantTemplate, Invoke-PnPSiteTemplate, Invoke-PnPTenantTemplate can not be used
  • Interactive
    • With this parameter we connect to SharePoint site and can use GRPAH APIs as well
    • Basically it connects to Azure AD and acquires access token

Connect-PnPOnline -UseWebLogin -Url 

Connect-PnPOnline -Interactive -Url

We have very good articles on Connect-PnPOnline, have a look once

• Microsoft 365 – Few approaches / options for Connecting to tenant using PnP PowerShell – Connect-PnPOnline – Part 1 – https://knowledge-junction.in/2021/12/16/microsoft-365-few-approaches-options-for-connecting-to-tenant-using-pnp-powershell-connect-pnponline-part-1/
• Microsoft 365 – Connecting to tenant using PnP PowerShell – Connect-PnPOnline – exploring DeviceLogIn (Device code flow) parameter- Part 2 – https://knowledge-junction.in/2021/12/18/microsoft-365-connecting-to-tenant-using-pnp-powershell-connect-pnponline-exploring-devicelogin-device-code-flow-parameter-part-2/

References

• Connect-PnPOnline – Connect-PnPOnline | PnP PowerShell