If you have received any of these errors lately trying to connect via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to your Microsoft365 tenant using PowerShell, the resolution may be that you need to revise your login script.

Click each image to open in a new window.

Connect-PnPonline: root element is missing

Connect-PnPonline: The sign-in name or password does not match one in the Microsoft account system.

Connect-SPOservice: The sign-in name or password does not match one in the Microsoft account system.

Simply put, the resolution we’ve found is to use the -UseWebLogin parameter with both cmdlets Connect-PnPOnline and Connect-SPOService

By using -UseWebLogin instead of -Credentials it gives a pop up for your login info and lets you access the system, particularly if you are using Multi-factor Authentication (MFA). Connect-SPOService is similar, but you just take out the -Credentials altogether and it will do the same.

Old way

$url = "https://<tenantname>.sharepoint.com/"
$credentials = Get-Credential
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $url -Credentials $credentials

New way

$url = "https://<tenantname>.sharepoint.com/"
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $url -UseWebLogin

Many thanks to my colleague Josh Nissen who figured this out and also contributed to the content of this article.

This entry was posted on August 2, 2020 at 10:55 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Posted in Office 365 by Doug Comments Off on Error connecting to Microsoft365 using MFA: The sign-in name or password does not match one in the Microsoft account system