Okta Verify for Windows fails to launch because the application secret is missing in the Windows Credential Manager. Deleting the application database and relaunching the application resolves this issue. When attempting to open the application, Okta Verify fails to launch, and the following error appears in the Okta Verify Event Viewer application logs:
SupportLib.LoadAppSecret: Failed to load secret.: Element not found. [0x80070490]
- Okta Verify for Windows (WOV)
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Okta Identity Engine (OIE)
The Windows Credential Manager lacks the required application secret. An operating system password reset, or manual deletion by administrators or third-party applications, causes this secret to be lost. These security-critical events result in the permanent loss of secret credentials and require immediate attention and remediation.
The following image shows the Windows Credential Manager interface, where the application secret is stored.
How is the "Failed to load secret.: Element not found. [0x80070490]" error resolved?
Okta Verify requires this secret to decrypt the application database before launching. If the OKTA_VERIFY_STORE_* key credential is missing, the user must generate a new one. Generating a new key credential requires deleting the application database and relaunching the application.
Terminate the background process, remove the database, and restart the application by performing the following actions.
- Terminate the Okta Verify background process.
- Remove the Okta Verify database.
- Restart Okta Verify.
Detailed scripts are available in the Some Users Cannot Open Windows Okta Verify after Installing Okta Verify for Windows Version 5.0.1.0 or Later article.
NOTE: To determine the root cause of the issue, Okta recommends thorough testing of Windows updates, applications, and credential management software. Enable audit logging on the Windows Credential Manager to determine which applications make changes.
