WordPress forgets password on every login

So just to confirm:

You created an account, set a password
Then you log-out and used the password to try to get back in and it no longer worked?

You then clicked forgot password and logged in with the NEW password and it worked, however when you logged out, using that same new password no longer worked?

Thanks for responding Tim. Yes, I have an account (have had for several years, actually). The password I set works once, and then when I return (usually when WP has auto-logged me out after some time, as I usually have left my site dashboard open on my home computer, for instance), the very same password no longer works. I have to click forgot password and reset it, then it works fine (once) – even if it’s the very same password I used most recently. THEN, the same thing happens again the next time I try to log in.

Does that help?

Oh, and as a follow up, this is a fairly recent phenomenon, within the last few weeks. It didn’t used to be that way! Perhaps since upgrading to 4.0 + …

ok sorry a few more questions, when you click the forget password option, a new password is sent to you?

That temporary one if you log in, then log out and then use that password can you log back in again?

Does the browser forget the password or can you type in the password you last used manually and access?

No, a link for me to reset the password myself is sent. No temp pw. And it doesn’t seem to matter whether I’ve directed the browser to keep the password or not, as to whether it works the next time I try to log in. If the browser does keep the pw, and WP doesn’t think it’s the right one, when I manually enter the pw, it still doesn’t work.

In which case it sounds like you have a plugin, that is overriding the default WordPress behaviour and probably is the root cause. Did you install a plugin recently maybe something to do with users or members?

No, this is my own portfolio WP site, and I am the only user. No members. Hmmm. Perhaps I need to try disabling all plugins temporarily? and logging out/logging back in?

That’s what I would do, and then assuming ti works reactivate each plugin one by one repeating.

you will have to change database prefix or if you are using any security plugin then deactivate that plugin then reset your password again.

o_O
There is no reason to ever change a database prefix but certainly not to deactivate plugins.

Luckily for me I have no clue how to change a database prefix, so I wouldn’t be doing that anyway, Tim ??

However, I have tried deactivating all plugins, at which point I could log back in successfully. Then I started reactivating them one by one, starting with the oldest/most essential (Akismet, for instance), logging out and logging back in. Logging in still seemed successful even after re-activating all – until I tried it in another browser. Sigh!

I only am using 13 plugins; this is making me really re-look at what’s absolutely needed, and what may not be. So that’s helpful at least.

So, if it’s not a plugin problem, do you have any thoughts on what else might be happening?

Could be a theme problem ??

Plugins can add functionality, themes can do the same.

Did you update your theme whilst updating to WordPress 4.x?