Microsoft Weekly

Change your primary Microsoft account address

By Ed Bott

Microsoft encourages people to use a Microsoft account to sign in on their personal Windows 10 PC, and for good reason. Using a Microsoft account unlocks a variety of cloud-based features, including at least 5 GB of free OneDrive storage, as well as making it possible to secure your device with two-factor authentication and recover from a lost password.

But what if the email address you chose when you created that Microsoft account no longer reflects who you are today? It's possible to change that address without losing any of the saved content and settings you've synced to other devices.

Go to https://account.live.com/names/Manage to get started. Click the Add Email link to create a new email address in the @outlook.com domain (it might take several tries to find a name that isn't already in use).

After you create the new address, it appears in the Account Aliases list. Click the Make Primary link to the right of the new alias to assign that address as the primary alias for signing in. If you really want to cut your ties with the old address, you can remove it after it's no longer the primary sign-in address. But I recommend that you keep the old alias around for a month or two until you're sure everything works as expected.

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