{"id":248776,"date":"2025-06-19T00:58:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T00:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=248776"},"modified":"2025-06-19T00:58:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T00:58:09","slug":"how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/","title":{"rendered":"How do I delete or change my Microsoft account?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_67_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/#How_do_I_delete_or_change_my_Microsoft_account\" title=\"How do I delete or change my Microsoft account?\">How do I delete or change my Microsoft account?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/#Understanding_Microsoft_Accounts\" title=\"Understanding Microsoft Accounts\">Understanding Microsoft Accounts<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/#What_is_a_Microsoft_Account\" title=\"What is a Microsoft Account?\">What is a Microsoft Account?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/#Deleting_a_Microsoft_Account\" title=\"Deleting a Microsoft Account\">Deleting a Microsoft Account<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/#Changing_a_Microsoft_Account\" title=\"Changing a Microsoft Account\">Changing a Microsoft Account<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_delete_or_change_my_Microsoft_account\"><\/span>How do I delete or change my Microsoft account?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>To delete or change your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong>, you can follow a series of straightforward steps, starting with signing in to your account, accessing the <strong>account settings<\/strong>, and then proceeding to either <strong>delete<\/strong> or <strong>modify<\/strong> your account as needed. The process allows you to <strong>remove<\/strong> an old account, <strong>switch<\/strong> to a new one, or even <strong>recover<\/strong> an account within a specified time frame after closure.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Microsoft_Accounts\"><\/span>Understanding Microsoft Accounts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Microsoft_Account\"><\/span>What is a Microsoft Account?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> is a single login that gives you access to various Microsoft services, including <strong>Outlook<\/strong>, <strong>OneDrive<\/strong>, <strong>Office<\/strong>, and more. It&#8217;s essential to manage this account effectively, whether you&#8217;re looking to <strong>delete<\/strong>, <strong>change<\/strong>, or <strong>recover<\/strong> it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deleting_a_Microsoft_Account\"><\/span>Deleting a Microsoft Account<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To <strong>delete<\/strong> your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong>, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>account.microsoft.com<\/strong> and sign in.<\/li>\n<li>Click on <strong>Security<\/strong> and then <strong>More security options<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Under <strong>Account closure<\/strong>, select <strong>Close my account<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Follow the prompts to confirm your decision.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Changing_a_Microsoft_Account\"><\/span>Changing a Microsoft Account<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To <strong>change<\/strong> your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong>, you might want to <strong>switch<\/strong> to a <strong>local account<\/strong> first:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Accounts<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Your email &#038; accounts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>Sign in with a local account instead<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Follow the prompts to create a <strong>local account<\/strong>. Then, to <strong>switch<\/strong> to a different <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Accounts<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Your email &#038; accounts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>Add a Microsoft account<\/strong> and enter the new account details.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Can I delete my Microsoft account and start again?<\/strong> Yes, you can <strong>close<\/strong> your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> and then create a new one. However, be aware that you have a <strong>60-day grace period<\/strong> to reopen your closed account.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>How do I unlink an old Microsoft account?<\/strong> To <strong>unlink<\/strong> an old <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> from a device or service, go to the device or service settings, find the account section, and look for options like <strong>Disconnect<\/strong> or <strong>Remove account<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Can I change my Microsoft account to another account?<\/strong> Yes, you can <strong>switch<\/strong> to a different <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> on your device by first signing out of the current account and then signing in with the new one.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>How to Delete Your Microsoft Account on Windows 10?<\/strong> To <strong>delete<\/strong> your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> on <strong>Windows 10<\/strong>, go to <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Accounts<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Email &#038; accounts<\/strong>, select the account, and then choose <strong>Remove<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>How do I change my primary Microsoft account on my computer?<\/strong> To change your primary <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong>, sign in to your <strong>Windows account<\/strong>, go to <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Accounts<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Family &#038; other users<\/strong>, and select the account you want to set as default.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Is it OK to have 2 Microsoft accounts?<\/strong> Yes, you can have <strong>two Microsoft accounts<\/strong> with different usernames but the same underlying <strong>email address<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>What happens if you unlink a Microsoft account?<\/strong> Unlinking a <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> prohibits unauthorized access to your personal data and files previously synced or stored in the cloud.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Can you delete a Microsoft account and make a new one with the same email?<\/strong> No, any <strong>Microsoft addresses<\/strong> in a deleted account cannot be used again for a new account.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Will signing out of my Microsoft account delete everything?<\/strong> Signing out of your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> will not delete your data, but you won&#8217;t be able to access it until you sign back in with the same account.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Will deleting my Microsoft account delete my email?<\/strong> No, deleting your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> does not affect your <strong>Gmail account<\/strong> or other email services not associated with Microsoft.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Can I change my Microsoft account to a new email?<\/strong> Yes, you can <strong>add a new email address<\/strong> to your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> or <strong>change your primary alias<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Is closing a Microsoft account the same as deleting?<\/strong> Closing your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> starts a <strong>60-day countdown<\/strong> after which it is permanently deleted if not reopened.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>What to do if your Microsoft account is already connected?<\/strong> If your <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> is already connected to another service, you&#8217;ll need to sign in with the correct account or disconnect it first.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Is Microsoft 365 account the same as Microsoft account?<\/strong> A <strong>Microsoft 365 account<\/strong> and a <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> are related but distinct; a <strong>Microsoft account<\/strong> is required to access <strong>Microsoft 365<\/strong> services.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Can I have 2 Microsoft accounts with the same email address?<\/strong> Yes, you can have <strong>two Microsoft accounts<\/strong> with the same <strong>email address<\/strong> but different usernames.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do I delete or change my Microsoft account? To delete or change your Microsoft account, you can follow a series of straightforward steps, starting with signing in to your account, accessing the account settings, and then proceeding to either delete or modify your account as needed. The process allows you to remove an old &#8230; <a title=\"How do I delete or change my Microsoft account?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-do-i-delete-or-change-my-microsoft-account\/\" aria-label=\"More on How do I delete or change my Microsoft account?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-248776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248776\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}