Message says "The Microsoft account doesn't exist. Enter a different account or get a new one."

S. Lenear 91

I am trying to sign in to a new computer using my Microsoft account. I know the account is valid because it is the same one I am using in this forum. But, I get a message saying "The Microsoft account doesn't exist. Enter a different account or get a new one." What do I do?

By the way, I have no idea what I'm supposed to enter in the "Tags" field below. There is nothing that tells me what types of things I can enter. That is frustrating because the field is required.

DELA CRUZ, BRAD BONARD 6 Reputation points

2022-01-27T04:29:58.66+00:00

I just set my Microsoft Edge for email default app after Microsoft sent me pop-up when I tried logging in my Microsoft Outlook. Maybe this helps
KNH VT 121 Reputation points

2022-02-12T13:16:28.187+00:00

This is also happening to me. It says my account doesn't exist, WHILE I AM LOGGED INTO IT. MS has got to fix this. I cannot install software on my own #$$$%$# computer, because of MICROSOFT. I'm ready to switch to Linux.

MS also keeps linking my work and home accounts. I DO NOT WANT MY WORK LINKED TO HOME. I have dealt with this before. It keeps happening.

Have I said I cannot stand Microsoft?

And no, I am not going to spend hours first trying this ridiculous fix, then that, than another. Fix the damned product I pay for every single year, again and again and again.
Kris Cook 56 Reputation points

2022-02-16T16:07:13.323+00:00

This is a fairly recent change that I have observed, with great frustration. Instead of being able to set up a computer out of the box with our Microsoft 365 account for work, the system makes us sign in with a MICROSOFT account, which is totally different. I set mine up some time ago, personally, with my aol account. When I unpack a new unit, I have to start it off with that personal MICROSOFT account which is different from the work-related Microsoft 365 account.

So set up something, even if you have to open a new email account at Outlook.com or aol or whatever else it will take. That should let you at least set up the machine.

A local account is like setting up another user, but it's only on that one computer. The local account isn't looking to a server, if it is domain joined, and it's not looking to Azure Active Directory, if it's joined to a Microsoft 365 account. I haven't been able to find a way to set that up right out of the box, though. The thing just stops you cold until you satisfy it with a MICROSOFT account, but it won't tell you what a Microsoft account even is. VERY frustrating to a sysadmin who needs to set up machines for employees that aren't on premises to give me passwords and 2FA codes received on their cell phones.
Eco Help 1 Reputation point

2022-02-16T19:46:51.687+00:00

A user had this problem (situation description follows) and what worked for me was to remove her secondary/personal, @harsh.com .com account (which was created when the laptop, a consumer model purchased at a big box store, required a Microsoft account to perform initial setup). The moment I removed the personal account from her profile, her login (with a work account, @workdomain.com) worked; error gone.

Did this under Settings gear, Accounts, My Info

Situation: user was signed into the PC with a local user account, created separately from the original @harsh.com .com account, and signed in to M365 w/Microsoft account, but somehow the pesky @harsh.com .com account was present, too. It was not necessary and just interfered with her sign-in under her work account.

Hope this helps someone. Remember, if that fixes it, you can always add the account back in later. Do heed the warning, though, that it may delete data (at least on this PC/profile) for the @harsh.com .com account.
Brooklyn Godwin 46 Reputation points

2022-03-02T03:23:30.7+00:00

Someone please tell me that there is a solution now. I am logged into my Microsoft account on two different tabs but when I go to accept an invite for Microsoft Office 365 family and I go to log in.. It says my account does not exist. When I go to "make a new one", it says that the account already exists and that I should try logging in. This is extremely frustrating. I am in a new position at my job and I need this in order to begin working immediately.
Patrick Turner 1 Reputation point

2022-03-05T20:12:44.353+00:00

This is absolutely maddening. Microsoft O365 accounts conflict with Microsoft regular accounts?

I am baffled by this. I have a small business and I set up the network a few years ago. We hired a new employee and I CANNOT ADD THE EMPLOYEE LOGIN TO THE HOSTS!?!? We only have 5 hosts so a domain seemed overkill. I am not even sure if that would work anyway.

This is after creating the O365 email account for the user without issue.

I cannot believe the idiocy of this design. So frustrating.
Andreea Bot 1 Reputation point

2022-04-17T14:33:23.72+00:00

I have the same problem.
Windows is telling me that the Microsoft Account does not exist, but I am logged in with it on another computer and also on this forum.
Has anyone found a solution?
Allan G 6 Reputation points

2022-06-28T18:27:28.37+00:00

Hopefully this will help somebody at a future time.

I had to open Microsoft teams logging in with a personal account (in this case it was an @harsh.com .com account.) Once I was logged in I went to settings in Microsoft Teams and I noticed both accounts were in the list. I then signed OUT my personal account and it signed me in with my work account.

I should add that this particular computer had my personal account as the main user. This seemed to have created the issue somehow. I'm sure if I had created a local account it wouldn't have been an issue.

Good luck all!
UncleGaspatcho18 1 Reputation point

2022-08-12T19:26:16.223+00:00

Has anyone found any fix for this? My biggest qualm with this entire issue is that I cannot for the life of me get a hold of someone from Microsoft to even talk to about it. Every systematic "solution" they come up with is absolutely useless and then leads me to a point where is says my problem is worthy of contacting a Microsoft employee. So freaking annoying.
S L 1 Reputation point

2023-01-05T20:51:53.737+00:00

Having the same problem trying to sign in to my microsoft account on edge (ios) to enable sync and getting the account doesn't exist message... yet I am signed in to the same account on Edge on my personal computer.

What is so difficult that Microsoft doesn't recognise a valid account?
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Minja 0 Reputation points

2024-07-25T13:10:06.3633333+00:00

I can't login to my microsoft account on email ******@gmail.com it says that my account doesn't exist i got emailed that someone removed my email from my microsoft and replaced with theyre email i need help

27 answers

Anthony Ramirez 1 Reputation point

2022-01-29T15:31:43.903+00:00

Trying all of these fixes and nothing. This might be the most annoying MS error of all time. I go into my settings and I'm staring straight at my "WORK" account but it is telling me that I can't log in with a work or school account on this device.
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William May 6 Reputation points

2022-02-13T17:11:15.357+00:00

I have the same situation! It had me make a second account using my phone number, and I still can't straighten out my original account, so now I have TWO accounts that are useless.
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Dan Spurgeon 1 Reputation point

2022-06-06T13:40:28.877+00:00

I downloaded the Edge browser and I was able to log in immediately when signing in to it. I had been trying to sign in through Chrome prior. Hope this helps others!
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Lightyr 21 Reputation points

2022-06-08T02:46:38.38+00:00

Trying to log in using Edge browser did not work for me. Have tried other browers and all say the account doesn't exist.
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Ryan Lee 1 Reputation point

2022-06-08T08:29:02.023+00:00

The trick with setting up a new workstation with a local account is to not connect your device to the internet
Then you get the option to create a local account

If you have already connected the device to the internet, you need to refresh the OS to get you back before the network connection screen. That being if you are connecting with WiFi, also make sure you have disconnected your network cable. The machine needs to be isolated before you get the option to create a local account.

You can then still add your Microsoft account/services and remain a local admin.
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Admin Eugene Meenan 0 Reputation points

2023-05-11T10:44:29.6233333+00:00

Another wonderful day microsoft idea - so the account doesn't exist but the user is logged into company sharepoint, getting their company emails (again microsoft account along with all our other cloud settings) gets apps sent through intune, browser sync's and copies password and faves, but click on phonelink and put same account in and nope account doesn't exist - really.. and the lack of microsoft support given on this
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Ryan Lee 1 Reputation point

2022-06-29T09:13:39.197+00:00
So I went through the motions with Microsoft Support

In my case I was trying to get the user to log into their PC using their Microsoft account and not a local account.

The situation was actually very simple. You simply choose other user and enter the person's Microsoft 365 credentials directly on the login screen!
This worked first time

Next step is to then create another local account
Log in with that one
Then do a profile move

To move the user settings and file from one account to another;

Go to Control panel> System> Advanced system settings. Click on the Settings button under user profiles

Select the user account from which you want to copy the settings

Click Copy to, and then enter the name of, or browse to, the profile you want to overwrite. This will usually be in C:\Users\username, where username is the name of the profile to which you are copying.

Click Permitted to use, and then add all user accounts to which you want to give full profile control.

Click OK.

I haven't done the profile move yet but I know it does work from past experience.

Not sure why you can't just add the account. I was informed by Microsoft to confirm if the machine was AzureAD joined but I think that's a different scenario.

Hopefully this solves the issue for others!
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Jeff 1 Reputation point

2022-07-15T17:38:30.803+00:00

Like others have said do not use internet when setting up the computer initially. If you already connected try turning off your wireless router or force restart the PC by holding down the power button.
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Message says "The Microsoft account doesn't exist. Enter a different account or get a new one."

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