Making my business account the admin user

Question

Making my business account the admin user

Garrett McNair 0

I can't make my business account for the company i work for the admin user. Every time i try to "add user" it says the microsoft account doesnt exist. My outlook is set up however so it does exist.

kagiyama yutaka 4,915 Reputation points

2026-08-05T13:10:27.5933333+00:00

Could you add a bit more detail on what you were doing when that message came up?

I’m not sure if you were trying to make the account an admin on the PC or in Microsoft 365, and Windows often shows that error when it expects a personal Microsoft account instead of a work one.
Garrett McNair 0 Reputation points

2026-08-05T13:25:22.5933333+00:00

yes, I was trying to sign in and set up my work laptop with a microsoft account we created "@lfg-homes.com". However i was unable to do this because it said that email does not exist. I was forced to set my computer up using my personal email "@gmail.com". I do not want my personal email to be on this computer. I want the admin to be "******@lfg-homes.com"

2 answers

Your answer

kagiyama yutaka 4,915 Reputation points

2026-08-05T13:10:27.5933333+00:00

Could you add a bit more detail on what you were doing when that message came up?

I’m not sure if you were trying to make the account an admin on the PC or in Microsoft 365, and Windows often shows that error when it expects a personal Microsoft account instead of a work one.
Garrett McNair 0 Reputation points

2026-08-05T13:25:22.5933333+00:00

yes, I was trying to sign in and set up my work laptop with a microsoft account we created "@lfg-homes.com". However i was unable to do this because it said that email does not exist. I was forced to set my computer up using my personal email "@gmail.com". I do not want my personal email to be on this computer. I want the admin to be "******@lfg-homes.com"

Answer 1

kagiyama yutaka 4,915

Windows OOBE only accepts an MSA or a local account, so @lfg‑homes.com cannot be used. Finish setup with the Gmail MSA. After setup, connect the work account under Settings → Accounts → Access work or school. Add it as a sign‑in user under Other users, make it Administrator, then remove the Gmail profile.

Adding: OOBE is the initial Windows setup screen.

Garrett McNair 0 Reputation points

2026-08-05T14:12:39.64+00:00

Hi Kagiyama Yutaka,

That is the problem, once I try and add it as a sign-in user under other users, it says the account does not exist. It does exist under access work or school however.
kagiyama yutaka 4,915 Reputation points

2026-08-05T14:41:04.0866667+00:00

Access work or school links the account. It cannot create a Windows sign‑in user.If Windows says account does not exist under Other users, the work ID cannot be used as a login identity on this device.

Create a local admin instead: Settings → Accounts → Other users → Add account → “I don’t have this person’s sign‑in info” → “Add a user without a Microsoft account”.

Sign in with that local admin, then remove the Gmail profile.

Answer 2

A Microsoft 365 business account is a work or school account, not a personal Microsoft account. That is why Windows can show “Microsoft account doesn’t exist” even though Outlook works.

Use the business account in one of these supported ways:

In Windows, go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
Select Connect.
If the device supports organization sign-in, use the option to join the device to the organization account, then sign in with the business email.
Restart the device and sign in with the work account if prompted.

If the goal is to make that account an administrator on the Windows device after it has been added:

Open Settings > Accounts > Other user.
Under Other users, select the account.
Select Change account type.
Choose Administrator and select OK.

If the goal is to make the account a Microsoft 365 admin for the company tenant, that must be done in the Microsoft 365 admin center by an existing admin. The person who signs up for Microsoft 365 for business automatically becomes the technical administrator, and admins can add other admins later.

Also note:

A work or school account looks like ******@contoso.com or ******@contoso.onmicrosoft.com.
It is different from a personal Microsoft account used for consumer services.
New Microsoft 365 users are created in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Users > Add user.

References: