Obsolete account on my live account causing problems

Carrie Hogue 0 Reputation points
2026-09-11T22:36:52.7566667+00:00

I cannot log into my school site due to live.com having an obsolete email account associated with my name. How can I get this resolved? . It left me update email in billing and shipping info but not in my basic profile.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For education | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-11T22:37:07.2266667+00:00

    This usually happens because the same email address exists as both a personal Microsoft account and a work or school account, or because an old alias/security contact is still attached to the Microsoft account.

    Try these checks and fixes:

    1. Check account aliases and sign-in settings
      • Go to Your info and open Manage how you sign in to Microsoft.
      • Look for outdated email addresses under Account aliases.
      • If an old address is still there, add the correct personal email if needed, set it as primary, and remove the obsolete one.
    2. Check security verification methods
      • Verification codes can be sent only to the primary alias or to another email added as a way to verify sign in.
      • If sign-in or verification is still trying to use the obsolete address, update the security/contact information tied to sign-in verification.
    3. If the sign-in page shows “Which account do you want to use?”
      • That means Microsoft has both a personal account and a work or school account using the same email address.
      • To stop that prompt, rename the personal Microsoft account by changing its primary alias in Manage how you sign in.
      • If the work or school account was created by an organization with the same domain, that organization may also need to remove the conflicting entry from its email lists.
    4. If the old address is being used for verification and access is blocked
      • Use the Sign-in Helper to identify the account issue and get the correct recovery path.
      • If the username is no longer recognized, or the account says it does not exist, use the recovery flow or contact support through the provided support path.
    5. If this is a school account password issue
      • For a work, school, or Entra ID password, contact the school IT admin or use the work or school password reset option.

    If the problem is specifically that the obsolete address appears in billing/shipping but not in the basic profile, the likely places to fix it are Manage how you sign in to Microsoft and the account security verification methods, not billing settings.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Jay1 Tran 605 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-11T23:00:48.8833333+00:00

    Hi Carrie,

    Thank you for reaching out.

    Updating the billing or shipping email does not update the email used for your Microsoft sign-in, so please try the following steps:

    1. Test in a private window
    • Open an InPrivate or Incognito window.
    • Go directly to your school’s sign-in page.
    • If asked which account to use, select Work or school account, not Personal account.
    • Enter your current school email address manually.
    1. Update your personal Microsoft account alias
    • Visit https://account.live.com/names/manage.
    • Sign in to the personal account associated with the obsolete address.
    • Add your current personal email as an alias.
    • Verify it and select Make primary.
    • Carefully remove the obsolete alias only after confirming the new address works.

    Billing and shipping addresses are separate from sign-in aliases, which is why changing the billing information did not update the email shown in your basic profile.

    1. Check whether two accounts use the same email

    If you receive a “Which account do you want to use?” message, the same address exists as both a personal Microsoft account and a school account. The accounts cannot be merged, but they can be used separately. Renaming the personal account by giving it a different primary alias can remove the conflict.

    For more information, please refer to Which account do you want to use? | Microsoft Support

    I hope everything gets sorted out soon. Please keep me posted on any updates.

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