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 46 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 minjatasic5@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

26 answers

Balazs Varhegyi 46 Reputation points

2022-06-11T07:45:44.787+00:00

I have the same problem, it very very annoying! Microsoft needs to provide a better error message and help people to fix this.
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9 people found this answer helpful.

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Nathan McClure 31 Reputation points

2022-04-25T14:21:55.75+00:00

Anyone from MS going to address this? Hello?
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5 people found this answer helpful.
Ross Moroz 15 Reputation points

2023-08-29T18:23:07.9566667+00:00

No. They don't care.
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Lightyr 21 Reputation points

2022-06-08T02:59:15.243+00:00

I am beyond frustrated that we are unable to gain access to the Microsoft account. I paid for software and games that were purchased under this account name over the past few months and they can no longer be accessed. And you can't get ahold of a real person at Microsoft for help! Where is my refund for the software I have purchased through the account that apparently does not exist and for which I am being denied access?
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4 people found this answer helpful.

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Teemo Tang 11,416 Reputation points

2021-04-08T01:34:49.273+00:00

Try to use a local account for login, then go to Settings > Accounts > Your info (in some versions, it may be under Email & accounts instead).
Select Sign in with a Microsoft account instead, enter your Microsoft account credential for switching.

The error "Microsoft Account does not exist" usually means:

The person is logging in using an Alias. If the user renamed the affected email address into a new account, the original account will become an Alias. Thus logging in using the original account (Alias) will trigger the system to prompt the user that it does not exist. The solution is to log in using the new account.
The person mistyped the email address. Retyped the correct email address.
The person did not access the account (WITH A BROWSER) within 365 days. The account will be deleted permanently in the system due to inactivity. You may recreate the account as a new account if it is still available.

In addition, Visit Microsoft account website to verify your account.
https://account.microsoft.com/
Ask for help from Microsoft account support here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-and-billing?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

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3 people found this answer helpful.
solitaire-player222 1 Reputation point

2022-02-05T03:35:33.01+00:00

Logging in with a new local account and then changing it back to the online account I wanted worked! Thank you!

William May 6 Reputation points

2022-02-13T17:09:01.777+00:00

Your answer is useless!
A. What is a "LOCAL ACCOUNT"?
I have ONE account on Microsoft. How do I set up another account, and what makes it a "LOCAL ACCOUNT"? Why would I even WANT a "LOCAL ACCOUNT"? How do i pick between my Microsoft account and a "Local Account"? Please explain the difference between a Microsoft Account, and a "Local Account"-+

You say: Sign in with Microsoft Account instead"

That is what I am trying to sign into!!! WHERE ELSE WOULD I BE IF I WASN'T TRYINGT SIGN INTO MY MICROSOFT ACCOUNT?!?!?!

I only have ONE COMPUTER, and ONE ACCOUNT! Why would this system think I am using an alias?
I just opened a SECOND ACCOUNT using my phone number. But now I still can't figure out how to reset my original account so I can get into it!

Please explain in CLEAR, CONCISE terms, how I can REACTIVATE MY ONE ACCOUNT with Microsoft, and clear out this second account, which I don't need and don't want. I only created this phone number account so I could clear up and get my first account operational. Now I have TWO accounts, and STILL NOTHING WORKS, and I can't reset my original account.

Henrique Pereira 1 Reputation point

2022-08-16T11:52:23.657+00:00

I logged in as my personal account and then was able to see the work account I wanted under the Settings > Accounts menu. Thank you very much!

Mathias Schneider 11 Reputation points

2023-03-22T18:44:27.5933333+00:00

Utterly BS - i have an exchange different from my Microsoft Acount.

Does this mean: If you dare to use an German Exchange Email Account that is different from the Microsoft Acount you have used for Decades and have all your paid Licenses in you can F off ?

Victor Gonzalez 0 Reputation points

2024-04-25T00:13:20.19+00:00

This answer is false. I am not using an Alias, I am not mistyping my e-mail address and I am not accessing an old account.
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Silvio Basilis 11 Reputation points

2021-11-23T17:33:55.113+00:00

I've been searching the same answer, it looks like you need to add the user as a Work or School account.

In order to do that, follow the steps in this link.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business-video/connect?view=o365-worldwide

Hope this helps!
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2 people found this answer helpful.
Tal Segel 1 Reputation point

2022-10-18T08:41:00.79+00:00

404 page not found on this link (obviously)

Jerry Bichsel 0 Reputation points

2024-01-17T15:28:07.1533333+00:00

I have one (1) Microsoft account, my work account. Yet I regularly get this "That Microsoft account doesn't exist" message. Of course, it's Microsoft, so it must be 1000 times more complicated and idiotic than necessary.
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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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