Dear Jim Flux,
Thank you for posting your question to the Microsoft Q&A forum.
I understand how baffling it is to see a verification code sent to an address (@tiscali.co.uk) that you don't recognize.
This usually happens because your browser is "remembering" an old account, perhaps one used by a friend, a family member, or a previous owner of the computer, and is trying to sign into that account instead of letting you create a brand new one.
Here is how to bypass that old email and set up your account correctly
Step 1: Open a "Private" Window
To ignore the old Tiscali address, we need to use a clean browser window.
- If using Chrome or Edge: Press Ctrl + Shift + N on your keyboard.
- If using Firefox: Press Ctrl + Shift + P.
- This will open a special window (Incognito/InPrivate) that doesn't use old history.
Step 2: Create a brand new Hotmail/Outlook address
Now that you have a clean window:
- Go to signup.live.com
- Type the new email name you want (e.g.,
******@hotmail.comor******@outlook.com) and click Next. - Follow the prompts to create your password.
Note on your BT address: During setup, you might see an option to "Use your email instead." While you can use your btinternet.com address to log into Microsoft, I generally recommend creating a new @outlook.com address. This keeps your Microsoft services separate from your personal internet provider email, which is often easier to manage in the long run.
I know setting up a new account can be tricky when these strange errors pop up. Should you have any further trouble with the setup page, please feel free to reach out.
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