How can I ask Microsoft to remove a redundant work email address?

Question

I left my previous place of employment (Damascus College, Ballarat, Australia - a "Microsoft School") in December 2021.

I never used our home computer for school work, always the supplied laptop was used, whether at school or at home.

The day I finished up at school, my work email address was rendered inoperative. I have not tried to access it since.

We had a Microsoft 365 account at home, and this has become our primary email address.

When I go to sign in to Copilot, or in to Outlook on the home laptop, the default email address that comes up is my work address. Nearly 4 years after it was deleted!

I tried asking Copilot Chat what to do to fix it. None of the fixes suggested, and there were several, resolved the situation. But I think this situation has been engineered by Microsoft, so why am I tasked with fixing it anyway?

Answer 1

Well, that wasn't much help either. We are a home account, and it would appear Support chat is not available for us.

I tried a suggestion given in response to another Microsoft user - where it was clear that MANY people have this same problem, and typically the suggested solutions do NOT work or are simply not available when you enter Accounts.

Solution I tried was to type Windows + R, type 'Control Panel' into the dialog box and then go down the thread to Credential Manager. There I found the offending account from work, and removed it.

Turned the computer off and on again, twice. Each time, when I went to log in to Copilot or Outlook, guess which address showed up first? Yep, my work account from 2021.

I have no idea what "Classic Outlook" is, and don't wish to try it. In fact, why should we have to go to a redundant version of Outlook to find the solution to a current version problem anyway?

Given that this issue has annoyed and frustrated several users, it would seem to be one that needs fixing at the company, not by wasting the hours of those who pay to use its products!

Answer 2

Well, in the end, the solution was to get a new computer that runs Windows 11.

Then our helpful local computer technician was able to go remotely onto our computer and perform the gymnastics necessary to remove the old work email. It's done - but I don't think I would have achieved it by myself.

And as to Classic Outlook, well, following the case here in Australia by the ACCC against Microsoft, all MS365 users were given the option to stay with the Copilot version of MS365, or to revert to the 'Classic' version at the next subscription. We've elected to go Classic, so I daresay Classic Outlook is what we will be dealing with. Hoping it doesn't relegate us to the forgotten byways as far has having a useable product is concerned, but I will be SO glad to see the last of Copilot!

Gosh though, it should be easier to remove a redundant email!

Answer 3

Hi David and Ngaire Neate,

You need to switch back to Classic Outlook so you can access File → Account Settings.

Switch Back to Classic Outlook

1. Open Outlook on your computer.
2. Look in the top-right corner of the window for a toggle that says something like:

• “New Outlook” (with a switch)
• or a button labeled “Try the New Outlook” (if you’ve already switched, it will say “New Outlook” and be turned on).

3. Turn off the New Outlook switch.

• Outlook will close and re-open in the classic desktop version.

Find Account Settings in Classic Outlook

1. In the classic Outlook desktop app, go to the File tab (upper-left).
2. Click Account Settings, then again Account Settings… in the dropdown.
3. You will now see a list of all accounts currently connected.

Answer 4

Hi David and Ngaire Neate,

Thank you for posting to Microsoft Q&A Forum.

Your old work email still shows up on your home laptop because Windows and Microsoft apps remember accounts once they’re added. Even if you didn’t really use it, the account might have been saved when you signed in to Office, OneDrive, or another Microsoft service. Windows keeps these accounts under “Access work or school” and will try to reuse them.

Also, Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Word, and Excel save any account that was ever signed in, even by mistake. Windows Credential Manager can also store old login details. Unless you remove them manually, they stay there. So, it is normal that your work email remains even if you never used it on that computer.

1. Remove from Windows

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school
• Select the old work account (Damascus College) > click Disconnect

2. Clear saved credentials

• Press Win + R, type control keymgr.dll, and press Enter
• This opens Credential Manager
• Under Windows Credentials, delete any entries linked to the old work email (often named “MicrosoftOffice…” or “adfs.damascus…”)

3. Remove from Outlook and Office

• Open Outlook > File > Account Settings
• If the old work account is still listed > select Remove
• In Word/Excel/PowerPoint > File > Account, sign out of the old work account if it appears

4. Remove from browsers (if necessary)

• Edge: Go to Settings > Profiles > remove the old account
• Chrome: Go to Settings > You and Google > remove the old account

5. Restart the laptop

• After finishing all steps, restart your computer
• Open Outlook or Copilot and sign in with your home Microsoft 365 account > the old work account should no longer appear.

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Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.