How to delete extra account

Question

I seem to have two Microsoft accounts with the same email address. I only use one. I don't know how to log into the other one. I do not have a second password to access it.

Answer 1

Hello Richard Henson,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum!

I realize that you've encountered a problem with Microsoft account I truly understand your confusion. Let me assist you further.

1. Do I have both a personal and a work/school Microsoft account using the same email address? This identifies the root cause of almost all duplicate‑account problems.
2. How can I check which account (personal or work/school) is linked to my Microsoft 365 subscription, OneDrive, or purchases? This ensures you don’t accidentally delete the wrong account.
3. How do I rename or change the sign‑in email (alias) for my personal Microsoft account to stop the conflict? This leads to Microsoft’s official fix: changing the alias, not deleting accounts.
4. How do I safely back up my data before closing one of the accounts? Important if you choose to delete the personal account later.
5. Which account should I keep if I only want to use one, the personal account or the work/school account? Microsoft’s instructions depend entirely on which account you plan to keep.

I am looking forward for your respond. Thank you so much for your times.

Answer 2

To delete an extra Microsoft account, you will need to first ensure that you can access the account you want to keep. Since you mentioned that you do not have a second password for the other account, you might need to follow these steps:

1. Identify the Accounts: Try to log in to both accounts using the same email address. If you can access one, that is the account you will keep.
2. Recover Access: If you cannot access the second account, you may need to go through the account recovery process. Use the Microsoft account recovery page to attempt to recover the password for the account you cannot access.
3. Remove the Extra Account: Once you have access to the account you want to keep, you can remove the extra account by following these steps:
   • Go to the Microsoft account management page.
   • Sign in with the account you want to keep.
   • Navigate to the account settings and look for options related to managing or deleting accounts.
   • Follow the prompts to delete the account you no longer need.

If you are unable to recover the second account, it may be permanently inaccessible, and you will need to focus on managing the account you can access.