family member needs help signing in to computer. Forgot log in & phone # needs to be corrected.

Question

how to fix/recover another family members Microsoft log in/sign in option on this computer?

he forgot & we can't log in on the computer.

Answer 1

Hello,

If you have forgotten your Microsoft account username or password, please refer to the support article below and enter the phone number or email address associated with your account to search for your username.

Forgotten your Microsoft account username

If you have forgotten your password, try resetting it or performing an account recovery.

For password reset instructions, please refer to the support article below.

Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password

If you need to recover your account, please use the following link.

https://account.live.com/acsr

These steps can be performed from any Windows device where you are able to sign in, so please try them on a computer you can currently access.

Answer 2

Use two separate steps: first get back into Windows on the PC, then fix the Microsoft account details (email/phone) if needed.

1. Try basic Windows sign-in recovery on the PC
   • On the lock screen, if there is more than one account, select a different account (for example, another family member or an admin account) and sign in.
   • If no one can sign in at all, restart the device from the sign-in screen: select Power > Restart. If updates are pending, choose Update and restart.
   • If sign-in still fails, start in Safe Mode and sign in with the account password (PIN and biometrics do not work in Safe Mode):
     1. On the sign-in screen, select Power > Restart while holding Shift.
     2. At Choose an option, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
     3. When options appear, press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
   • Once signed in (either with another account or in Safe Mode), go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users to review accounts and, if needed, create a new local account or Microsoft account for the family member.
2. Recover the family member’s Microsoft account (forgotten sign-in info)
   • If the family member forgot the Microsoft account password (for Outlook/Hotmail/Xbox, etc.), use the standard password reset flow:
     1. Go to the Microsoft account sign-in page and select Forgotten your password?.
     2. Enter the Microsoft account email/phone/Skype and select Next.
     3. Choose where to receive a verification code (email, phone, etc.), then enter the code and set a new password.
     4. If there is no usable verification option or none are recognized, use the appropriate Sign-in Helper tool linked in the documentation to continue recovery.
   • If the username or password “stopped working,” use the Recover your account flow:
     1. Start from the Recover your account page.
     2. Enter the email/phone/Skype used to sign in.
     3. Choose a method to receive a security code, enter it, then set a new password.
     4. If the message “We couldn’t find an account with that username” appears, carefully check spelling and domain (for example, .com vs .co.uk) or try another alias/phone number on the account.
3. If the email/phone on the Microsoft account is wrong or unknown
   • If the family member cannot remember which email or phone is on the Microsoft account, use the guided tools:
     • For forgotten email/username, follow the “Look up your Microsoft account” guidance from the Microsoft account help pages.
     • If the phone number or email used for verification is not accessible or is incorrect, use the Sign-in Helper or the Account recovery form and provide as much accurate information as possible (previous passwords, aliases, etc.).
   • If the account truly cannot be recovered (recovery form fails and no verification methods are available), create a new Microsoft account and add that new account to the Windows 11 PC under Settings > Accounts.
4. After recovery, sign in on the Windows 11 PC and Edge
   • Once the Microsoft account password is reset and verified, return to the Windows 11 sign-in screen and sign in with the corrected Microsoft account (email/phone and new password).
   • In Microsoft Edge, go to Settings > Profiles > Sign in and use the same Microsoft account to enable sync.

If none of the recovery options work, use the Microsoft account guided tools for “Can’t sign in” and the account recovery form from a device and location the family member has used before.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Problems Signing In to Windows
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Get help with your Microsoft account
• My username and password have stopped working
• Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• Help with "phone number is already used" in a Microsoft account