Getting 2 computers into the same Microsoft Account

Question

My 2 devices (laptops) use 2 email addresses for their account. Can I eliminate one of the accounts and add the device associated with that account to the remaining account? I want to see all my devices in one account.

Answer 1

You certainly can.

You can switch the associated Microsoft account using this instruction:

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in with local user instead. follow the steps and finish the rest.

(If you don't see the "sign in with a local account instead option, click on "Stop signing into Microsoft apps automatically" first, then relaunch this page. )

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in with Microsoft account instead. follow the steps and finish the rest, Make sure you sign in with the desired Microsoft account here.

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

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I do want to bring up the topic of bitlocker key. If encryption is enabled, you want to make sure you obtain the bitlocker key from the old account and save it somewhere safe. The key is saved here: https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Answer 2

Both devices cannot be merged into a single Microsoft account, but the device that currently uses the “extra” account can be switched to sign in with the account that is to be kept. After that, all active devices that use that one account will appear together under that account.

Key points from the available information:

1. Microsoft accounts cannot be merged
   • It is not possible to combine or merge two separate Microsoft accounts (for example, two different email addresses) into one. Purchases, data, and settings from one account cannot be transferred into another automatically.
   • The only supported approach is to stop using one account and sign in on the device with the account that is to be kept.
2. What can be done with the “extra” account
   • If there is no important data or purchases tied to the account that is to be eliminated, that account can be closed after signing the device out of it.
   • In some scenarios, an email address from a closing account can be added as an alias to the remaining account, but this does not move any data or devices; it only lets that email sign in to the remaining account. The context notes that merging data or purchases is not supported.
3. Practical steps (high level)
   • On the device that uses the account to be eliminated:
     1. Sign out of that Microsoft account in Windows (switch from that Microsoft account to a local account or directly to the other Microsoft account, depending on configuration).
     2. Sign in with the Microsoft account that is to be kept.
   • After this, both laptops will be using the same Microsoft account, and they will appear together under that account’s devices list.

Because account merging is not supported, any data, OneDrive content, or purchases under the account being eliminated must be manually moved or downloaded before closing or abandoning that account.

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References:

• Combining Microsoft accounts