When I try to sign in as the administrator; it does't come up as [Moderator's note: PII removed]; it comes up as account dedails, which is [Moderator's note: PII removed]. This was created months ago by someone you recommended to fix

Question

when I try to sign in as the administrator; it does't come up as [Moderator's note: PII removed]; it comes up as [Moderator's note: PII removed]; months ago; when i had computer problems, you recommended the company called Just answer to fix my problem; they created an alternate email and that's what they created to get my emails to come in; however, it's causing problems now that i have a new computer and need to install microsft ;[Moderator's note: PII removed] need to be the adminsistrator; please remove those numbers which represent [Moderator's note: PII removed]

Answer 1

Dear @Wayne Thorpe,

Based on the description, your computer is having a conflict between personal account and business account. Kindly try these steps:

1> Remove old work/school accounts from Windows

Open Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts and remove old Microsoft/work accounts under Accounts used by other apps if they are no longer needed.

Go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school and disconnect any old work/school account you want removed.

2> Clear saved credentials from Credential Manager

In Start Menu, open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials > Generic CredentialsRemove entries related to the old Microsoft 365 sign-in.

3> Restart the device

After removing cached credentials and cache folders, restart Windows so the old token/session data is fully released before you sign in again.

4> Sign back in with the correct account

After restart, open the Microsoft app you were troubleshooting and sign in again with the correct work/school or personal account. Once the old credential data is removed, the app should prompt for fresh authentication rather than reusing stale tokens.

I hope the information shared helps point you in the right direction. Please try the steps above and let me know if they work. If not, we can continue working together to narrow this down.

The first response may not always resolve the issue right away, but with your help and more details, we can work toward a solution.

As a moderator, I do not have the tools to investigate your specific account directly, as this is a support forum between users. Moderators and collaborators, including external Microsoft employees, may not directly intervene in the functionality of Microsoft products or access internal systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported problems, requests, or ideas. However, I will do my best to guide you as clearly as possible.

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Answer 2

The sign-in behavior is caused by having two different Microsoft accounts tied to similar details and by using an Outlook.com alias that was created as a workaround. To make the custom domain account (for example, ******@waynethorpe.com) the one used for Microsoft 365 and to stop the Outlook.com alias from interfering, use these steps:

1. Confirm which accounts exist
   There are likely:
   • A work or school account using the custom domain (for example, ******@waynethorpe.com) for Microsoft 365.
   • A personal Microsoft account using an Outlook.com address (for example, ******@outlook.com) that was created as an alternate.
   When the sign-in page asks “Which account do you want to use?”, it is because both a personal and a work/school account exist with related details.
2. Make sure the correct account is used as administrator
   For Microsoft 365 for business, the administrator account is a work or school account, not the personal Outlook.com account.
   Admin user IDs are created in Microsoft 365 with a unique username and a domain such as:
   • ******@yourdomain.onmicrosoft.com, or
   • ******@waynethorpe.com (if the custom domain is added and verified).
   The admin account must be the one used to sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center and to install Office apps under that subscription.
3. Adjust or remove the Outlook.com alias if needed
   If the Outlook.com address that “Just Answer” created is now causing confusion, it can be changed or removed from the personal Microsoft account:
   • Go to Manage how you sign in to your account: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=842796
   • Sign in with the personal Outlook.com account (the one with numbers).
   • To remove that alias or username:
     1. Under the list of aliases, select Remove next to the email address that is no longer needed.
     2. If that alias is the primary alias, first choose another alias as Make primary, then remove it.

   Important: If the alias being removed is an Outlook.com/Hotmail/Live/MSN address, removing it permanently deletes that alias and it cannot be used again on any Microsoft account.

4. Change the primary alias if the Outlook.com address is showing everywhere
   If the Outlook.com address is currently the primary alias on the personal account and is showing up in places where the custom domain is expected, change the primary alias:
   • Go to Manage how you sign in to your account.
   • Under Account username, select Make primary next to the email address that should be the main sign-in name.
   Note: The primary alias cannot be changed to an email address that belongs to a work or school account.
5. Install Microsoft 365 using the correct admin / subscription account
   When installing Microsoft 365 on the new computer, sign in with the Microsoft 365 subscription account (the work/school account that owns the license, for example ******@waynethorpe.com), not the personal Outlook.com account. This ensures the correct administrator and subscription are used.

If sign-in prompts or account mix-ups continue, use the “Which account do you want to use?” screen to always pick the work or school account for Microsoft 365 admin tasks and the personal account only for personal Outlook.com services.

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References:

• Which account do you want to use?
• Add or remove an email alias in Outlook.com
• What is my user ID and why do I need it for Office 365 for business?