I have family computers backed up on my account - when husband signs into his newly cleaned up computer - he gets my account

Question

I need for him to get back into his computer set up - the favorites and emails and passwords - but it's just going to my set up. I can see his computer as one of the ones backed up on our account but I am the only one with a Microsoft password.

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

Just to clarify, are both computers using the same Microsoft account, which is your account?

I’m asking because Windows backup and sync are tied to the Microsoft account that signs in. So if your husband signs in using your Microsoft account, Windows may restore or sync your desktop setup, Edge favorites, saved passwords, and email settings instead of his.

You mentioned that you can see his computer listed as one of the backed-up devices under your account. That means the device backup may exist under your Microsoft account, but it does not necessarily mean Windows can separate it into “your setup” and “his setup” unless he had his own Windows profile or his own Microsoft account before.

Please check on his computer:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info. What email address is shown there?

Also, before changing anything, can you confirm these 3 things?

1. Was your husband previously signing in with his own Windows user profile, or was he also using your Microsoft account?
2. Were his favorites and passwords saved in Edge under his own browser profile, or under your account?
3. When you say emails, was he using Outlook, New Outlook/Windows Mail, or just email in a browser?

Answer 2

Each person needs a separate Microsoft account and must sign in with their own account to get their own backup, favorites, and settings.

Here is how to get the husband’s setup back on his PC:

1. Confirm he has his own Microsoft account
   • If he already has a personal Microsoft account (for example, an Outlook.com or similar address), he must sign in with that on his PC.
   • If he does not have one, create it first: use Create a new Microsoft account from the account page referenced in the backup article.
2. Sign him into Windows with his own account
   On his cleaned-up PC:
   1. Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.
   2. If it shows the shared family account (yours), select Sign in with a local account instead, complete the sign-out/sign-in steps.
   3. Then go back to Settings > Accounts > Your info and choose Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
   4. Sign in using his Microsoft account credentials.
   Windows Backup is designed for personal Microsoft accounts, not shared work/school accounts.
3. Restore his backup during setup (if available)
   When a PC is first set up (or after a reset) and a user signs in with their Microsoft account, Windows will detect existing backups for that account and offer to restore:
   • Sign in with his Microsoft account during the Windows out-of-box setup.
   • When prompted, choose the correct backup (his PC) from More options if there are multiple backups.
   • This restores his app pins, supported settings, and allows access to files backed up to OneDrive.
4. Check and adjust backup settings going forward
   On each PC, while signed in with the correct account:
   • Go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup.
   • Under Remember my preferences, turn on the categories he wants (Accessibility, Accounts/Wi‑Fi, Personalization, Language, Other Windows settings).
   • Use Back up files to choose which folders sync to his OneDrive.

If his PC was backed up under your Microsoft account (not his), then the backup, favorites, and settings are tied to your account identity and cannot be reassigned to him. In that case, he would need to sign in with your account to see that backup, then gradually move to using his own account going forward.

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References:

• Back up and restore with Windows Backup
• Your Microsoft account, your data, your choices
• Get help with your Microsoft account