Trying to see if i updated my previous subscription or accidently created a new account

Question

I had a MS account with an email address linked to it that i no longer had access to. I created a new email address and changed it on my MS account. After I updated my subscription, I'm still receiving a message that my account is disconnected. I need assistance with understanding if i originally created a personal account, not a business account (which i think i did). And how do I reconnect my desktop.

Answer 1

Hello S. Davis

Based on your description, it sounds like the desktop apps may still be signed in with the old account or another account that does not hold the active Microsoft 365 subscription.

If you only changed the email/alias on the same Microsoft account, the subscription should remain linked to that account; however, if a new Microsoft account was created separately, the subscription may not appear there.

Please try these steps:

1. Sign in to Services & subscriptions using your new email address and confirm whether the Microsoft 365 subscription appears there.
2. Open Word or Excel > File > Account and check the account shown under Product Information / Belongs to.
3. If it shows the wrong account, select Sign out, then sign back in with the account that shows the active subscription.
4. Close and reopen all Office apps, then check if the “account disconnected” message is gone.
5. If the message remains, update Office from File > Account > Update Options > Update Now, then run the Office activation troubleshooter on the same Windows PC. Refer here for instruction: https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/support/get-help/microsoft-365-troubleshooters

For personal vs business account: Microsoft 365 Personal/Family is normally linked to a personal Microsoft account, while business subscriptions are linked to a work or school account provided by an organization.

I hope this helps you confirm which account owns the subscription and reconnect Office on your desktop.

Feel free reply back to this post and update me about this issue, I'll be happy to help.