personal microsoft acct is linked to old work acct and I cant sign in

Question

here is a screen shot of the error message that I received, I cant get anyone to help me from Microsoft

Answer 1

Hi kay,

Thank you so much for the update. I'm glad that i could help.

If the answer is helpful, please consider to mark it as 'Yes' and give it an upvote, as it may help other users with similar issues find the solution more easily.

Thank you for your contribution.

Wishing you all the best.

Answer 2

Hi kay,

Thank you for the update. I’m glad to hear that the steps appear to have worked. 

Based on the screenshot you provided, the Access work or school page looks normal. I do not see any work or school account currently connected there. The page is only showing the option to add a work or school account, which is expected if no organizational account is connected to the device. 

At this point, if you are able to sign in to your personal Microsoft account and access Microsoft 365 successfully, no further action should be needed from this screen. 

Thank you again for your patience and for following the troubleshooting steps. Please let me know if the issue returns or if you run into any further sign-in problems. 

Additionally, if you found the answer helpful, I truly appreciate that you can marking it as 'Yes'. This helps highlight the solution for others who may be searching for similar information in the community. Your contribution not only supports fellow users in finding the right guidance more quickly, but also helps build a more resourceful and collaborative space for everyone.  

Have a wonderful day ahead.

Answer 3

Hi kay,

Thank you very much for providing the additional screenshots and details. 

Based on the screenshots, the sign-in process appears to be redirecting to an old work or school authentication flow rather than the standard personal Microsoft account sign-in page. You were correct not to continue past that page, especially since it appears to be an organizational sign-in page that is not related to your personal Microsoft account. 

Since you mentioned that you are able to sign in successfully using another browser, this appears to be isolated to Microsoft Edge or cached sign-in data on the Windows device, rather than an issue with your personal Microsoft account itself. 

Please try the following steps: 

1. Open Microsoft Edge in an InPrivate window. 
2. Go directly to either: 
   • https://account.microsoft.com 
   • https://www.microsoft365.com 
3. Sign in using your personal Gmail-based Microsoft account. 
4. Please avoid using any saved bookmarks or selecting Find your organization, as that may route the sign-in attempt back to the old organization’s sign-in page. 
5. In Microsoft Edge, click the profile icon in the top-right corner and check whether any old work or school profile is still listed. If so, please sign out of that profile or create a new Edge profile for your personal Microsoft account. 
6. If the issue only happens in regular Edge but not in InPrivate mode, clear Edge cookies and cached data: 

• Open Edge 
• Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services 
• Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear 
• Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files 
• Set the time range to All time 
• Select Clear now 

7. After clearing the data, close and reopen Edge, then try signing in again directly from https://www.microsoft365.com. 

You may also check the Windows account connection by going to: 

• Settings > Accounts > Access work or school 
• 
• If an old work or school account is still listed there, removing it may help prevent Windows or Edge from attempting to use the old organizational sign-in flow. 

 Please try the steps above and let me know if the issue continues afterward.

Answer 4

Hi kay,

Thank you for reaching out regarding the issue with your personal Microsoft account being linked to an old work account and preventing you from signing in. 

To assist you more effectively, could you please provide some additional information about the issue you are experiencing? 

• If possible, please share the exact error message you received or resend the screenshot, as that would be very helpful for me to better understand the issue. 
• Whether the old work account is still active or no longer accessible 
• Where you are trying to sign in, such as browser, Windows, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, or another Microsoft service 
• Are you experiencing this issue on a Windows PC, Mac, mobile device, or through a web browser?

Please feel free to share the information in the comment below. Once I have it, I'll be better positioned to guide you through the next steps. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 

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