I changed my acct email but I am still asked at sign in for my obsolete email which does not exist

Question

Obsolete Email

I purchased my current Office subscription using my then current email address.

For some reason during the lapse of MS service to Windows 10 I LOST access to my MS email account.

I got into my account and changed the email address to a new one serviced by Network Solutions.

When I try to opem My current account it persists in using my now non existent email address. Prompt says "account does not exist"

Virtually all my 365 account ask for my old email to access

I did change my email address on my MS account but my account still shows the old EM as required for access.

I need to PERMANENTLY change my non existent EM to the correct one I am currently using

Help

Answer 1

Hi DrJohn,

If the account alias has already been changed, the issue may be that some devices or Microsoft 365 apps are still holding the old sign-in information locally. This can cause sign-in prompts to continue referencing the previous email address even though your Microsoft account now uses a different one.

You could try the following:

1. Sign out of all Microsoft 365 apps (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.).
2. Open Credential Manager in Windows and remove any saved credentials that reference the old email address.
3. Restart the PC, then sign back in using only the new email address.
4. If the issue occurs in a browser, clear saved Microsoft account sign-in data or test using an InPrivate/Incognito window.

If your new email is already set as the primary alias and the old address has been removed, but Microsoft services still consistently request the obsolete address, it may be worth contacting Support reference from AI answer.

I hope this helps point you in the right direction. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

If the old address is still being requested, it is still configured as a sign-in alias or sign-in preference on the Microsoft account.

Use this path to fix it:

1. Sign in to Manage how you sign in and open Edit account info: https://account.live.com/names/manage
2. Check the aliases listed for the account.
3. If the new Network Solutions address is not listed, select Add email and add it.
4. Set the new address as the primary alias using Make primary.
5. Remove the obsolete address if Remove is available.
6. After that, sign in with the new alias. Microsoft states that any alias on the account can be used to sign in, but the primary alias is the one that appears on devices.

Important details:

• Aliases on a Microsoft account share the same password, contacts, storage, subscriptions, and account settings.
• Verification codes sent by email can only be sent to the primary alias or another email added as a way to verify sign-in.
• If a screen says “Which account do you want to use?”, that means the same email address exists as both a Personal account and a Work or school account. In that case, changing the personal account’s primary alias can remove the prompt.
• If the old address is still being used for verification or notifications, also review Security and sign-in verification methods.

If the account cannot be signed in to reliably enough to make these changes, use the guided support tool or sign-in helper:

• Guided support tool: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2216784
• Sign-in helper: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2300860

Support limitation:

• Microsoft support agents cannot send password reset links or directly change account details.

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