Duplicate Email

Question

I have a business account with an email address that I previously used but deleted. OneDrive is not giving the new account access but the old one- how do I fix that?

Answer 1

Hi ScHa,

Based on your sharing, this issue usually happens because OneDrive still has the old account cached, or because the deleted and newly created business accounts are treated as different Microsoft 365 identities, even if they use the same email address.

Firstly, please open an InPrivate/Incognito browser, go to Onedrive.com, and sign in only with the new business account.

• If the new OneDrive opens correctly online, the problem is cached credentials on your computer (do step 1)
• If OneDrive opens but the required files/folders are missing or access is denied, the content still belongs to the old identity (do step 2)

Step 1: Remove the old account from OneDrive

For Windows:

• Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
• Select Help & Settings > Settings > Account.
• Find the old business account and select Unlink this PC.
• Close and reopen OneDrive.
• Sign in using the new business account.

For Mac:

• Select the OneDrive cloud icon.
• Open Help & Settings > Preferences > Account > select Unlink this Mac for the old account.
• Open Keychain Access and search for OneDrive > delete OneDrive Cached Credential.
• Restart OneDrive and sign in with the new account.

If you have any difficulties performing these steps, please refer to this article: Unlink and re-link OneDrive | Microsoft Support

Step 2: Contact your administrator

If the files are stored in the old user’s OneDrive, signing in with the new account will not transfer them. In this case, you need to contact your company's IT department and ask for their help. Your IT administrator can copy/move the former account’s OneDrive into the new user’s OneDrive. If the original account was already deleted, only your administrator can help restore the deleted account through SharePoint admin center if the account is still within retention period.

In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

Hope this information will help you move forward smoothly. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comment below. I'm very happy to help.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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