How To Find My Microsoft Account

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Log in to Windows 10 requires a Microsoft account — here's how to make sure you're all set up

Read on to learn how to:

How
  • find out if you already have a Microsoft account
  • set up a Microsoft account if you don’t have one
  • link your computer to your Microsoft account

To see your Microsoft account balance, sign in to the Payment options page with your Microsoft account. Get more payment & billing help. On your Xbox One. You can check your Microsoft account balance on your Xbox One console without going online. You can check your Microsoft account balance online or on your Xbox console. For info about adding or removing a payment option for your Xbox subscription, see: Update your billing address and payment options. To view your purchase history, go to: Check your Xbox purchase history. Need help installing Office? See all Office options.

How to check if you have a Microsoft account

If you’re using a computer that’s running Windows 10 as its operating system, you’ll need a Microsoft account to log in.

If you have an existing account with Outlook.com, Hotmail, Office 365, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox or Windows, good news — the email address and password that you use to access that account will also work as your Microsoft account. Simply input those same details to log in to Windows 10.

If you don’t have an account with any of the above services, then you don’t currently have a Microsoft account. You’ll need to set one up in order to log in to Windows 10. Follow the below steps to get going.

How to set up a Microsoft account

  1. First, go to Outlook.com and click on ‘Create one!’ to start the process.
  2. Fill in your first name and surname. The name that you use here will be displayed across all the Microsoft services you use and will be visible to friends, family, colleagues and other Microsoft users.
  3. Enter the email address you’d like, e.g. firstname_lastname and choose from the drop down list whether you’d like it to end with @outlook.com or @hotmail.com. Outlook will now check to see if that unique email address is available. If it’s already taken, it will suggest some available email addresses or you can try something different until you find an acceptable email address you’re happy with.
  4. Once you’ve chosen your email address, you need to set up a password. Microsoft requires your password to be at least 8 characters long with at least two out of lower and upper case letters, numbers and symbols. Your Microsoft account password is case sensitive, so make sure you take note of where you’ve used capital and lower case letters.
  5. Fill out your country/region, date of birth and gender.
  6. Now add either your telephone number, an alternative email address or both. If you have a problem with your Microsoft account, Outlook will use these contact details to verify your identity to protect your account.
  7. Finally, type in the random characters displayed at the bottom of the screen. There is an audio option if you prefer.
  8. Choose whether you want to opt in to promotional emails from Microsoft and then click on ‘Create account’ to finish setting up.
  9. Outlook will now create your email inbox. Select your preferred language and time zone. (The UK is in UTC+00:00) and click on save. You now have a Microsoft account.

How to link your computer to your Microsoft account

  1. Click on the Start button and then go to Settings > Accounts > Your account.
  2. Select ‘Sign in with a Microsoft account instead,’ input your Microsoft account password and click ‘next’. It might take the wizard a moment to prepare the set up, but when it’s ready, enter your Microsoft account email address and password, then click ‘next.’
  3. You may need to verify your identity with a confirmation code sent to the email address or phone number you provided earlier when you set up your Microsoft account, so have your phone or email account to hand. If they’re not available, select ‘I can’t do this right now’ and return to the set up wizard when you’re ready. Once you’ve inputted the code, click on ‘next.’
  4. Finally, click on ‘switch’ to finish the set up. Windows 10 will set up your new Microsoft account. This will not affect your files.

In summary

We've now completed the process of setting up a Microsoft account. The next time you sign in to Windows 10, use your Microsoft account name and password to log in.

How To Find My Microsoft Account For Xbox

Your Microsoft account will synchronise all the machines connected to that account, so look out for the changes next time you log in to a different device.

How To Find My Microsoft Account Pin

Now, why not explore some wider features of Windows 10?

How to edit and personalise settings in Windows 10
An introduction to using Cortana in Windows 10
An introduction to using Cortana in Windows 10

Find My Device is a feature that can help you locate your Windows 10 device if it's lost or stolen. To use this feature, sign in to your device with a Microsoft account and make sure you're an administrator on it. This feature works when location is turned on for your device, even if other users on the device have turned off location settings for their apps. Any time you attempt to locate the device, users using the device will see a notification in the notification area.

How to retrieve microsoft account

  • This setting works for any Windows device, such as a PC, laptop, Surface, or Surface Pen. It needs to be turned on before you can use it.

  • You can't useit with a work or school account, and it doesn't work for iOS devices, Android devices, or Xbox One consoles. Here's what to do if your Xbox gets stolen.

Turn on Find my device

When you set up a new device, you can decide whether to turn on or turn off the Find my device setting. If you turned it off during setup and now want to turn it on, make sure your Windows device is connected to the internet, has enough battery power so it can send its location, and that you're signed in to the device using your Microsoft account.

  1. On the device that you want to change, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Find my device.

  2. Select Change for the device you want to change.

Find your Windows device

  1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in.

  2. Select the Find My Device tab.

  3. Choose the device you want to find, and then select Find to see a map showing your device's location.

Note: You can locate a shared device only if you have an administrator account on it. On the shared device, select Start > Settings > Account > Your info to see if you're an administrator.

Lock your Windows device remotely

  1. When you find your device on the map, select Lock > Next.

  2. Once your device is locked, you can reset your password for added security. For more info about passwords, see Change or reset your Windows password.