Windows 10: Computer repaired, now Microsoft Account says it does not exist???

I'm helping my aunt with her computer. She needed to return it to Dell for repair and they suggested backing up everything in case they needed to reinstall the OS. So I did this for her last week, I backed up to her OneDrive on her account. The computer is sent back to her and they replaced the Screen and reinstalled Windows 11. So I was glad we backed up!!!! Or so I thought.Upon setting up her computer again I enter her microsoft account email and get the error saying that the account doesn't exist! She is meticulous in keeping track of things and has everything written down. I am

:)

 

Strange Windows 10 User Account issue.

Unfortunately I had done those steps numerous reboots, it just, reappears for no good reason. The base account isn't even a Microsoft account, it's a local account.

I haven't quite tried the built in administrator account on W10, but so far in my experience on my own computer, the built in account seemed to have absolutely no more control than I did on my own.

It's just strange, I go in, it warns me twice about deleting the account, then it's gone. Reboot, and it's back?

EDIT: Just to specify, both command line and Netplwiz both say only HIS account exists on the computer, it doesn't list this rogue account. This is what I meant in my first post about the fact that even Windows doesn't seem to believe it exists, HALF the time. *Frown

 

Switch Back to Existing Local Account from Microsoft Account

Hi,

Thank you for posting your response in Microsoft Community.

I understand your concern, and we in Community will try to help you in the best possible way we can.

I suggest that you follow the steps below and check if you can log into your computer using the Local Account.

• • On the Search Bar type “User Account”.
  • On the right menu pane locate and click “Make changes to my account in this PC”.
  • Then locate and click on “Sign in With a Local Account instead”.
  • And follow on screen instructions.

Hope this information is helpful.

 

Microsoft account does not exist error - but it does exist...

Another example of my confusion:

Step 1: Windows/Start button is pressed in the bottom left.

Step 2: Above "Power", "Settings", "Pictures" and "Documents" is my account/email address that I'm currently using to post this question with (which also is the Microsoft account I have my 365 subscription tied to). I click on my account with my personalized icon.

Step 3: Above "Sign out" and "Lock" is "Change account settings" which I click.

Step 4: I'm brought to "Your info" which has my personalized icon, correct email address, listed as the administrator too. I select "Manage my Microsoft account" and am taken to account.microsoft.com and logged in to the same correct email/account. I can see on this page my 365 family subscription is still active and fine.

Step 5: I go back to the "Your info" pop up settings window and below "Manage my Microsoft account" is another link to "Verify", of which I click.

Step 6: The small Microsoft Sign in window appears with prepopulated text saying that the same exact email address that I'm signed in on my computer using, (of which has active 365 subscription and has no issues seen on account.microosft.com when I log in) doesn't exist. The exact text is as follows and red: "That Microsoft account doesn't exist. Enter a different account or get a new one."

Step 7: When trying to re-enter the same email address, and clicking "Next" in the bottom right of the window, the red text persists that the account doesn't exist.

I can't comprehend how my correct email address which has Microsoft subscriptions simply can't be found or 'doesn't exist'.

Apologies for the long-winded questions, but I'm trying to be as thorough as possible so that anyone can review this and hopefully have a better understanding of the issues I'm having. I'm getting a bit desperate to have this sorted out and any solutions would be extremely valuable to me.