Windows 10: Help logging in with incorrect microsoft account

Hi everyone, just want to say thanks in advance for your time and effort! These forums are invaluable.

I'm trying to do some troubleshooting for my (very senior) father. I must admit I have little to no experience with windows 10 as all of my machines run 7, so please forgive my confusion. I'll do my best to explain the problem and what I think happened!

A week ago he decided to upgrade their windows 7 desktop (older HP) to windows 10. When asked to log into the new OS instead of choosing a local account he must have chosen to use a Microsoft account (knowing that they use a Hotmail address). For some reason he entered their Hotmail address as ".com" instead of ".ca". I'm not sure how this is possible but in doing so he inadvertently created a new Hotmail account. The problem is that their machine is now stuck at the log in screen showing the wrong (newly created ".com") Hotmail address.

I can't find any way to change the log-in address or switch users etc. If i could simply change it to the correct ".ca" address I could get in as I have the password for that email account. As he's older he doesn't recall creating a new account or have any idea of what the new password would/could be. I've tried the proper password for the ".ca" account as he knows that one but it didn't work.

The only solution I could think of was trying to get into/reset the password for the ".com" account and hope that it syncs with the windows 10 desktop. Luckily I was able to use the recovery address to change the password on the ".com" account to something I know. Their computer is showing up under "devices" connected to that account. I've tried several times over the last day with the new password and still can't log into windows 10. I read on a thread that it sometimes takes a few hours to sync but I've waited plenty long. The machine is plugged into Ethernet with a working connection so it should theoretically sync?

Any advice as to what I can to do get into this computer would be great. Im worried that my dad bricked their machine and will be looking at losing all of their photo's and files etc to a clean install of Windows.

Thanks in advance

Tony

:)

 

Help with Logging into Microsoft Account On Windows 10

Uninstalled Wajam and removed registry references - Klug-ug (Klingon for Success). Was able to verify, sync calendar with outlook, add accounts, and sync OneDrive with phone. I don't think Wajam is a useful program.

 

Help with Logging into Microsoft Account On Windows 10

I have installed Windows 10, everything went well and I can now use it normally. But i signed in using a local account which causes some problems because I can't now log in to the Xbox App.

Whenever I try to sign in to Microsoft account by, a window pops up for about a millisecond (where I presume I'd be asked for the account information) and then it instantly disappears. Can anyone help me?

I have tried looking elsewhere (even second page of Google) but they always talked about forgetting one's password or being blocked, but they didn't talk about not even having the chance to sing in.

 

Hello Tony, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

This below may be able to help with your situation.

First, you could reset the password of the new Microsoft account online at Microsoft.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...dows-10-a.html

Once finished, you should be able to sign in to the account on the computer once the new password syncs to it.

When you sign in, you can then create a new Microsoft account on the PC with his correct Microsoft account email address.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

Afterwards, delete the incorrect account.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

 

Thanks for your reply Brink!

Yesterday I did exactly as recommended in the link,

• Option Three: To Reset Password of your Microsoft Account Online at Microsoft

This gave me access to the Microsoft account currently displaying on the windows 10 login screen (as tested by logging into outlook in a web browser). The problem is that it doesn't seem to be syncing to the computer in question as I have tried the newly reset password several times over the last 24 h with no luck. I am confident the computer is connected to a working internet connection.

Anything else I can try?

 

Sometimes it may take a few days if you had to verify when resetting the password.

If it doesn't sync by then, you may need to reset Windows 10 at boot. During Windows Setup, you could setup a Microsoft account with his correct email address.

Reset Windows 10

 

Is this common for it to take a few days to sync? I can't find any references to this happening elsewhere on google.

Surely there is another way to access the computer. The reset you recommended would be a total last resort as I don't want to lose all of the information and files on this computer.

 

Hi there. If it doesn't sync then you might try slipping the HD in another system and get the files you need. Then swap it back in and start from scratch.

 

Brink, I found a work-around you posted a while ago for a similar issue in windows 7:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...nge-winre.html

Isn't there anything similar for windows 10? For example, I came arcross this method which seems very similar. What are your thoughts on this? I could create a new admin account to at least get into the computer to access everything and make the necessary changes.

https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-a...s-10-password/

Thanks for all of your help

*edit* - I apologize if this method is against the forum rules or something but I wasn't able to find anything like it on tenforums.

 

Tony,

I'm afraid that won't work with a Microsoft account. It'll only work with a local account instead.

 

Darn, I thought I might be able to create a new user account and add it to the administrator group to gain access to the computer.

I'll give it another day to see if the password will eventually sync.

Thanks

 

You might see if you may be able to do OPTION FOUR in the tutorial below to enable the built-in Administrator account at boot.

If successful, you could sign in to that account to create a new MS account on the PC, and delete the old one.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Didn't know that. Thanks, Shawn. *Smile

 

After waiting a second day the new password must have synced as i was finally able to log in this morning. Thanks for all your help.

 

*Ditto