Windows 10: How to merge or delete Microsoft accounts

I have five computers and I went over them all to decide which ones to toss out. I was surprised to see I have three MS accounts. and it looks like I cannot merge them into one? I do not share any of the computers with anyone else and do not need separate accounts. The accounts are I'm changing the name: Mary Doe, Mary, and Mary A Doe. I have no need to maintain more than one account or pin. What is the best way I can somehow end up with just one account without losing files, etc.? Some are Win 10 and some are Win 11.

:)

 

Steps on deleting/merging 2 Microsoft accounts

Hi,

I realize that Microsoft does not allow merging 2 accounts, so I am trying to update my "master account" (one I want to keep) with the email tied to a dummy account I want to delete.

Issue:

• *** Email address is removed for privacy *** is the "master account" with the devices and everything linked to it.
• *** Email address is removed for privacy *** is the dummy account - which has no devices or anything linked to it (created a separate account on accident)
• I want to update the "master account" to *** Email address is removed for privacy ***, then *** Email address is removed for privacy *** can be an alias or deleted
• When I try adding *** Email address is removed for privacy *** to the profile of *** Email address is removed for privacy ***, there is an error saying that the email address is already being used so it cant be used.

Questions:

• If I close the *** Email address is removed for privacy *** account using this help article:
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12412/microsoft-account-how-to-close-account
  • Can I instantly then go add it to the *** Email address is removed for privacy *** profile? If not, how long is the waiting period?
  • Is there a better way to accomplish what I listed above?

Thank you for your assistance! Sorry if this is posted to the wrong area, there is not a category for Microsoft Accounts

Aaron

 

Merge two Microsoft Accounts

Hi,

I have two Microsoft accounts which I would like to merge. Can you advise the steps I need to take?

Regards

 

Local Acct user and MS account user - sync them or merge them

If the local account is the one where you have most of your personal data, this is how I would do it:

• Sign in to your Microsoft account
  
• Copy all documents, pictures and other personal data from Microsoft account's user folders to corresponding folders in user Public (contents of MS account Documents folder to Public Documents folder and so on)
• Sign out from Microsoft account

Notice that above steps are only required if Microsoft account user folders contain data you want to keep. If its user folders are empty or do not contain anything worth saving, you can skip the above steps. Continue from below.

• Sign in to the local account
  
• Delete the Microsoft account (Option One in this tutorial)
• Switch your local account to a Microsoft account (tutorial)
• Copy the data backed up from old Microsoft account to Public folders to new Microsoft account in corresponding folders

That's it. Using the Public folders as temporary storage you will have none whatsoever file owner / permission issues later on.