Microsoft Account: What is Microsoft Account Sign Up, Sign In or Password Reset?

If you are a fan of Microsoft (MS) products and services, Microsoft account is just perfect for you. This is because MS account is what you will need to gain full access to all MS devices and services. It provides a single sign-on (SSO) platform for Microsoft users to sign in to Microsoft websites such as Skype, Outlook.com, OneDrive, and other Microsoft devices like Windows Phone, Xbox game console, Windows 10 computers, and tablets.

With your MS account, you can securely store and retrieve your data files, photos, contacts and perform other account settings action from any device. It is very easy to sign up for MS account if you don’t have one. You can create an MS account on microsoft.com or signup.live.com. Creating an account will allow you to sign into MS websites using a single set of credentials. Here is how to Sign Up, Sign In, Reset Password and Manage your MS Account:

Two Methods of Microsoft Account Sign Up

There are two main methods that a new user can use to create a Microsoft account. They are:

1. Your existing email address: You can use your existing valid e-mail address like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail, to sign up for a Microsoft account. The Microsoft platform will turn the user’s e-mail address into a Microsoft account automatically and allow the user the opportunity to choose his or password of choice.
2. Sign up for a Microsoft email address: The service also allows you to sign up for an email account with Microsoft’s webmail services such as Hotmail, @outlook.com, @live.com, @passport.com, and msn.com.

How to Sign Up for a Microsoft Account

Here are the steps you can follow to sign up for a Microsoft account:

1. Type signup.live.com on any web browser. This will take to “Microsoft Create account” page.
2. Enter your email address. You can also use your phone number instead of your e-mail address. Users have the option to get new Outlook.com or Hotmail email address if they select the “Get a new email address” tab
3. Click on the Next button
4. On the next page, Enter the password you would like to use with your account.
5. Click on the Next button
6. Enter your First name and Last name.
7. Select your country and fill in your date of birth
8. Verify your email address by entering the code you received from Microsoft. Check your mailbox to retrieve the code. If you would like to receive other promotional emails and newsletters from Microsoft, you can check the “Send me promotional emails from Microsoft” box.
9. Then, click the Next button to finish

How to Sign In to Your Microsoft Account

Below are the steps that you use to sign in or log in to your Microsoft account:

1. Type login.live.com on any browser and hit the Enter button on your device. This will take you to the Sign in page. You can also sign in using microsoft.com.
2. Enter your email address, phone number or your Skype ID.
3. Click on the Next button
4. Provide your Microsoft account password.
5. Click on the Next button to complete the Microsoft account sign-in process.

How to Change Your Microsoft Account Password

If you feel that your Microsoft account password is exposed or compromised in any way, you can follow the steps below to change it:

1. Sign in to your Microsoft account as indicated above, and click on “Security”.
2. Select “Change password”.
3. Enter your OLD password,
4. Then, the NEW password you want to use, and then enter the NEW password again.
5. Click on “Save”. You will be notified that you have successfully changed your password.

How to Remove a Microsoft Account from a Windows 10 PC and Laptop

If someone had set up your Windows 10 PC or laptop with a different Microsoft account other than your own account, you can remove such an account by taking two actions. First, you have to create a local account on your Windows 10 PC or laptop, before removing the other account. Here are the two steps:

Step 1: Create a local account on your Windows 10 PC or Laptop:

1. Press the “Windows key + R”.
2. Type “netplwiz”, and then click “OK”.
3. Click “Add”.
4. Tap “Sign in without a Microsoft account (not recommended)”.
5. Click “Local account”, type a “username”, and a “password” (if you’d like one).
6. Tap “Next”, and then click “Finish”.
7. Sign out of the “Microsoft account” you want to delete, sign in using the “local account” you created, and then remove the account you want to delete.

Step 2: Remove the Microsoft Account from your Windows 10 PC or laptop

1. Click the “Start” button, and then tap “Settings”.
2. Tap “Accounts”, scroll down, and then click the “Microsoft account” you would like to delete.
3. Click “Remove”, and then Select Yes.

How to Recover or Reset Your Microsoft Account Password

The steps are as follows:

1. Enter your Microsoft account username or email address. Users who have multiple accounts on their PCs should choose the one to reset.
2. Click the “I forgot my password” below the password text box.
3. When the Recover your account screen pops up, type the characters displayed in the box below “Enter the characters you see”, then select Next.
4. Once the Verify your identity screen menu pops up, choose to receive your security code either as a text or email message. If you choose text, type the last four digits of your phone number, and then select Send code.
5. If you get the code as a text or email message on a separate device, enter it and then select Next.
6. On the Reset your password screen, enter a new password that you can easily memorize and then select Next. This sets your new password. Select Next again to return to the sign-in screen.
7. Then, sign in with your new Microsoft account password.

To learn more, check out our article on Microsoft Account Password Reset. Note that with your Microsoft account, you can sign in to Microsoft websites, apps, and use services such as Skype, Bing, MSN, Xbox Live or sign in to any other device like Mac, iOS, or Android.