How to Delete Microsoft Account

If you use Windows, having a Microsoft account can be very helpful. It provides easy access to all Microsoft services.

Creating a Microsoft account is pretty easy, so is deleting it. With just a few simple steps, you can accomplish both tasks.

However you shouldn’t get confused between deleting a Microsoft account and removing it. Deleting the account will permanently erase it’s existence. Whereas removing an account will simply remove the account from a particular device until you sign back in.

If, for any reason, you are looking to delete your Microsoft account, then this article will guide you through the process.

Why Delete Microsoft Account

Depending on the circumstances, the reason to delete any account can be subjective or general.

How to Delete Microsoft Account

Many applications delete their user’s accounts after a certain period of inactivity. But this is not the case for the Microsoft accounts. If you want your account to be deleted, you need to do it manually.

Ensure you’ve unsubscribed from all the Microsoft services and have your important files backed up somewhere else before proceeding to delete your account.

Your Microsoft account is probably signed in on multiple devices. You can use any of those devices to delete your account.

Follow the steps mentioned below to delete your Microsoft account:

1. Open your browser. Go to the Microsoft’s account closure page.
2. Set the days until your account is permanently deleted
3. Click Next
   
4. Review the information and tick all the boxes.
5. Select your reason for closing the account
6. Click on Mark account for closure
   

Here you’ll see the date when your account will be deleted. Until that date, your account will remain deactivated.

How to Retrieve Microsoft Account After Deactivation

Within 30 or 60 days, Microsoft will permanently delete your account. But before that, if you change your mind, you can easily cancel the deletion process and reactivate your account.

To reopen your Microsoft account before the deletion, follow the steps below:

1. Go to microsoft.com
2. Enter your account details
3. In this window, click on Reopen account
   
4. Enter your complete email address to verify your identity
5. Enter the code received in your email
6. Click done
   

Now you can use your account like usual.

Related Queries

What Will Happen to the Windows Sign-in Account After Deleting the Microsoft Account?

If you used the deleted Microsoft account to sign in on Windows, the account would be converted to a local user account. You won’t be able to access Microsoft services with it.

After Deleting a Microsoft Account, Can I Create a New One Using the Same Email?

You can’t create a new account using the email of a deleted Microsoft account. Even after the account is deleted, the information about the email exists in the database.

Hence, when the account creation system looks into the database for the availability of the email, it will find that the email already exists.

Does Deleting a Microsoft Account Will Delete the Gmail Account Associated With It?

Microsoft account and Gmail account are different accounts associated with different services. While a Gmail account can be used to create a Microsoft account, changes in one account do not affect the other.

Hence, deleting a Microsoft account will only remove that account and not the Gmail or other email account associated with it.

The same is true for the Gmail account too. Deleting the Gmail account will not delete your Microsoft account either.

How to Remove Microsoft Account From Windows?

Before removing the Microsoft account from your Windows device, make sure you have a local account or another Microsoft account added to the device. If you don’t have it, you can create a new one.

Then you need to assign administrator rights to another account or create a new administrator account that you will use next to sign in on Windows.

To remove a Microsoft account from your Windows device, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts.
3. Select Family & other users.
4. Choose the account you want to remove.
5. Click on Remove and confirm it.