Maybe someone knows a better way to retrieve verification codes send to a different MS account when trying to create/fix/delete a MS account?

Problem is, all MS pages mess up when you switch accounts. This was my evening:


Trying to migrate my kid's Mojang accounts to new MS accounts since the old Mojang accounts will stop working next month.
Nearly 4 hours wasted, including time with MS live chat support to get a misspelled new account closed again. (Can't, will stay active for 30 days at least, but has no personal info in it so whatever) Live chat got aborted when trying to retrieve a security code sigh.

The problem, I try to edit the new account, it sends a verification code to my own account. To get the code, I have to sign out of the new account, sign in to my old account to access my email. Then when you use that code in the window waiting for the code, it thinks you're sending the code to your own account. So it asks for another verification code and gets stuck in a loop.

How can I have access to multiple email boxes without changing MS accounts?
Can you access your email without signing in to the MS account now stuck to that email?

I finally got out of the loop by writing the code down, signing out of my own mail and MS account. Sign back in to the new account (which is still waiting for a confirmation code in a different box) and choose stay signed in. (At least this second sign in doesn't trigger the verification again). Then go back to the box waiting for the code, enter it there.... and get asked for a longer verification code lol. Repeat steps (Security code and Security confirmation)

What a giant PITA. 2 new MS accounts, 2 new email accounts, 2 new XBox accounts with gamertags and avatars. All crap we didn't need or want, but we can continue to play Minecraft. I used my own birth date for the 2 new accounts not to get problems with child account privileges again. (Had to throw my kids out of the family to be able to install stuff on their laptops lol)

Life uh finds a way.

If it comes up again I'll log into my email on a different laptop to get the codes.

Maybe a different browser works as well. I guess it uses cookies to track which account is 'active' since it's not in the http address. Weird stuff kept happening and at first I didn't realize what the problem was, captcha, codes not working, accounts not working. When I cleaned up one of my kids mail boxes it said it was deleting the outlook mail I was looking at, but the spiny wheel never went away and the mail boxes returned "not available". Turned out that was because of logging into another account in another tab, breaking the mail browser.

It seems windows isn't designed to manage multiple accounts, at least not when it comes to managing them online. However the MInecraft launcher is designed with multiple accounts in mind and it successfully and automatically now uses the right account with saved password, so my kids can play without having to memorize a 'strong' password while be able to use their laptop with a dummy password and dummy MS account to unlock windows.


I have had problems with MS accounts before. When they got their laptops I had it all set up the way MS wants, child accounts linked to a family account. The problem with that was, every time they wanted to install something, windows send a mail to me for permission. Even though I granted permission (many times), it didn't work and installation of for example FireFox remained blocked. So I had to dump my kids out of the family again, change settings on their laptops so it's possible to install software on it. Hence the dummy accounts they have now.

My wife is the smart one. She refused to have a MS account at all, and after some digging we found a loophole to get Windows 10 to work without being linked to an MS account. Her laptop simply starts, no issues, no pop ups, it just works.

I would assume a 2nd browser (or private window) would work, that's how I use multiple accounts for gmail/hotmail etc, but I also refused to set up Microsoft accounts so not sure if it would 100% work when the account you are logging in & out of is at the OS level.

I just got a new laptop & specified Windows 10 specifically because I don't think there is a loophole in Windows 11 to set it up without an MS account anymore.

Yep, it was a dumb move on my part to use my email address when I set up my MS account. I should unlink it if possible, but kinda afraid to mess things up :/ I guess I can change all verification emails to go to a gmail address so I don't need my email connected to the OS MS account for 2 factor authentication.

How did life get so complicated!

Can't really help you, bud, but I concur that Microsoft has become a master in making verification such a long and annoying process. I've lost access to my Microsoft account twice due to lost phone numbers, and, in both occasions, I had to wait 30 days to change the number, and in those days I couldn't use their services.

Yeah, been there, sucks.

Good news! The waiting period you started 30 days ago is over, and your old security info has been replaced with ...@gmail.com No further action is required.

My old security info was my home phone number, yet MS stopped with sending their codes by voice and my ISP stopped with converting text messages to voice half a year later. So it just stopped working...