Windows 8 (Re-)Registration Question

How do I change the email address associated with my Windows 8 computer?

I got a new laptop with Windows 8 for Christmas. It was my first exposure to Windows 8 and I sailed through the installation/setup pretty quickly. Unfortunately, I've forgotten most of what I did and now I have a problem.

When I sign in to Windows 8, it shows me my main email address. But I've just moved and cancelled my account with that ISP. In another couple of days or weeks, the account will die and I have no idea what will happen with regards to signing on to Windows 8. I assume I need to go to a website somewhere and re-register my laptop in some way to use a different email address.

I don't have any idea what I need to do or where I need to do it. Can someone kindly clue me in?

Log in here using your Microsoft account details (the email address and password you currently use on your PC): -

https://account.live.com/

Click on "Account aliases" on the left, then you can add a new email address, make that your primary alias, then remove the old one.

Here's some more info: -

Use aliases to add email addresses to your account - Microsoft Windows Help

Also, while you're logged in there, you can set up extra security, such as adding a mobile phone number to your account for extra protection. Once you've added a mobile phone number, any time you try and make major changes to your account, such as changing the password, MS will text you a security code that you have to enter in before you can make any changes. That means that if someone was to gain unauthorised access to your account, they wouldn't be able to make major changes to it (such as changing the password again) because they would need your mobile phone to be able do it.

Actually, there's already a guide on how to do this here: -

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/9200-microsoft-account-change-email-address-windows-8-a.html

I got into accounts.live.com without difficulty and added an alias - even though it is NOT really an alias to the other address at all but a completely different email address - but I can't change the primary alias. I get the message "Your organization's policies prevent you from changing your primary alias."

Does this mean I need to contact my ISP to get them to release the address in some way? But if I do that, isn't there a risk that their only option will be to delete the email address entirely? And if that happens, will I still be able to go in and set/change the address for the account to my new email address?

In case it's a factor, I should mention that the new email address is just a Yahoo email address; I'm making do without an ISP and just using public WiFi and friends' internet connections for a few weeks until I have a steady income. Using a Yahoo (or other non-ISP related) address isn't a problem, is it?

I'm not sure what that message means, but it's not related to your ISP having to release the existing email address. A Google search only brings up literally a handful of results, but no solution. You might want to ask on Microsoft's own forums if nobody else here can come up with an answer to that one.

djsigma said:

I'm not sure what that message means, but it's not related to your ISP having to release the existing email address. A Google search only brings up literally a handful of results, but no solution. You might want to ask on Microsoft's own forums if nobody else here can come up with an answer to that one.

Click to expand...

I think that's good advice. I've posted a question over at Microsoft. I'll try to remember to post the answer back here when I have it.