How to delete my microsoft account permanently

Introduction

I have been getting a lot of emails from people asking me the question of 'how to delete a Microsoft account'. Frankly I could just tell these people how to go about it since it's not really a difficult thing to do.

But I thought there might be other stuff that everyone needs to know about before deleting their account. It is important to go about it the right way.

In this post, you will learn what you need to consider about microsoft 4service account deletion before closing your account as well as the different ways that you can delete your account.

Deleting your Microsoft Account leads to Losing Access to User Services

Having Microsoft accounts often means having access to different user services, such as; Microsoft Office, Xbox Live, Skype account, Microsoft Outlook, and the Windows Store wallet.

While most of these services were great at one time, the truth is, there are probably more viable options currently available.

However, if you have been using these services for quite a while now, you need to know that if you delete your Microsoft account settings, you will definitely lose valuable data and access to these services.

Closing your account will result in you losing every stored document in your respective OneDrive account. It will also cost you your Skype and Microsoft Outlook email messages.

For your Xbox, you will lose all your gaming achievements and progress stats. You will also lose every game you have ever purchased as well as your respective Gamertag.

If you own a Windows Store wallet, then deleting your account will prevent you from gaining access to all the money stored up in your wallet.

There are also other Microsoft services that you could have subscribed to that are not mentioned here, you can get more information on all the services offered by Microsoft from their support page.

Before you clear your account, pay a visit to your overview page and check out your subscriptions.

In the overview page you can also find out how much is left in your Windows Store wallet. Make sure you withdraw your funds and cancel all Microsoft user service subscriptions before deleting your Microsoft account.

After deleting your account, Microsoft allows for a 2 month return period just in case you change your mind.

What this means is that your Skype message history, Outlook email messages, and other user service data is still reserved for you during this 60-day period.

How to Cancel your User Service Subscriptions without Deleting your Microsoft Account

If you are not yet convinced about deleting your account, but you are definitely fed up with paying subscriptions on a number of user services, such as; Xbox live or Microsoft Office, then cancelling your subscription should suffice.

Below are five steps to cancel your subscriptions without clearing your Microsoft account:

1. Login to your respective 'Microsoft Account Page'.
2. Find the user subscription service you would like to cancel, then click on the 'Manage' drop-down menu located on the right side of the service.
3. Click on the 'Cancel Subscription' button.
4. A confirmation message will appear. You then need to confirm your desire to cancel the user service.
5. Scroll down your monitor screen to view your next subscription payment date.

Note that the cancellation of your subscription may not take effect until your next payment date.

This allows you to still make use of the service if you want to, at least until your next payment date. Make sure to check your email for a confirmation message of the subscription cancellation.

How to Delete a Microsoft Account from Windows OS Settings

It is possible for you to delete an account directly from your Windows OS settings. By doing so, you will be able to totally remove Microsoft accounts from your Windows OS PC device.

However, your account will still be available on Microsoft servers. Follow the steps below to erase a Microsoft account from your Windows OS PC via the settings:

Step #1: Click the Windows icon located on the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.

Step #2: Click on Settings to reveal a menu.

Step #3: From the Settings menu visit Accounts.

Step #4: Go to 'Your Account' tab from the Accounts section.

Step #5: At the bottom of 'Your Account' tab is the 'Remove Account' button. Click on this button to remove Microsoft account from your Windows OS PC.

Notes:

• If you sign in with one account, that account can be deleted.
• You should either login with a new user account or you can create another local account before deleting your Microsoft account by following the steps highlighted above.

Reinstalling Windows OS will Delete Microsoft Accounts

This is another way to delete Microsoft accounts from a local Windows OS PC. By reinstalling Windows OS, you will refresh your device and you can decide on which Microsoft accounts should remain active.

Your Windows OS PC will be free from any harmful corrupted files, spyware, malware or viruses. Reinstalling Windows OS will also improve the boot speed of your PC while also enhancing its overall performance.

How to Delete a Microsoft Account from Microsoft Servers

By deleting your account from Microsoft servers, you are totally convinced that you no longer want to maintain the account. You can go ahead and remove your account from Microsoft servers by following the ten steps below:

Step #1: Visit the official Microsoft website and Login to your account.

Step #2: Input the required information then click the 'Next' button.

Step #3: The 'Sign in' button is located on the bottom left corner of the screen. Click on this button.

Step #4: Input either your registered phone number or email address to ratify your identity.

Step #5: Microsoft will send a verification code to either your registered phone number or email address depending on which one you provided. Retrieve the verification code from your phone or email.

Step #6: Input this verification code in the box provided.

Step #7: Make sure to check every box of the pop-up reminders as they appear on your screen.

Step #8: Choose one of many reasons for your decision to delete your Microsoft account.

Step #9: Select 'Mark account for closure'.

Step #10: Finally, click on the 'Done' button.

In Closing

As stated in this post, taking the decision to delete your Microsoft account is not an easy one. You need to consider if you no longer want to make use of Microsoft apps like Skype subscription, microsoft teams account, Outlook account, Office, Xbox, Windows Store wallet, and so on.

However, if you have decided that this is what is best for you, then you should first cancel all user service subscriptions before deleting your account. Deleting your account doesn't mean that you cannot restore it.

Microsoft offers a 60 day return period and allows you to restore your account with most of your stored data and message history intact.

You can delete an account from your PC from settings or reinstall Windows OS to delete an account.

But if you want to permanently clear your Microsoft accounts, then you can do so directly online from Microsoft servers.

If you have any more questions on this topic, you can drop your comment below.