How to Delete Devices from Your Microsoft Account

A Microsoft Account is like glue. This became even more true as Microsoft improved Windows by adding new subscription services, settings, and features. The side-effect of practically needing a Microsoft Account to get the most out of Windows is that you’re left with so many devices connected to your Microsoft Account. Eventually you will need to remove some of them.

It’s your Microsoft Account that keeps your settings synced from device to device. Microsoft Accounts is how the built-in OneDrive app knows which account to connect to or how to charge your account for purchasing an app or video. To get the most out of Windows 10, it’s necessary to own a Microsoft. That’s why Microsoft encourages users to sign in or create one when setting up a Windows PC.

You can link your Microsoft Account to as many devices as you want, but after 10 devices you will be asked to remove a device before installing apps from the Windows Store. Other problems may arise if you have an extensive list of devices in your account. For example, Microsoft’s own Groove Music subscription service only allows users to download songs for offline playback on four different devices.

Here’s how to delete devices from your Microsoft Account.

Delete Devices From Your Microsoft Account: Before You Begin

To begin with, you will need internet access to remove a device from your Microsoft Account. This is because there is nothing you can do without a web browser. Windows 10 has ways to remove accounts from a computer, but the Microsoft Account website offers a more detailed view of each device connected to your account.

Before you try to delete devices from your Microsoft Account, go to the device you want to remove. Tap or click the search bar and type What you’re looking for is the name of your computer. Go ahead and write. It helps you to select the PC from the list of devices connected to your account. This information is not essential, but it will save you the guesswork. Microsoft does a great job of identifying most devices by name, but some of their partners – including Lenovo – don’t.

Also note that we are using Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system with the Windows 10 Anniversary update installed. The update will start installing on computers automatically in early August. The online process is the same, but the About Your Computer area may look slightly different.

It’s a good idea to have your phone nearby, as you’ll need to sign in to your Microsoft Account online via a browser. Microsoft may force you to provide a code that it sends to your phone as a text message.

Deleting Devices From Your Microsoft Account

Open a web browser and navigate to: account.live.com.

Here you may be asked to enter your username and password, as well as a code sent to your phone. If not, it’s because you’ve previously signed in to your Microsoft Account on this computer. Tap or click Devices. This is the fourth menu option from the right at the top of the site.

Tap or click now

What you should have is a complete breakdown of all devices that have ever been linked to your Microsoft Account. Note that some of the devices on our list are easily identifiable due to the work done on their part by the device manufacturer. Therefore, it is important that you write down the name of the device you are trying to remove.

If you’ve already physically got rid of the device you want to remove, Microsoft provides enough information for you to understand which devices should be removed. Try entering the model number of the device Microsoft provides here into a search engine to find out what the make of the device is. You can also use the timestamp to decide what should go. If you sold a computer in January and your Microsoft Account hasn’t seen a device in your list since then, it’s most likely the one you want to remove.

Tap or click or click Uninstall This Laptop. You may be asked to provide your Microsoft Account Password again.

Now select the checkbox indicating you are ready to eject the computer and tap or click the button.

This much. You deleted this device from your Microsoft Account. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not allow users to remotely reset their devices. This means that if your PC is lost or stolen, removing a device does nothing more than ensure that device does not occupy a slot that you can use for another device.

Also, removing a device from your Devices list doesn’t necessarily remove it from Microsoft’s media apps for any reason. Devices connected to a Groove Music subscription must be removed from the Music Devices area. Devices that you have authorized for video purchases cannot be removed from the browser in any way. Instead, you need to delete them from the Movies & TV or Movies & TV app on that device.