Remove Recovery Email

A recovery email on someone else’s personal Microsoft account does not prevent your organization from creating a Microsoft 365 work account; create the user through the Microsoft 365 admin center after adding and verifying the company domain.

Create the company account correctly

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center as an administrator.
2. Go to Settings → Domains.
3. Add the company’s custom domain and verify ownership using the DNS record Microsoft provides. ^1^
4. Create the user under Users → Active users → Add a user, using the required company address.

Microsoft 365 work accounts are organization-managed identities, separate from personal Microsoft accounts. A personal and work account can therefore have the same email address, although Microsoft might ask which account you want when signing in. ^2^

If you are trying to create a personal Microsoft account

The exact error determines what happened:

• “Microsoft account already exists” means the address is already attached to another personal Microsoft account. Microsoft requires a different email address for the new personal account. [^3^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/manage/why-do-i-get-the-message-microsoft-account-already-exists-when-signing-into-microsoft-services-with "Why do I get the message "Microsoft account already exists" when signing into Microsoft services with my account for Skype? | Microsoft Support")
• A company domain registered with Microsoft 365 might also be restricted from creating new personal Microsoft accounts. In that case, use an organization-managed work account rather than personal-account signup. Existing personal accounts created before domain verification can remain. ^4^

Merely controlling the company mailbox does not transfer ownership of the former colleague’s personal Microsoft account or let an administrator remove its aliases or security information.

Removing the address from the former colleague’s account

The former colleague must sign in to her personal Microsoft account and determine how the address is registered:

• If it is only recovery/security information: open Advanced security options, expand that verification method, select Remove, and confirm. ^5^
• If it is an account alias: open Your info → Manage how you sign in to Microsoft, add another address if necessary, make it primary, and then select Remove beside the company address. ^6^

If she will not cooperate or cannot sign in, Microsoft support agents cannot access the personal account and manually change its account details. ^5^ For an organization-owned verified domain, a Microsoft 365 administrator can instead open Microsoft 365 admin center → Support → New service request and describe the address as being attached to a legacy personal Microsoft account on the verified corporate domain. ^4^

Do not use password recovery to enter the former colleague’s personal account solely because the company receives its recovery messages; mailbox possession does not establish ownership of that personal account.

References

1. Add a custom domain to Microsoft 365
2. Which account do you want to use? | Microsoft Support
3. Why do I get the message "Microsoft account already exists" when signing into Microsoft services with my account for Skype? | Microsoft Support
4. Blocking Personal Microsoft or outlook.com account sign-up with work email address. - Microsoft Q&A
5. Removing a sign-in verification method | Microsoft Support
6. Change the email address for your Microsoft account | Microsoft Support