an outlook account's name and email address changed - why and how do I fix it?

Joseph Carey 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T20:00:44.3+00:00

During the Microsoft Outlook outage on November 11th, an Outlook account with a @outlook.com address was changed (not my doing) to an account with a @earthlink.net address. This Earthlink address is one I use on another Outlook account. How can I restore Outlook account back to what it is supposed to be?

I am using the Outlook application on my laptop computer.

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home
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  1. Emma1-N 15,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-14T05:01:31.1433333+00:00

    Welcome Joseph Carey,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that after the November 11th outage, your Outlook account with an @outlook.com address now shows an @earthlink.net name and address in classic Outlook, and you want to restore the original.

    To help narrow this down:

    • When you sign in to Outlook on the web with the @outlook.com address, does it show the correct name and address, or the EarthLink one?
    • Does the EarthLink address appear in the other Outlook account on your laptop and in this one, or only in this one?

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following:

    1, Check connected accounts and the default From address in Outlook on the web

    • Sign in to Outlook on the web with the @outlook.com address.
    • Select Settings, then Mail, then Sync email.
    • Check whether the EarthLink address is listed as a connected account. If it is, remove it from this account.
    • Select Mail, then Compose and reply, and set the default From address to the @outlook.com address.

    2, Sign out of Office in classic Outlook

    • Open Outlook and select File, then Office Account.
    • Select Sign out, then close Outlook.
    • Open Outlook again and sign in with the @outlook.com address.

    3, Clear saved credentials

    • Close Outlook.
    • Open Credential Manager from the Start menu and select Windows Credentials.
    • Remove the entries that start with MicrosoftOffice16 or contain the EarthLink address.
    • Restart the laptop, open Outlook, and sign in again.

    4, Repair Office

    • Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps.
    • Find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365, select the three dots, then Modify.
    • Select Quick Repair, then Repair, and restart Outlook when it finishes.

    Looking forward to your update.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-13T20:01:42.44+00:00

    Check the Microsoft account’s online alias list before changing Outlook: if the original @outlook.com address is still present and primary, the mailbox was not renamed and the affected classic Outlook profile should be rebuilt.

    1. Determine whether the online account actually changed

    1. Close Outlook.
    2. Open the Microsoft account alias page:
      https://account.live.com/names/manage
    3. Sign in using the original @outlook.com address.
    4. Under Account aliases, check:
      • Whether the original @outlook.com address is listed.
      • Which address says Primary alias.
      • Whether the EarthLink address appears.

    Aliases belong to one Microsoft account, share its password and data, and one alias is designated as primary.^1^

    Do not remove the original @outlook.com alias. Removing a Microsoft-domain alias can permanently delete that address.^2^

    2. Apply the matching fix

    Select Make primary beside the original @outlook.com address. Do not remove EarthLink until Outlook works correctly and it is clear why that address is present.

    An EarthLink address already associated with a different Microsoft account cannot also be added as an alias to this account.^3^ If the page shows EarthLink only when signing into the other Microsoft account, the problem is probably Outlook’s local profile rather than an online alias change.

    If the online alias list is correct

    Create a separate classic Outlook profile containing the correct account:

    1. Hold Shift while starting Outlook.
    2. In the profile picker, select Options.
    3. Select New, enter a profile name such as Outlook-correct, and select OK.
    4. Add the original @outlook.com address and authenticate with that Microsoft account.
    5. Restart Outlook while holding Shift.
    6. Select the new profile and enable Set as default profile.^4^

    Confirm that the expected Inbox, folders, and sender address appear. Keep the old profile temporarily; deleting a profile removes its configured accounts and offline data, although online Outlook.com data remains on the server.^5^

    If the original @outlook.com address is missing or an alias change was unauthorized

    Review the account’s Recent activity. Microsoft records events such as Alias added, Alias deleted, Primary alias changed, and Account name changed. Expand anything suspicious and choose This wasn’t me or Secure your account, then change the password and update security information.^6^

    If the original Outlook.com alias can still be added, use Add email on the alias page and then make it primary. If it cannot be restored, use Contact Support from Microsoft’s account-support process. Support cannot directly change account details or issue password-reset links.^1^

    The timing alone does not establish that an Outlook service outage changed the account. The online alias list and Recent activity are the authoritative checks distinguishing an actual account change from a damaged or incorrectly selected desktop profile.

    References

    1. Change the email address for your Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
    2. Can I change the email address that is connected to my Clipchamp account? | Microsoft Support
    3. "Something went wrong" with error ADDriverStoreAccessNonLocalException | Microsoft Support
    4. Overview of email profiles in classic Outlook | Microsoft Support
    5. Remove a profile in classic Outlook | Microsoft Support
    6. What is the Recent activity page? | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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