XBone Account Issue

Vern1961 · 25 Apr 2017 at 12:44

Bought my missus a new XBone this morning to replace one we got rid of last year.

Came to input her account details and it wouldn't recognize the password. Okay, log on to MS Live and after going through the forms advises they will send a code to reset the account. That was two hours ago and nothing come through on email - have even checked the junk folder on the BT web email and not in there either.

Strangely able to sign in with my old GFWL account first time, but she needs the old account to access her previously purchased download games.

Anyone else had this issue and any suggestions other than trying to contact MS, no doubt on a premium number, to try and sort it out?

Buffman · 25 Apr 2017 at 22:27

Is it not set up with a Hotmail account /similar? Otherwise unsure.

Vern1961 · 26 Apr 2017 at 10:44

No it is with her BT email address.

The problem is the whole thing is now stuck in a loop as the verification code is not coming down to email and you need that to sign in and use the "chat". There doesn't appear to be any other form of contact (either form or email) for getting in touch with MS.

Vern1961 · 26 Apr 2017 at 17:36

Update:
Finally got through on MS "Chat" and spent 20 minutes going round in a circle ending up exactly where we started - the auto-generated verification code is not transmitting to our email (one sent manually did). However they can't reset the password on that basis so the matter has been referred for a call back.

In the meantime running on my GFWL account, put a £25 X-Box credit on there only to find the X-Box shop doesn't accept this as payment for most older or updated retro games - you need to use the debit card.

I had to seriously persuade my wife not to take the newly acquired £300 hunk of junk out in the garden and smashing it.

Microsoft really do suck these days.

House · 27 Apr 2017 at 13:40

Call Microsoft support? Its a free phone number look it up on the xbox website (I cant look at work). I've never had anything but a good experience with them, very helpful.

EA & Steam support on the other hand are a nightmare.

Vern1961 · 27 Apr 2017 at 21:15

Well I revived the Chat this afternoon as the promised email never arrived. After much faffing about eventually got a verification number through which led to a security question screen. Answered those (apart from one where we couldn't remember - favourite food or something) but then got an auto response back they were not sufficient to unlock the account. Pretty much resigned to losing it now, I can't see how the account on the old XBone would have been compromised, disk was wiped before trading in and there's been no suspicious activity on our current account.

As a postscript I set the wife up a secondary email name on the BT account to use to set up a new Xbox account. All going well until it needs the verification code to complete the process and guess what - once again nothing coming through from MS. So the problem seems to be the channel between MS and BT which is dropping automated email responses. Sometimes you long for the simple old days of the PS One and original Xbox when there was none of this online account nonsense. You bought the machine, you bought the disc, you played the game...

andshrew · 27 Apr 2017 at 22:56

Not much help but it seems to be an on-going issue that BT/Yahoo are blocking e-mails from Microsoft.

If you can't convince Microsoft you are the owner of the account and get them to change the e-mail address to one thats hosted with a decent email provider, then there's not much you can do until BT sort out their mail servers.

Vern1961 · 28 Apr 2017 at 07:05

Yes I think the only solution is to either set up an Outlook email addy or one on my domain account. You would have thought the MS tech support would be aware of this issue and could have pointed out as soon as they spotted openworld or bt.internet as the email account.

Plainsong · 28 Apr 2017 at 07:40

Create a Gmail account. 2 minutes.

House · 28 Apr 2017 at 08:14

I'll say it again, CALL THEM. They have other questions they will ask you on the phone and can check data like credit card number you have used to purchase things, serial numbers and other things to unlock your account.

I have had to unlock my wifes account a few times cause shes a numpty and cant remember a password to save her life.

stillcarp · 4 May 2017 at 08:46

cerate two live.co.uk email accounts. One for xbox and the other for to use for resetting the password.
With a live.co.uk email, as when you change from one xbox to another on it is a lot more easy to do online eg go to xbox live go to settings and change the serial number, then transfer your account to the new xbox.