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Managing Your Windows Live™ Account

 

Windows Live Account Check List

  • Accessing and monitoring your account
  • Changing your password
  • Changing your credit card number or expiration date
  • How to spot fraud, scams and phishing

 

Accessing and Monitoring your Account
 

Note:  Microsoft recently announced that former beta sites will now be subject to an annual domain name renewal fee.  This announcement contained conflicting information regarding when payment would need to be made.  As I understand it, the new policy does not take effect until October 1, 2009.  Therefore, sites who's domain names expire prior to October 1 will be renewed without charge as before.  Renewals occurring after October 1 will be subject to the annual charge.

 

Some of the following links may not be present in every Microsoft OL account.  It will depend on when and under which plan a particular site was registered.  When the time comes for a site's renewal, the appropriate account pages will be updated to include the necessary links.


Access your account by logging into http://account.live.com.  Use your primary (owner's) Windows Live ID (WLID), the one you used to sign up for your website.  Familiarize yourself with the page and the various links.  This link will provide access to all services associated with your Windows Live ID, including Blog and mail. 

 

Changing Your Password

You can change the password associated with your WLID, but you cannot change the WLID that is used to access your website account.  To change the password, log into your account as described above.  Click on Change where it says "Password ******."

 

Changing Your Credit Card Number or Expiration Date

 

To change your credit card number, from your website account home page:

          » Account Management » Billing Manager
You can also reach this page by visiting http://billing.microsoft.com.  Log in with your owner's WLID.

 

          » My Payment Method (Your Credit Card) » Go to payment method information
At this point, you will add a new credit card and remove the old one:
          » Use a different payment method » Add a new card

To change the expiration date only:

          » Edit payment method information
   

How to Spot Fraud, Scams and Phishing

 

If you have purchased any optional services from Microsoft, such as a custom domain name, you will not be contacted by any third party regarding your account.  Many OL account holders have received letters indicating that domain renewal is due and asking for payment.  Do not send any money.  Instead do an internet search on the company and see what others are saying about it.   

 

If you have purchased a domain name elsewhere and redelegated it to your OL account, you will be responsible for any fees specified by the domain registrar.  Be sure you are dealing only with that registrar.

 

You should also be wary of email contacts purporting to be from Windows Live or Microsoft, and requesting sensitive information.  Passwords and social security numbers are examples.  Microsoft will never request such information via email.  There should also be no coercive element in legitimate contacts ("Your account will be cancelled unless..."). 

 

Approximately 30 days before a payment is due for a Microsoft account, you will receive an email advising of the upcoming transaction.  At this point, you will also be advised that you may cancel the service.  Legitimate email contacts from Microsoft regarding your account will include the provisos, “Please confirm that your account and payment information is up to date,” and “Please do not respond to this message.”  Note that no information is requested via the email, in fact, you are told not to reply.  At this point, all you need to do is make sure the information on file is current and correct.  The transaction will proceed without any further action on your part.