microsoft account Verifying a non-Microsoft email address used for a new Microsoft account

[Calum Veteran]

I was wondering if anyone has tried?or can try?to set up a new Microsoft account, using an email address that isn't a Microsoft account (e.g. an email address for your domain), on the following page: https://signup.live.com. This is different to signing up through www.outlook.com (as that directs one to a page that allows them to create an @outlook.com Microsoft account), but this new Microsoft account sign up page may have been released yesterday, alongside Outlook.com (I'm not sure).

My problem isn't with creating the new Microsoft account; it's with verifying the email address I've used. Once I created the account, I was directed to a page that informed me I must verify that the email address is mine by clicking on the link in the email they sent to that address (shown in Figure 1).

Every time I click on the 'Verify' button, I see the error message shown in Figure 2.

Does everyone else see that, or is anyone able to verify their email address?

I realise that Outlook.com is in preview, but nothing states that the Microsoft account sign up page is in preview. Further, as they've given us the option to sign up using our own email address, it's possible that this is a problem that can be solved, rather than merely something they haven't implemented yet.

I've contacted the Outlook team for some assistance, and I will look into contacting the actual Microsoft account team (if they are different), but I just thought I'd check whether this is a rare case or if it happens for everyone.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice :)

[Sir Topham Hatt]

I have done it, but did it through outlook.com once I signed up with an outlook.com address.

Set up the email address through:

Click on Cog > More Email Settings > Sending/receiving from other email accounts

Added the account.

In WLM I received the email (can't post picture as I'm at work at the moment), clicked on the link and it opened a browser window and said thanks, I'm verified. Also tested and it works. But your email above looks fairly different to mine.

I might try using your link and see what happens.

Although they have the downfall of not allowing you so send email using your own non-MS address silently. So the recipient knows you are using an @outlook.com address:

• Sending an email through Outlook.com using [email protected] as the address.
  
• Open it in outlook (the program) and you see the sender is listed as: "[email protected] on behalf of [email protected]".
  

Gmail doesn't do this as you can set custom outgoing servers through the browser.

Heard murmors of using custom domains with microsoft but I have the domain and DNS settings elsewhere, I simply want to be able to send email through outlook.com from my own email address without the "on behalf of" coming up.

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Just a quick reply, I managed to update the security information to my existing account (IE, add a new security email address).

Got a similar email to your above and clicked on the link, it worked fine for me.

Not tried a vanilla new account though.

[Calum Veteran]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions, Mr Spoon. I very much appreciate them and they will perhaps help someone else :)

Fortunately, the fix to my issue was much simpler. I'd realised that I hadn't tried other browsers?I'd only been attempting to verify my email address using Google Chrome. So I tried it in Google Chrome again, yesterday, and saw the same problem, but I then tried it in Internet Explorer straight away afterward and it worked.

It appears it could be a bug specific to Google Chrome (it could be that in conjunction with the style of email address I've used). I've attempted to report the problem to the Microsoft account team, but if anyone experiences the same, try it in Internet Explorer :)

Thanks again for your time, Mr Spoon.

[mcoleman]

I'm having the exact same problem as Calum. The only problem being, I'm on a Mac and can't use Internet Explorer. I've tried using FireFox and Safari, but still can't verify these accounts. I'm beginning to suspect it's more of a Windows/Mac thing, as I've known others using PCs have been able to verify these accounts regardless of browser. Has anyone found a way to verify these accounts using a Mac? This is more than frustrating!!!

Thanks!