{"id":5083,"date":"2013-12-10T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2013-12-10T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/?p=5083"},"modified":"2013-12-07T16:49:46","modified_gmt":"2013-12-07T16:49:46","slug":"confusion-over-accounts-used-to-access-microsofts-online-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/2013\/12\/confusion-over-accounts-used-to-access-microsofts-online-services.htm","title":{"rendered":"Confusion over accounts used to access Microsoft’s online services"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently bought a new computer, for family use (the Lenovo Flex 15 that I was whinging about the other week<\/a> finally turned up). As it’s a new PC, it runs Windows 8 (since upgraded to 8.1) and I log in with my “Microsoft account”. All good so far.<\/p>\n

I set up local accounts for the kids, with parental controls (if you don’t use Windows Family Safety, then I recommend you do<\/a>! No need for meddling government firewalls at ISP level – all of the major operating systems have parental controls built in – we just need to be taught to use them…), then I decided that my wife also needed a “Microsoft account” so she could be registered as a parent to view the reports and over-ride settings as required.<\/p>\n

Because my wife has an Office 365 mailbox, I thought she had a “Microsoft account” and I tried to use her Office 365 credentials. Nope… authentication error. It was only some time later (after quite a bit of frustration) that I realised that the “Organization account” used to access a Microsoft service<\/em> like Office 365 is not the same as a “Microsoft account”<\/a>. Mine had only worked because I have two accounts with the same username and password (naughty…) but they are actually two entirely separate identities. As far as I can make out, “organization accounts” use the Windows Azure Active Directory service whilst “Microsoft accounts” have their heritage in Microsoft Passport\/Windows Live ID.<\/p>\n

Tweeting my frustrations I heard back from a number of online contacts – including journalists and MVPs – and it seems to be widely accepted that Microsoft’s online authentication is a mess.<\/p>\n

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@markwilsonit<\/a> @Office365<\/a> hahahahahahahhahahahahahaha (sorry it's a total mess)<\/p>\n

— Jon Honeyball (@jonhoneyball) November 28, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n