If you want to take advantage of the various Microsoft services (games, email and cloud storage, to name a few), you will first need to create an account. If you are using a Windows Phone, you will still need to create an account to log into the device. Creating an account is easy and you can do it in several ways.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Create an Account on the Microsoft Registration Page
Step 1. Go to the Microsoft registration page
Start any browser on your computer and type "signup.live.com" in the address bar. You will be taken to the Microsoft registration page.
Step 2. Click on "Create Account"
This option is located on the right side of the registration page. You will be directed to the form where you will need to enter your account data.
Step 3. Enter your full name and then select a username
You will first be asked to enter your name and surname, after which you will have to write a username. If you have a Gmail or Yahoo! Account, you can use your email address as a username to sign up for Microsoft.
Step 4. Next, create a password
Make sure your account password is at least 8 characters long and contains at least two of the following: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. When you finish typing your password, enter it again to confirm it.
Step 5. Enter your country, your date of birth and finally your gender
To enter this data you will have drop-down menus available. Just click on the down arrow next to the text boxes to select country, date of birth and gender.
Step 6. Verify the information entered
Select your country code from the drop-down menu under the gender section and enter your phone number in the box below. You will receive a verification code via SMS or a phone call to prove that you are a real person rather than a bot.
Check the characters you see in the box under the phone number. It is a Captcha. Enter it in the field titled "Enter the characters you see". This step also serves to ensure that you are a real person
Step 7. Click on "Create Account" at the bottom of the screen
At this point, you will have set up your account. However, before you can use Microsoft's services, you will need to verify the email address (username) entered. Open the e-mail sent to the e-mail address you registered as a username and click on the link indicated to confirm. Your profile will now have been created and verified. You will then be able to use Microsoft's services with the account in question.
Method 2 of 3: Create a Microsoft Account on OneDrive
Step 1. Visit OneDrive
OneDrive is the cloud storage service offered by Microsoft, which you can access from your mobile device or PC. Each OneDrive user gets 15GB of free personal cloud storage. Consequently, if you want to use OneDrive to save your files, you'll need a Microsoft account first.
Open a new tab or window in your browser and type "onedrive.live.com" in the address bar. Press the "Enter" key and you will be taken to the OneDrive website
Step 2. Start creating an account
Click on "Sign up for free" at the top right of the page and select "Create a Microsoft account" in the pop-up that appears. You will be redirected to a page that will allow you to create an account.
Step 3. Enter your full name and then select a username
The first two lines of the registration form will ask you to enter your first and last name, followed by a username. Enter this information in the relevant fields. If you have a Gmail or Yahoo! account, you can enter your email address as a username to access Microsoft services.
Step 4. Create a password
Make sure your account password is at least 8 characters long and contains at least two of the following: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. After creating the password, enter it again to confirm it.
Step 5. Enter your country, your date of birth and finally your gender
The fields of this information are displayed as a drop-down menu. Just click on the down arrow next to the text boxes to select country, date of birth and gender.
Step 6. Verify the information given
Select the country code from the drop-down menu located under the "Gender" field, then enter your phone number in the box below. You will receive a verification code via SMS or phone call to verify that you are indeed a real person rather than a bot.
Check the characters you see in the box under the phone number. It is a Captcha. Type them in the field titled "Enter the characters you see". This procedure also serves to ensure that you are a real person
Step 7. Click on "Create Account" at the bottom of the screen
At this point, you will have finished setting up your Microsoft account, but before you can use the available services, you will need to verify the e-mail address (username) entered. Open the e-mail that was sent to the e-mail address registered as username and click on the indicated link to confirm. Your account will then be created and verified. From now on, you will be able to use Microsoft services with that account.
Method 3 of 3: Create a Microsoft Account on a Windows Phone
Step 1. Sign in to Xbox
Scroll down on the main phone screen until you find the green box of the Xbox app. Press on this icon to open the Xbox Game screen.
Step 2. Swipe your finger across the screen to the left
You will be shown two options: "Join Xbox or sign in" and "Don't see your Xbox account?".
Step 3. Start creating an account
Click on the "Join Xbox or sign in" option. At that point, you'll be told that you'll need a Microsoft account to sign in. Click on "Sign in" at the bottom of the message. On the next screen you will be asked if you want to log in or create an account. Select "Create Account" to proceed.
Step 4. Enter the Microsoft email address you wish to use
On the next screen, you will find a text field where you will need to enter the email address you want to associate with your Microsoft account. The address will look like this: "[email protected]". You will need to replace "example" with whatever name you wish to associate with your e-mail address.
When you're done, hit "Next" at the bottom of the screen to continue
Step 5. Create a password
Enter a password in the first field of the next screen. Remember that the password is case-sensitive. Enter it again in the second field to verify it, then press "Next" at the bottom of the screen to proceed.
Step 6. Enter an alternate email address
Enter it in the field at the top of the new screen. This alternate address will be used to recover your account should you ever forget your password.
Step 7. Add your date of birth
Do this by clicking on the "Choose date" option (located under the alternate email address field). Then, enter the day, month and year of your birth. Once you have entered the required information, press the check mark at the bottom of the screen.
Step 8. Enter your zip code
The last box on the screen is for entering your postcode. Press on it and enter the code. Once entered, click on "Next" to proceed. This will start creating your Microsoft account on your Windows Phone.
Step 9. Back up your phone
Optionally, you will be asked if you want to back up your phone data to your Microsoft account. Click on "Yes" if you want to create a backup copy of the data on your mobile. If not, select "Not now".
