NOTE: Will update thread in the future.
Quick Tips on How to Properly Secure a
Microsoft Account.
This is simply formatted for your benefit.
It's a long read but this is EVERYTHING you oughta know.
Securing accounts nowadays seem easy. With xbox accounts though, things are a little complicated. In this thread, I'd like to share my going on 6 years of experience securing xbox accounts.
In this guide, I explain how to safely and properly secure your account and so detail the exact reasons why this is the safest method for YOUR benefit.
Without further ado...
Often times you log in with the password given, and the first thing on your mind is either this:
-Change the password or
-Change the microsoft account alias
However, this is in fact what you should do in this order:
-Change alternative security
-Change alias
-**Change password last**
Why you may ask ? Alright well...
When you log in for the first time from your device, you will have to send a code to the persons alternative security if they didn't already add yours. What's reccomended is that when you log in do not log in through xbox.com
Log in here: account.microsoft.com
This will instantly bring you to the page where you change password/alias/security.
You can of course open another tab on xbox.com to make sure you have logged into the correct account/gamertag.
Once you have sent a code and you are in, go to your secuity settings->more security settings. You may need to send another code to their alt.
Once you have access to more security settings, add your own alternative security and remove theirs.
The reason you do this before changing password and alias is this:
Say they had intentions to pull the account back while you are logged in. The first thing they will likely do is change the password. However, if they do change the password and your own alternative security is already added, you can reset the password to what you want it to be, and then change the alias to further secure the account. If the account is on a fresh silver, they almost have 0 chance of regaining access once you change the name, date of birth, zip code and everything else under the tab Your Info.
The only way they could pull it back is if they know the current email, 4+ passwords (sometimes not even that), 4+ folders on the email (sometimes not even that many), emails the account has emailed and emails it has recieved, current or old xbox live codes on the acc, name and DoB. If it had been consoled, they can call Microsoft, give the most recent email and console id and serial.. And pretty much get it back in a week or less.
So... Add your alt first.
Once alt is added, change the alias to whatever you want, make it primary, and remove theirs. If it doesn't let you change the alt to an outlook/hotmail (saying it's been done too many times this week) try adding a gmail/yahoo (gmail reccomended) verify it and make that primary. This sometimes bypasses the limited alias change. If this doesn't work, start praying they do not have ill intentions of pulling the account.
Lastly, change the password. If you really want to secure the account, change the password at least 4 times. Helps with recovery.
After all this is done, feel free to change your info (name, DoB, etc). And change the billing info of course. You should be pretty good at this point.
Note: ensure they do not have any payment options on the account, ie; credit/debit card, paypal, btc wallet attatched. This could potentially give them a chance to call Microsoft and pull the account back. Payment methods should not be on the account when you recieve the account anyway as it is usually personal information to the seller.
I hope this is helpful to the community, enjoy.
** Huge Edit, take note of this** : To check for UA (Unauthorized Access requests) aka they're pulling your account back, go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas
while logged in, then click check status of report. Here , you will see not only all current UAs, but ones that have been closed before. They will always be there. It will say either open/closed. The number on the left of the will be the support number. If you want to attempt to close the open UA, call Microsoft and claim that you have either recovered your account, or that someone is trying to hack you.
Microsoft support number: 800 - 469 - 9269
Or go here: http://support.xbox.com/en-US/contact-us and chat with support.
I hope this thread is beneficial to the community.
2018 Update:
please note this :
xbox one consoled tags will never be safe.
Updating 7/28/18:
Question/Answers Section. Feel free to ask me xbox account related questions and I'll do my best to assist you. If I find my info I give you could be useful for the community, I will edit this main post with the input.
Lordsmaxx
Well as you said anything, a bit off and on topic at the same time, I’m new how can I check a persons GT is consoled or not?
You can by simply go on xboxgamertag.com and check the tag to see if it has gamerscore.
If you mean checking the account by when you get, for xbox one consoles go here:
account.microsoft.com
here you can "remove" the device but microsoft still has record of it being on the account so no matter what all you silly heads think "removing xbox one consoles" doesn't really remove them on their end, as they hold records of that for reasons such as this site.
for viewing xbox 360 consoles , you can go here:
account.xbox.com
you can make a person require profile download for the 360 consoles, but you cannot "remove" them. This is often how people check and verify tenures as the dates of each time consoles are stored here as well.
Extra note: often times changing your alias from an outlook to a gmail will log someone out of security as well.
Quick Tips on How to Properly Secure a
Microsoft Account.
This is simply formatted for your benefit.
It's a long read but this is EVERYTHING you oughta know.
Securing accounts nowadays seem easy. With xbox accounts though, things are a little complicated. In this thread, I'd like to share my going on 6 years of experience securing xbox accounts.
In this guide, I explain how to safely and properly secure your account and so detail the exact reasons why this is the safest method for YOUR benefit.
Without further ado...
Often times you log in with the password given, and the first thing on your mind is either this:
-Change the password or
-Change the microsoft account alias
However, this is in fact what you should do in this order:
-Change alternative security
-Change alias
-**Change password last**
Why you may ask ? Alright well...
When you log in for the first time from your device, you will have to send a code to the persons alternative security if they didn't already add yours. What's reccomended is that when you log in do not log in through xbox.com
Log in here: account.microsoft.com
This will instantly bring you to the page where you change password/alias/security.
You can of course open another tab on xbox.com to make sure you have logged into the correct account/gamertag.
Once you have sent a code and you are in, go to your secuity settings->more security settings. You may need to send another code to their alt.
Once you have access to more security settings, add your own alternative security and remove theirs.
The reason you do this before changing password and alias is this:
Say they had intentions to pull the account back while you are logged in. The first thing they will likely do is change the password. However, if they do change the password and your own alternative security is already added, you can reset the password to what you want it to be, and then change the alias to further secure the account. If the account is on a fresh silver, they almost have 0 chance of regaining access once you change the name, date of birth, zip code and everything else under the tab Your Info.
The only way they could pull it back is if they know the current email, 4+ passwords (sometimes not even that), 4+ folders on the email (sometimes not even that many), emails the account has emailed and emails it has recieved, current or old xbox live codes on the acc, name and DoB. If it had been consoled, they can call Microsoft, give the most recent email and console id and serial.. And pretty much get it back in a week or less.
So... Add your alt first.
Once alt is added, change the alias to whatever you want, make it primary, and remove theirs. If it doesn't let you change the alt to an outlook/hotmail (saying it's been done too many times this week) try adding a gmail/yahoo (gmail reccomended) verify it and make that primary. This sometimes bypasses the limited alias change. If this doesn't work, start praying they do not have ill intentions of pulling the account.
Lastly, change the password. If you really want to secure the account, change the password at least 4 times. Helps with recovery.
After all this is done, feel free to change your info (name, DoB, etc). And change the billing info of course. You should be pretty good at this point.
Note: ensure they do not have any payment options on the account, ie; credit/debit card, paypal, btc wallet attatched. This could potentially give them a chance to call Microsoft and pull the account back. Payment methods should not be on the account when you recieve the account anyway as it is usually personal information to the seller.
I hope this is helpful to the community, enjoy.
** Huge Edit, take note of this** : To check for UA (Unauthorized Access requests) aka they're pulling your account back, go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas
while logged in, then click check status of report. Here , you will see not only all current UAs, but ones that have been closed before. They will always be there. It will say either open/closed. The number on the left of the will be the support number. If you want to attempt to close the open UA, call Microsoft and claim that you have either recovered your account, or that someone is trying to hack you.
Microsoft support number: 800 - 469 - 9269
Or go here: http://support.xbox.com/en-US/contact-us and chat with support.
I hope this thread is beneficial to the community.
2018 Update:
please note this :
xbox one consoled tags will never be safe.
Updating 7/28/18:
Question/Answers Section. Feel free to ask me xbox account related questions and I'll do my best to assist you. If I find my info I give you could be useful for the community, I will edit this main post with the input.
Lordsmaxx
Well as you said anything, a bit off and on topic at the same time, I’m new how can I check a persons GT is consoled or not?
You can by simply go on xboxgamertag.com and check the tag to see if it has gamerscore.
If you mean checking the account by when you get, for xbox one consoles go here:
Sign in to your account
account.microsoft.com
here you can "remove" the device but microsoft still has record of it being on the account so no matter what all you silly heads think "removing xbox one consoles" doesn't really remove them on their end, as they hold records of that for reasons such as this site.
for viewing xbox 360 consoles , you can go here:
Sign in to your Microsoft account
account.xbox.com
you can make a person require profile download for the 360 consoles, but you cannot "remove" them. This is often how people check and verify tenures as the dates of each time consoles are stored here as well.
Extra note: often times changing your alias from an outlook to a gmail will log someone out of security as well.
