[inetknght]

> I have nothing against MS.

I do. I've had Microsoft account hacked with no way of recovering it despite still owning the email associated with it. I continuously get email notifications from Microsoft stating that there's suspicious activity on the account but recovery is effectively impossible.

I won't buy anything at all that requires a Microsoft account to use.

[Godel_unicode]

Can you expand on how that’s possible? Don’t the reset emails break you back in…?

[inetknght]

> Can you expand on how that’s possible?

1. Opened a MSN.net account in early 00's. Fake name/birthday provided as is the norm for the day and only email validation was required at the time.

2. Opened a Skype account in early 00's. Fake name/birthday information provided as is the norm for the day and only email validation was required at the time.

3. Microsoft merged Skype and MSN.net

4. Bought a Surface Pro in early 10's and that required a Microsoft account. Hated it and returned it, but now there's a CC and name associated with the account.

5. Account was hacked in mid 10's. Lost access.

6. Recovery workflow now involves "verifying" questions and answers that were never a part of the sign-up workflow, and secondary workflow involves "verifying" fake name/birthday information that's long since forgotten, or verifying purchases and prices and CC numbers (which have since changed), or verification of email.

7. Verification of email isn't enough because it's not a second factor. Want more verification.

8. MS phone support refuses to help, and brick & mortar staff have no capability to recover accounts

[reportgunner]

I suppose that e-mail is not enough, they probably require a second factor like a phone number.