Summary: In this article we learn about how to remove Outlook primary accounts. It also offers valuable tips to run the Outlook application perfectly. The blog begins by highlighting the importance of efficient email management and the benefits of removing a primary account from Outlook.
Outlook is one of the world’s most widely used email services, providing users with access to emails and calendar events, managing contacts and schedules and accessing files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint.
As users may change jobs or simply desire a different email address as their primary email account, sometimes users may need to revoke their Outlook primary account for various reasons.
Contents
What are the Reasons to Remove Outlook Primary Account
- To avoid confusion: One of the main reasons to remove a primary Outlook account is to avoid confusion. Multiple email accounts for work and personal use can easily lead to mistakes. By closing off your primary one, all emails should arrive at one central place.
- Access other exchange accounts easily: Remove your primary Outlook account if you access exchange accounts more regularly. Eliminating your primary account may allow you to focus more effectively on those which matter the most.
- Privacy concerns: Privacy concerns may also prompt you to close down your primary Outlook account. So switching completely over to a new email address with no unwanted contacts or spam can provide relief from that process. This ensures only close friends and family have access as well as keeping any potentially dangerous individuals away.
Learn how to send an email from a different address in Outlook and enhance your email communication capabilities.
What are the Methods to Remove Outlook Primary Account
If you’re having difficulty with deleting the primary account in Outlook. Creating a new profile with the desired account as its primary one might help. There are two additional methods of doing also. One involves altering registry settings and the second is creating the Outlook profile.
Method 1: Changing or Remove the Primary Account while Keeping the Profile
Effortlessly remove your Outlook primary account with these simple steps.
- Close Outlook application and other related dialogues.
- To access Mail Setup, press the Windows key + R and enter “control mlcfg32.cpl“.
- Within Mail Setup, choose Email Accounts.
- Proceed to remove your Outlook accounts in the Account Settings (Email tab).
- Once you have successfully deleted all the accounts, proceed to the Data Files tab and select Add.
- Close the configuration window of Outlook.
- By clicking on the New button, you can add a new account to be set as the primary one.
- Open Outlook and go to Account Settings > Account Settings > Data Files.
- Restart Outlook one more time. Your newly added account should now be designated as the primary account.
If you’re experiencing issues with Outlook freezing while updating your inbox, check out our blog on troubleshooting common Outlook problems for helpful solutions.
Method 2: Delete by Editing the Registry
Removing an Outlook primary account can be an arduous task for some users. One method to accomplish this goal is editing the registry. However, before making any modifications it is wise to create a backup of this important document as making incorrect changes may cause irreparable harm to your system.
- Ensure that Outlook and any related dialogue boxes are completely closed.
- To access the Run command, press the Windows key + R.
- Locate the profile key that matches your version of Outlook.
- While the Registry Editor window is active, utilize Ctrl + F to search for the code 001f662b.
- The Registry Editor should generate a result shortly. Now, double-click on it to verify that it corresponds to the correct account.
- Inspect the address in the data file to confirm that it represents the primary account.
- Remember that merely deleting the registry value is not enough.
- The primary assignment of your account should now be eliminated.
Once the profile folder is deleted, close and relaunch Outlook to be prompted to create or select an email account as your primary one. By carefully following these steps you can successfully be able to delete your Outlook primary account by editing the registry.
If you’re tired of Outlook constantly prompting you for your password, check out our blog on how to fix the issue and regain control of your email experience.
Method 3: Create a New Profile to Remove Outlook Primary Account
If you don’t want to use Outlook as your primary email account, creating a new profile is the most efficient solution. When creating a new profile, it replaces the old one and erases all associated accounts – such as emails, contacts, or data stored.
- Shut down Outlook application.
- Press the Windows key + R and type “control mlcfg32.cpl” to open the Mail Setup window.
- Choose the option to display existing profiles.
- To create a new profile, click on the Add button and assign it a name.
- Utilize the auto Email Account setup to input your email credentials and configure the primary account.
- Go back to the main Mail window and set your new profile as the default choice.
- Once you’ve designated the new profile as default, select your old profile and click on Remove.
Removing an unnecessary primary account from Outlook by creating a new profile may be effective. However, this process may also delete any customized settings or preferences specific to your old account. If it poses any concern for you, ensure all important data has been backed up before initiating the switch.
Conclusion
In conclusion, following these steps you can remove Outlook primary accounts from the application. Just keep in mind that before taking this step, make sure that any important files have been backed up and access is maintained to any email accounts or services connected to it.
Once you have removed your primary account, it is essential to update any devices or programs which were using it as the default email address. Furthermore, reconfiguring settings of any other accounts linked with it may also be necessary.
