"Merge" your new Outlook address into your old Hotmail

[theefman]

This is a workaround I came across on Neowin and originally from MS answers. If you created a new @outlook account with your old @hotmail name to reserve it because you didnt know about aliases this should fix that. I just did this within the last hour and it worked. Basically what it does is allows you to delete your new @outlook account which can then be added as an alias to your old @hotmail account and from there you can rename it. Here are the instructions, any questions please ask.

"I've found a solution.

Please be sure to create testing account to verify below steps before applying to your real account.
Assumptions: you have both account@hotmail and account@outlook email accounts, and account@outlook was NOT previously made as alias and deleted

Description: to free the @outlook email account, you can rename ("Update email address") it to another email address (e.g. @gmail), and then close the updated email account. But it seems to be a bug in MS email service, not sure when it will be fixed.


Step 1. <gmail> apply for accountXXX@gmail in gmail (or other email supplier)

Step 2. <outlook> Login account@outlook, click "your name" at top-right of the browser, and choose "account settings", and then click "Update email address", and change your email account to accountXXX@gmail

Step 3. <gmail> in gmail, open the new verification email, click the url, and login your outlook using accountXXX@gmail account

Step 4. <outlook> It will prompt that you are ready to use your new account. DO NOT CLOSE THIS WINDOW, AND DO NOT LOGIN AGAIN. You will find your name at top-right of the browser, click your name and choose "Account settings", and "close account" immediately.
NOTE: if you login again after verifying accountXXX@gmail, the old account@outlook will be made as alias of accountXXX@gmail, and previous work will be wasted.

Step 5. <outlook> login account@hotmail, click the gear icon and choose "more mail settings". And then, click "Create a outlook alias" (keep @hotmail as login account) or "Rename your email address" (use @outlook as login account afterwards, and @hotmail will be made alias), you will find that account@outlook can be used.

Step 6. <gmail> terminate accountXXX@gmail account in gmail, and do not waste google resources...

Please to noted, when I used testing accounts to verify previous steps, I failed in the following 2 cases
1. account@outlook was previously deleted as alias, due to previous solution to wait 30 days to free alias...
2. In Step 4, logged in again, and account@outlook was made as alias after login... I'm not sure if making the @outlook the login address and start all over again from step 1 would help or not. [NOTE: to change @outlook from alias to login address, it has to be deleted from the alias list, and "rename" accountXXX@gmail to the deleted @outlook name.]"

Did you make a new Outlook.com account, only to then discover aliases? - Neowin Forums

Original source: I created a new Outlook.com email address instead of renaming - Microsoft Answers

Instructions for renaming your account to an existing alias: http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-live/outlookcom-tip-email-aliases-part-2-143913

 

[Squatting Hen]

I tired this but it didn't work for me.

I am trying to rename my current windows account to a new outlook one I created.

 

[theefman]

Which part did you get to? Quite possible MS fixed this loophole, if it was a bug.

 

[CJ Thunder]

This one thing is causing so much grief with me in my digital life.

Here is my story (same issue):
What is best way to transfer over accounts? - Microsoft Community

Or transfer over my 25gb SkyDrive, which on the FAQ MS says they will not. Ugh...

This better get fixed before W8 and WP8 comes out.

 

[Squatting Hen]

I just want to say it sucks that I cant rename my live ID to my Outlook one. They are both registered to me. I don't what to have to wait a year, and the chance of losing it.