The Same Desktop ID appears on Two Microsoft Accounts

Hi Seeker. I'm Greg, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, specializing in Installation, Performance, Troubleshooting and Activation, here to help you.

You can remove Devices from your MS Account yourself as shown here:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/51663-micro...

These are mainly linked so that you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to move a Digital License that's premised on a retail Product Key to new hardware if you change the motherboard. We used to be able to help you move the license using Phone Activation, but now they want it moved this way. Microsoft explains it here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/...

When you sign into a new Device from your MS Account, or new motherboard on an existing device, it should add the Device to your MS account. This is only a courtesy to be able to move the license to another device, is not a proof of ownership or any kind of license, just a linkage.

I hope this has explained it sufficiently, if not keep asking back questions it becomes clear.

Thanks. I'm familiar with those links- I've read those instructions by MS. I guess I'm just confused how this happened, and if I wound up acquiring two licenses on the same computer, pairing each with a different account (I'm like the family IT guy).

What does removing a digital activation from an account do, if not relinquish the license for a PC that wasn't in use?

The most direct way to figure this out strikes me as setting the PC back up again and just trying to assign it to a license one account at a time. I just kind of wondered if this was a thing that people recognized.

The linkage to a Digital License is only a convenience so you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to move the license to new hardware if it has an underlying retail Product Key associated with it - only retail keys can move to new hardware.

It's possible it could be linked to two accounts, but unlikely. For example if you sell the PC and remove the device from your account, then it will associate the Digital License with first Admin MS account that signs in with the device.

If you run into problems you can always contact MS Support which will require the underlying retail key, derive the embedded OEM key on the device itself to try, or restore the generic version key (what's used when you install Windows without a key) to see if it finds a Digital License when it goes online to contact MS Activation servers. You can also try all of these first.