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the Internet. Many of the settings, preferences, and apps associated with your Microsoft account can "follow" you
between different PCs.
You might already have a Microsoft account. A Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID) is the
email address and password that you use to sign in to Microsoft services such as Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Xbox
Live, and Windows Phone. If you've used these services, then you already have a Microsoft account.
If you don’t have a Microsoft account, see How do I get a Microsoft account? on Windows.com.
Benefits of using a Microsoft account
When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your Surface can connect to the cloud and…
Your friends’ contact info and status automatically stay up to date from places like Outlook.com,
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
You can get to and share your photos, documents, and other files from places like SkyDrive, Facebook,
and Flickr. Your Microsoft account includes 7 GB of free file storage on SkyDrive (see more about this in
the SkyDrive section of this guide).
You can download apps from the Windows Store and use them on up to five PCs running Windows 8 or
Windows RT. Learn more about this in the Windows Store section of this guide.
Your personal settings are automatically synced online and between the Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs
you use. For more info, see the Sync your settings section of this guide.
You need a Microsoft account to purchase apps, music, videos, and games for your Surface. If you're not using a
Microsoft account, that's okay—you can set up a Microsoft account at any time. To find out how, see How do I get
a Microsoft account? on Windows.com.
Change your Microsoft account settings
To edit your profile or change your Microsoft account settings, go to the Microsoft account overview webpage
and sign in. Also see the following topics on Windows.com:
How to add an account to your Microsoft account
Change sharing settings for apps and accounts
To find out how to change your Microsoft account payment option or see your billing history, see the Windows
Store section of this guide.
Multiple user accounts
If you share your Surface with other people, you can create user accounts for each person. This way they can
personalize Windows as they’d like and your files and settings stay private.