I have M365 Family and a domain name not on GoDaddy

I had a Microsoft account name as the same as my preferred email, but all is not lost!

The clue is that you can't have your 'primary alias' as your personalised email address. So how to stop it being 'primary'?

Go to accounts.microsoft.com, personal info and Manage how you sign in to Microsoft.

Add a new alias, creating an outlook.com address on the way.

Specify that as your primary alias. Then delete your old primary alias which is your preferred email (a heart-stopping moment).

This frees up the name and you can go to Outlook and add it as your preferred email.

A benefit is that after doing so, not only does the email appear to come from that email, but at the receiving end the header.from and smtp.mailfrom match so it doesn't get treated as junk by recipients.

And the personalised email still works for signing in to your Microsoft account or W10 PC sign in with MS.

I was also able to add the email to Thunderbird, though I had to create an app-specific password to keep security happy. Just in time for the trial period end.

Another thing I discovered is that mail sent as described sometimes ends up in the recipients Junk folder.

Of the 3 main tests used by email providers, email passes SPF and DKIM but fails DMARC because header.from doesn't match smtp.mailfrom. With the DMARC entry set to p=none, mail mostly gets through. The header says of DKIM that the message was signed which may account for its getting through.

I investigated whether it is related to the fact that I cannot add my preferred email as an alias because it is the same as my MS account name. (I use Thunderbird Identity as a subterfuge). I created a new outlook.com user and added them to my family. I logged on and was able to add a preferred email using my domain registered in Family. Mail sent from this user got handled properly with the header and smtp both set to my domain. It passes the SPF and DMARC tests, but it says the message isn't signed!

So it seems I can only get 2 out of 3 tests passed regardless of how it's done.

I tried it but it wouldn’t let me specify my preferred email as an alias. So I did this:

• Left email address as outlook_xxxxxxxxxxxxx on outlook.com
• Used Thunderbird with default identity set to my preferred email. Mail gets sent with preferred from address. I can do without Outlook.
• Emails sent to my preferred email (which is same as my MS a/c) arrive in Family 365 where TB can read them.
• Mail set up on iPad and iPhone Apple mail seem to work ok, though from address is outlook_xxxx. But replies go to the inbox ok, and reading works.

So it will do for me, just in time for the trial period end. The remaining worry is that MS might close the avoid-GoDaddy loophole in the future.

So as expected, my original account (Test Microsoft365) was blocked.

So be careful what you write here.

For me personally this is a clear signal NOT to use Microsoft365. I am done with testing Microsoft 365 Family. I am glad that I have tried the product and I have clear arguments why I personally will never use it.

I think it goes both ways, Microsoft certainly doesn't care about such users trying to work around its set terms and conditions, whatever they may be.

So goodbye and thanks for the fish.

Thanks @TestMicrosoft365.

Yes, that’s how I read the rules.

It’s a pity this wasn’t clear before I set up my and family MS accounts using their preferred email instead of a new, outlook.com one.

It didn’t occur to me as when I was working at a school we logged in with our email address, though I think email may have been gmail.

Which leaves me with the problem of what to do now.

• Try the ‘not recommended’ path and see if it works. Has anyone risked this?
• Find another email solution and be grateful to Family365 for the TB storage and office apps..

Ken