how do I delete email accounts?

Cindy Voter 0 Reputation points
2026-04-23T15:22:16.2266667+00:00

I have an inactive yahoo email that I cannot access and an active gmail that others can view that I want to delete on an old Windows 10 computer and the instuctions do not make it possible.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Email and communications
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  1. AI answer

    2026-04-23T15:22:31.1766667+00:00

    On an old Windows 10 computer, email accounts are usually set up either in the Mail app or in Outlook. Removing them from the device does not delete the actual Yahoo or Gmail accounts, only their connection on that PC.

    To remove accounts from the Windows 10 Mail and Calendar apps:

    1. Open the Mail app (or Calendar).
    2. Select Settings in the lower-left corner (on a tablet/phone, select More at the bottom, then Settings).
    3. Select Manage Accounts.
    4. Select the Yahoo or Gmail account to remove.
    5. Select Delete account.
      • If Delete account is not shown, that account is likely the default account added when signing in to Windows. In that case, instead of deleting it, turn off email:
        1. In Manage Accounts, select the account.
        2. Select Change mailbox sync settings.
        3. Scroll to Sync options and set Email to Off.
        4. Select Done > Save.

    To remove accounts from Outlook for Windows (classic Outlook 2016/2019/Microsoft 365):

    1. Open Outlook.
    2. Select File in the upper-left corner.
    3. Select Account Settings > Account Settings.
    4. On the Email tab, select the Yahoo or Gmail account.
    5. Select Remove.
    6. Confirm the warning that offline cached content for that account will be deleted from the computer, then select Yes.
      • If this is the last or only email account in Outlook, Outlook will require creating a new Outlook Data File before removing it.

    To remove accounts from the new Outlook for Windows:

    1. In Outlook, go to the View tab and select View settings, or go to File > Account info > Accounts > Your accounts.
    2. In Email accounts, find the Yahoo or Gmail account and select Manage.
    3. Under Account details, select Remove.
    4. For non-Microsoft accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.), choose whether to remove the account from only this device or from all devices, then confirm.

    These steps will stop email from those Yahoo and Gmail accounts appearing on the old Windows 10 computer.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Vikki-T 10,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-24T06:36:34.86+00:00

    Hi Cindy Voter, 

    I understand why you’d want to remove those accounts from an older Windows 10 PC, especially if other people can still see the Gmail account. Just to clarify, removing an account from Windows only removes it from that device or app, it does not delete the Yahoo or Gmail account itself.  

    At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the AI generated answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. 

    To narrow this down a bit, could you let me know the following? 

    • Are you seeing those accounts in the Mail app, in Outlook, or under Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts?  
    • When you open the account settings, do you see a Delete account option, or is that option missing?  
    • Are you signed into Windows with one of those email addresses?  
    • To clarify before we move forward, do you want to remove the old Yahoo account, the Gmail account that’s still visible to others, or both from the Windows 10 device? 

    In the meantime, here are a few things you can try check Windows account settings 

    • Open Settings 
    • Go to Accounts 
    • Select Email & accounts 
    • Under Accounts used by email, calendar, and contacts, select the Yahoo or Gmail account 
    • If you see Manage or Delete account from this device / Remove, choose that option 

    While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding. 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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    1 person found this answer helpful.

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