Error message when you try to sign in to Xbox LIVE: "Your Windows Live ID is not valid"

When you try to sign in to Xbox LIVE on your Xbox 360 console, you receive the following error message:

This issue may occur when the Windows Live ID that is associated with your Gamertag is expired or has been deleted.

Important If you receive this error message when you try to sign in to Xbox LIVE, it is extremely important that you do not delete your Xbox LIVE profile from your console or try to recover your LIVE profile until you have successfully updated your Windows Live ID by following the steps that are provided in this article. If you do try to delete or to recover your Xbox LIVE profile in this scenario, your profile may become irreversibly damaged and unusable.

To resolve this issue, you must complete associating a valid Windows Live ID with your account before you can continue to use the service.

Note Currently, you can complete this process only by using your Xbox 360 console.

1. Select Change Windows Live ID.
2. In the Change Windows Live ID window, select Continue.
3. On the Your Account screen, type the e-mail address of the Windows Live ID that you want to associate with your Gamertag.
4. When you are prompted, type the password that is associated with your Windows Live ID.
5. Confirm that your information on the next screen is correct.
6. Confirm that the changes that you want to make are correct.
7. Accept the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. If you select Decline, your changes will not be made.
8. Complete your changes. Then, return to the Xbox Dashboard.

This process is usable only if your Xbox LIVE profile is currently available to you on an appropriate storage device. If your account is inaccessible on a storage device, such as an Xbox 360 Hard Disk or Memory Unit, you cannot fix your account by using these steps. If you try to recover your account when the Windows Live ID is expired or has been deleted, you will receive an error message that states, "Xbox LIVE signup is currently unavailable. Please try again later." If this is the case, you must contact Xbox Support to resolve this issue.

For information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support, visit the following Xbox Support Web site: