Learn how to redeem a gift card, code, or Office product key and spend your balance at Microsoft Store online, on Windows, or Xbox.

How to spot a "fake order" scam. A popular tactic of criminals is the "fake order" scam. The way it works is that you get a message, usually in email or text, that appears to be a routine confirmation for an order. Of course, you never ordered whatever product or service it's confirming. The message looks common enough, and it says that money ...

A BitLocker recovery key is needed when BitLocker can’t automatically unlock an encrypted drive in Windows. This key, which is a 48-digit number, is used to regain access to the drive. You might be prompted for the BitLocker recovery key during startup, due to a security risk or hardware change:

This breach allegedly exposed up to 2.9 billion records with highly sensitive personal data of up to 170M people in the US, UK, and Canada (Bloomberg Law). This article provides detailed information about the breach, the data exposed, and recommended actions to help you stay safe.

Learn more about our Xbox subscription refund policy. You can receive a refund within 30 days of your initial purchase or before your first recurring billing date (whichever is sooner) by canceling your subscription in the steps that are outlined in the section “Canceling a subscription.”.

Some Office 2019, Office 2016, and Office 2013 products come with a product key. If yours did, before installing Microsoft 365 for the first time, sign in with an existing or new Microsoft account and enter your product key at office.com/setup. Redeeming your key is what links your account with Microsoft 365 so you only have to do this once.

How to start a scan for viruses or malware in Microsoft Defender. Applies To. Important: The National Public Data breach exposed personal information, including names, addresses, and social security numbers. Learn how to protect yourself and how Microsoft Defender is helping to prevent fraud.

Hotmail is now Outlook.com. Learn how to sign in to access your Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN email account.

Learn how to activate Windows using a product key or digital license, check your activation status, and link your Microsoft account.

Create Windows 11 installation media. On the Windows 11 software download page, select Create tool now and follow the instructions to install Windows 11. Warning: Microsoft recommends against installing Windows 11 on a device that does not meet the Windows 11 minimum system requirements.