I previously purchased Minecraft for my android device from Amazon, then set up a Microsoft account with "[email protected]" and a profile name. We'll say my profile name was "Hercules".
Using Hercules and MyAccount, I purchased three worlds from the Minecraft store so my kids could play them. But they could only play them if I was playing from my tablet and turned on multiplayer. If I wasn't home they couldn't play.
This weekend, I purchased a Windows 10 copy of bedrock edition. The goal was to set up an old PC running Windows 10 with a compatible version of Minecraft, and leave it running a survival world 24/7 so my kids could play anytime they wanted, and I could join in when I was home. (It works!) But I set it up with the same MyAccount so my kids could take advantage of those worlds I purchased. The unintended result is that if I join in with my tablet, there are now two "Hercules" characters running around. This makes it confusing when we're playing together and I tell my kids "Ohhh! I found a spawner, come to where I am!" as they see my profile name in two different places.
Is there a way to create a different profile name for the Windows 10 device and still keep it connected to the Microsoft account? I'd like the purchases I've made to be available on both the tablet and the desktop PC, but I'd like to see a different profile name show up when I join the game.
If I use a local account on the PC, it won't have access to the worlds I've purchased. If I use a local account on the tablet, it won't have access to the custom skin I purchased.
Unfortunately, purchases from the Minecraft Marketplace are tied to a single account and can't be shared.
How about using some free resources instead of the stuff in the store?
Pretty much any skin for the Java edition will work in the Windows 10, Android, and iOS devices. Just google "Free Minecraft Skins" and you can look through thousands of skins. Just download the PNG file for the skin and in Minecraft, click the clothes hanger icon, click "Choose New Skin" and browse your device to the folder where you saved the skin PNG file to. Select the image, then select either the "Steve" or "Alex" body type (either will work) and apply. Voila! You have a custom skin that you didn't have to purchase from the store.
Same thing goes for the texture pack. Google "Free MCPE 1.2.9 Texture Packs." You should get several links to websites that offer hundreds of free texture packs. Download one you like. The file extension I believe ends with .mcpack double click on the file and it will auto-install into Minecraft for you.
Once you have the free stuff installed, you are not limited to having two of the same account logged in. Create a free Xbox Live Silver account and use that for the guy you've got buried to keep the world open. Just use the free texture pack you installed on all of your devices and you should be good to go.
Unfortunately, purchases from the Minecraft Marketplace are tied to a single account and can't be shared.
How about using some free resources instead of the stuff in the store?
Pretty much any skin for the Java edition will work in the Windows 10, Android, and iOS devices. Just google "Free Minecraft Skins" and you can look through thousands of skins. Just download the PNG file for the skin and in Minecraft, click the clothes hanger icon, click "Choose New Skin" and browse your device to the folder where you saved the skin PNG file to. Select the image, then select either the "Steve" or "Alex" body type (either will work) and apply. Voila! You have a custom skin that you didn't have to purchase from the store.
Same thing goes for the texture pack. Google "Free MCPE 1.2.9 Texture Packs." You should get several links to websites that offer hundreds of free texture packs. Download one you like. The file extension I believe ends with .mcpack double click on the file and it will auto-install into Minecraft for you.
Once you have the free stuff installed, you are not limited to having two of the same account logged in. Create a free Xbox Live Silver account and use that for the guy you've got buried to keep the world open. Just use the free texture pack you installed on all of your devices and you should be good to go.
Thanks for the advice Lloyd, I'll give everything you've suggested a try this weekend. I discovered a free Amazon app yesterday for creating my own skin, which I've already done. (Skinseed) I was able to clone the one from the Minecraft store and make a few changes, so now I can use it in local mode. I've never played with the texture pack. That said, I think what I need to do is follow your last suggestion for the guy I've got buried in the hole. I'll create that silver account for him. I'm not sure if we'll be able to assign those adventure worlds we bought to the silver account, but I need to get the accounts separated or I'll just have more trouble going forward. I'll try to update my progress next week. I have a feeling there will be a few other people attempting to take this route besides me.
I started setting up a free silver account, but then I realized that the purchase of Minecraft Windows 10 is associated with my primary account, and if I log out it will cease to function. I called Microsoft to see if they could process a refund/ repurchase, so that I could move the game to the second Microsoft account, but after an hour of run-around with them they said I purchased this from Mojang and would have to get Mojang to do the refund. Then they hung up on me.
Mojang doesn't have a number you can call. I'm sure that's because they don't want a deluge of people asking how to play the game. It's also yet another reason I won't ever buy a Realms account. If they screw something up with your credit card you'll never get it fixed because you can't actually call anyone.
I've sent Mojang support an email about I don't know if they will be able to correct this without a dozen emails going back and forth, or if they will even try. I'll post again whatever happens.
Lessons learned: Don't purchase the Windows copy with the same account you use on Android, and don't purchase it directly from Mojang.
After three hours of chatting with Microsoft and calling xbox live, I was able to get the redemption code reset. They removed it from account "A" and I was able to assign it to account "B". I don't think it was worth all the time on the phone to save $27.00 but once I got started I had to follow it through.
This has fixed most of my troubles. I still have a quirk that I can't get around. It's a different problem though, so I'm going to start a new thread. Even though I've assigned the Windows 10 machine to a new profile, the game I copied over is still coming up as belonging to the new character.
The important thing though is as I already mentioned. Xbox Live support was able to disable the first redemption code, and assign me a new one. I was then able to log into the windows store and redeem the new code with my second xbox live account. When I ran Minecraft, it kept telling me that I didn't own it, but if I clicked the "buy it now" link it told me I already had it. To make it work I had to log out of everything, uninstall the Minecraft Windows 10 app, then reinstall it from the windows store. Works perfect now. Thanks for the suggestions.
This has been happening for months, from my perspective. I went through several hours day, several days a week, for about a month on very similar issues. The programmers need to fix this mess. Microsoft/Xbox tech support, the programming and linkages, and the handling of individuals with multiple gamertags and multiple devices, all of that continues to be in disarray. Additionally, there is entanglement, such that the play gamertags become major in one's account, and the work-related, more serious aspects can become inaccessible and cease to exist!
When problems arise, beyond the ordinary programming at Microsoft/Xbox, related to gamertags and accounts, resolution is difficult, and perhaps impossible.
Your problem should have been resolved at the first phone call. It should not take hours, and repeated calls, for resolution. My experience was as bad, or worse, and that was August thru October! By now, the process should have been fixed for quicker resolution!
Be aware that if one of your accounts disappears, and all accounts are linked to a single payment instrument, it will be extremely difficult, probably impossible, for Microsoft/Xbox to restore that account. In my case, a main account disappeared, cease to exist! Thus, I am no longer able to retrieve purchases, purchase dates, for that account, except via my hand written notes and PayPal statements. Before a few months ago, I had only one PayPal account, for multiple gamertags (accounts). The PayPal statements do NOT specify WHICH gamertag is tied to which purchase! T
Therefore, I continue to say: Microsoft/Xbox is NOT competent, nor equipped, to handle multiple identities linked to a single individual and to the same single payment method, when
issues of account loss,
issues of delivery of purchase to a specific gamertag, arise,
or hacking arise.
One solution is to have a separate payment INSTRUMENT for each gamertag. Then you have more information and linkages to your credit cards for hackers to hack.
Additionally, if you have gamertags (accounts) used only for Minecraft, and NOT for emailing, a DISAPPEARED account will be IMPOSSIBLE to retrieve from Microsoft/Xbox Account Recovery Specialists and Escalation teams. You MUST provide passwords, email addresses SENT with subject lines, as the initial screening. If you NEVER used that account to SEND email, Microsoft/Xbox can NOT VERIFY your identity. If that account has become linked to an email address you do NOT RECOGNIZE, you will know passwords that you NEVER used. In my case, in order to verify ME, one option is for Microsoft to sent an email to ****@mail.ru , which is a trillion dollar Russian web business that looks like Games, Facebook, and Microsoft combined. A different External Investigation at Microsoft has reported to me that they were happy to report that was no evidence of a takeover of that account. However, they FAILED to define takeover. From my perspective, that gamertag was either taken hostage, or assassinated!
Microsoft/Xbox has REFUSED to move beyond the INITIAL screening for account recovery, and REFUSED to look at MY DETAILED REPORTS for OTHER SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES and purchases within that account. And it has taken hours per day, days per week, to get this far. Including attempting to DISENTANGLE multiple gamertags on a single payment instrument!
So, be careful with your multiple accounts. Be alert for any messages from Microsoft that links your account to ***@163.com (China) or ***@mail.ru (Russia). If that happens, it will already to too late to retrieve your account, and you will need to remove credit cards from Microsoft/Xbox, and destroy the credit card associated with that gamertag account.
I previously purchased Minecraft for my android device from Amazon, then set up a Microsoft account with "[email protected]" and a profile name. We'll say my profile name was "Hercules".
Using Hercules and MyAccount, I purchased three worlds from the Minecraft store so my kids could play them. But they could only play them if I was playing from my tablet and turned on multiplayer. If I wasn't home they couldn't play.
This weekend, I purchased a Windows 10 copy of bedrock edition. The goal was to set up an old PC running Windows 10 with a compatible version of Minecraft, and leave it running a survival world 24/7 so my kids could play anytime they wanted, and I could join in when I was home. (It works!) But I set it up with the same MyAccount so my kids could take advantage of those worlds I purchased. The unintended result is that if I join in with my tablet, there are now two "Hercules" characters running around. This makes it confusing when we're playing together and I tell my kids "Ohhh! I found a spawner, come to where I am!" as they see my profile name in two different places.
Is there a way to create a different profile name for the Windows 10 device and still keep it connected to the Microsoft account? I'd like the purchases I've made to be available on both the tablet and the desktop PC, but I'd like to see a different profile name show up when I join the game.
If I use a local account on the PC, it won't have access to the worlds I've purchased. If I use a local account on the tablet, it won't have access to the custom skin I purchased.
Unfortunately, purchases from the Minecraft Marketplace are tied to a single account and can't be shared.
How about using some free resources instead of the stuff in the store?
Pretty much any skin for the Java edition will work in the Windows 10, Android, and iOS devices. Just google "Free Minecraft Skins" and you can look through thousands of skins. Just download the PNG file for the skin and in Minecraft, click the clothes hanger icon, click "Choose New Skin" and browse your device to the folder where you saved the skin PNG file to. Select the image, then select either the "Steve" or "Alex" body type (either will work) and apply. Voila! You have a custom skin that you didn't have to purchase from the store.
Same thing goes for the texture pack. Google "Free MCPE 1.2.9 Texture Packs." You should get several links to websites that offer hundreds of free texture packs. Download one you like. The file extension I believe ends with .mcpack double click on the file and it will auto-install into Minecraft for you.
Once you have the free stuff installed, you are not limited to having two of the same account logged in. Create a free Xbox Live Silver account and use that for the guy you've got buried to keep the world open. Just use the free texture pack you installed on all of your devices and you should be good to go.
Thanks for the advice Lloyd, I'll give everything you've suggested a try this weekend. I discovered a free Amazon app yesterday for creating my own skin, which I've already done. (Skinseed) I was able to clone the one from the Minecraft store and make a few changes, so now I can use it in local mode. I've never played with the texture pack. That said, I think what I need to do is follow your last suggestion for the guy I've got buried in the hole. I'll create that silver account for him. I'm not sure if we'll be able to assign those adventure worlds we bought to the silver account, but I need to get the accounts separated or I'll just have more trouble going forward. I'll try to update my progress next week. I have a feeling there will be a few other people attempting to take this route besides me.
Frustration city!
I started setting up a free silver account, but then I realized that the purchase of Minecraft Windows 10 is associated with my primary account, and if I log out it will cease to function. I called Microsoft to see if they could process a refund/ repurchase, so that I could move the game to the second Microsoft account, but after an hour of run-around with them they said I purchased this from Mojang and would have to get Mojang to do the refund. Then they hung up on me.
Mojang doesn't have a number you can call. I'm sure that's because they don't want a deluge of people asking how to play the game. It's also yet another reason I won't ever buy a Realms account. If they screw something up with your credit card you'll never get it fixed because you can't actually call anyone.
I've sent Mojang support an email about I don't know if they will be able to correct this without a dozen emails going back and forth, or if they will even try. I'll post again whatever happens.
Lessons learned: Don't purchase the Windows copy with the same account you use on Android, and don't purchase it directly from Mojang.
After three hours of chatting with Microsoft and calling xbox live, I was able to get the redemption code reset. They removed it from account "A" and I was able to assign it to account "B". I don't think it was worth all the time on the phone to save $27.00 but once I got started I had to follow it through.
This has fixed most of my troubles. I still have a quirk that I can't get around. It's a different problem though, so I'm going to start a new thread. Even though I've assigned the Windows 10 machine to a new profile, the game I copied over is still coming up as belonging to the new character.
The important thing though is as I already mentioned. Xbox Live support was able to disable the first redemption code, and assign me a new one. I was then able to log into the windows store and redeem the new code with my second xbox live account. When I ran Minecraft, it kept telling me that I didn't own it, but if I clicked the "buy it now" link it told me I already had it. To make it work I had to log out of everything, uninstall the Minecraft Windows 10 app, then reinstall it from the windows store. Works perfect now. Thanks for the suggestions.
This has been happening for months, from my perspective. I went through several hours day, several days a week, for about a month on very similar issues. The programmers need to fix this mess. Microsoft/Xbox tech support, the programming and linkages, and the handling of individuals with multiple gamertags and multiple devices, all of that continues to be in disarray. Additionally, there is entanglement, such that the play gamertags become major in one's account, and the work-related, more serious aspects can become inaccessible and cease to exist!
When problems arise, beyond the ordinary programming at Microsoft/Xbox, related to gamertags and accounts, resolution is difficult, and perhaps impossible.
Your problem should have been resolved at the first phone call. It should not take hours, and repeated calls, for resolution. My experience was as bad, or worse, and that was August thru October! By now, the process should have been fixed for quicker resolution!
Be aware that if one of your accounts disappears, and all accounts are linked to a single payment instrument, it will be extremely difficult, probably impossible, for Microsoft/Xbox to restore that account. In my case, a main account disappeared, cease to exist! Thus, I am no longer able to retrieve purchases, purchase dates, for that account, except via my hand written notes and PayPal statements. Before a few months ago, I had only one PayPal account, for multiple gamertags (accounts). The PayPal statements do NOT specify WHICH gamertag is tied to which purchase! T
Therefore, I continue to say: Microsoft/Xbox is NOT competent, nor equipped, to handle multiple identities linked to a single individual and to the same single payment method, when
One solution is to have a separate payment INSTRUMENT for each gamertag. Then you have more information and linkages to your credit cards for hackers to hack.
Additionally, if you have gamertags (accounts) used only for Minecraft, and NOT for emailing, a DISAPPEARED account will be IMPOSSIBLE to retrieve from Microsoft/Xbox Account Recovery Specialists and Escalation teams. You MUST provide passwords, email addresses SENT with subject lines, as the initial screening. If you NEVER used that account to SEND email, Microsoft/Xbox can NOT VERIFY your identity. If that account has become linked to an email address you do NOT RECOGNIZE, you will know passwords that you NEVER used. In my case, in order to verify ME, one option is for Microsoft to sent an email to ****@mail.ru , which is a trillion dollar Russian web business that looks like Games, Facebook, and Microsoft combined. A different External Investigation at Microsoft has reported to me that they were happy to report that was no evidence of a takeover of that account. However, they FAILED to define takeover. From my perspective, that gamertag was either taken hostage, or assassinated!
Microsoft/Xbox has REFUSED to move beyond the INITIAL screening for account recovery, and REFUSED to look at MY DETAILED REPORTS for OTHER SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES and purchases within that account. And it has taken hours per day, days per week, to get this far. Including attempting to DISENTANGLE multiple gamertags on a single payment instrument!
So, be careful with your multiple accounts. Be alert for any messages from Microsoft that links your account to ***@163.com (China) or ***@mail.ru (Russia). If that happens, it will already to too late to retrieve your account, and you will need to remove credit cards from Microsoft/Xbox, and destroy the credit card associated with that gamertag account.