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Using Microsoft Store

Microsoft Store allows you to purchase the entire range of Microsoft products – software and hardware – from a name you can trust.

In addition to providing a place to buy Microsoft products, Microsoft Store allows you to view your order history, keep shipping and billing information for future purchases, save product keys for downloaded software, and re-download software that you have purchased.

Browser Requirements

For the best experience:

  • Use a browser compatible with Internet Explorer 6 or higher

  • Enable JavaScript and cookies

Whatever browser you use, it needs to have JavaScript and cookies enabled in order for you to sign in and make purchases. If you don't have JavaScript or cookies enabled, when you attempt to sign in with your Windows Live ID, you'll see an error message. Please consult the documentation for your browser to see how to enable JavaScript and cookies.

Signing In

You can browse Microsoft Store without signing in, but to make purchases, you need to sign in.

  • Signing in to Microsoft Store requires a free Windows Live ID

  • If you do not have a Windows Live ID, you'll have the option to create one when you make an order

The information you choose to keep in your Account on Microsoft Store can be used for making future orders. For more details about how Microsoft helps protect your privacy, please see the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement.

Note: If you lose your password, use the Forgot your password? link below the Password field to reset it.

Multiple Windows Live ID Accounts

You can have multiple Microsoft Store accounts if you sign in with different Windows Live ID credentials, but information is not shared across accounts. For example if you sign with one e-mail address, that information is not available to you if sign out and sign in with a different e-mail address.

Selecting 32- vs. 64-bit Products

To determine which type of software to purchase:

  • Right-click on Computer in Windows Vista or My Computer in Windows XP and click Properties

  • Look for the System Type which will tell you whether your computer is using a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system (you may see the label "x86" on 32-bit computers or "x64" on 64-bit ones)

For more information see the How to determine whether your computer is running a 32-bit version or a 64-bit version page on the Microsoft Support site.

Using the Shopping Cart

To purchase items using the Shopping Cart:

  1. Find an item you want to purchase.

  2. Click the Add to Cart button.

  3. You can continue adding items to your Shopping Cart if you want to.

  4. When you are finished adding items to your Shopping Cart, click the Checkout Now button.

  5. Follow the instructions on the checkout pages.

To modify your order in the Shopping Cart or during the checkout process:

  • To remove an item, click the Remove link below the item

  • To purchase multiple quantities of the same item, select the number in the Quantity drop-down box