Freeing up old gamertags, ever going to happen?

Hi all,

Many years ago I lost my gamertag. I've spent many hours online and on the phone trying to get it back at least 3 or 4 times over the past 8 years (yeah, that long!) but still no luck.

I no longer have the original CCard# for it, nor the email address, what I can confirm is it's been completely un-used for 8 years. It's from the Xbox 1 (not One) era and remains dormant.

I think I recall once majornelson announcing they would be clearing out dormant ones 4 or 5 years ago but it doesn't seem to be the case.

I always seem to butt up against Level 1 support with Microsoft. I just wish I could get hold of a database guy at their end and have them just re-bind the account to my new email or just plain delete it even (it's never even logged into an Xbox 360, let
alone an Xbox One)

Anyone ever had luck with this?

P.S I REALLY like the look of the new Tomb Raider and I want my identity back, so I can buy a One and play it!

:)

 

V1 Gamer tags all of a sudden being used ?

Months ago Xbox started freeing up those old V1 gamertags that were no long used.

 

Gamertag help.

They are not going to bother freeing up one gamertag for a person, but I'm fairly sure they will do a sweep of gamertags in the future as I believe they did so a couple years back.

 

I lost my old GT because I'm an idiot and forgot my old emai I had a GS 57,750 sure would like to add it to my current GS . But it's gone and I've moved on.

 

Sure but many people want them back and eventually the 'namespace' in the Xbox / Microsoft database will be polluted with vikingland2, vikingland3, bobsmith68 and people just taking every possible combination of good name.

Worse of all is my account is ghosted, no longer has an email attached to it :/

 

It pays to keep a record of your things like emails and passwords or to remember them, so that you can sign in to whatever service you're using. Life Lessons. It also pays to have Security Proofs for your account, I did this for Xbox 360. Microsoft sends
like a code to your phone or to any of the email addresses you provide them. Then you need to enter in the code as a security confirmation if you log into sensitive personal pages on this site or something, or if you've forgotten the password you created.
It also pays to keep your personal info up to date on your account, and to remember or have that info (including sign in info like email and password) on record whether that means typing that onto a Word document on your PC, taking a photo of it on your phone,
etc. It's like with real money. You keep it in a safe place where you can find it. It also pays to follow the rules on Xbox, most of which is plain common sense. Or you could create multiple accounts. But I only have one primary account, this one, and have
been using it since I got Xbox late 2010.

 

After what happened last time they released a bunch of unused gamertags I very much doubt they will announce it if they do it again.

Chances are your old tag has been released & someone has already taken it.

 

[quote user="Daft Badger"]After what happened last time they released a bunch of unused gamertags I very much doubt they will announce it if they do it again.[/quote]

Why? What happened last time (I had heard they did it, but don't recall anything bad coming from it)?

 

People where snapping up all the good/popular gamertags & then selling them.

 

Yea some crazy brit stole my tag about a crazy badger.

 

I'm English you fool,not a "Brit".

 

You know I honestly doubt Xbox care that you have a gamertag you're 100% happy with, let alone if there's a million versions of the same gamertag. I can understand your point of view, but I think that would be there's.

 

Daft Badger:

Definitely hasn't been taken, the account hasn't moved in a decade, it's infact 'orphaned' where the email address on the account is now 'unbound' - it's completely idle.

 

How do you know that ? Gamertags are used on other services,not just xbox live.

If it's from the original xbox then it's likely it has been taken.

Either way if it hasn't been taken & you can't remember to details there's not much you can do.

You can't request a gamertag be freed up.

 

I've had the same issue. My original Xbox name on live was Coop. I didn't move to Xbox 360 right away it was about 4 months after release. When I transferred my account I was told Coop was a reserved name and I had to pick a new one. I lost two years of
my Xbox live tenure and till this day that account sits dormant with 4 friends on it.

I like my current name better so that's ok but I hate my tenure says 10 years when I have been solid with Xbox for 12