Stray Xbox Identity

December 28, 2013 6:07 AM

When I boot Windows 8.1, I usually play a game of solitaire to let the computer sort itself out and get my juices running. (My drug of choice is 2-suit Spider.) When I click on the solitaire link at the opening screen, a popup opens at the top right saying "Xbox Games WarmedMilk72469." I have no Xbox and have never played Xbox games on this computer. Am I infected with something? Is the popup simple to get rid of?
posted by KRS to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

If you do not have an Xbox LIVE GamerTag attached to your Microsoft account you used to sign into Windows 8, it will automatically (and automagically) create one for you. Nothing you can get around, and nothing you can stop, it's just part of playing Xbox LIVE enabled games on Win8.
posted by deezil at 6:25 AM on December 28, 2013

And they're random weird names like that. I have no idea if they're change-able, but if anyone knows, I'd like something better than my current randomly given one!
posted by stormyteal at 9:07 PM on December 28, 2013

You can change your gamertag once for free if it was automatically assigned to you. See second set of instructions here.
posted by girlhacker at 2:14 AM on December 29, 2013