If you change your gamertag, can someone else get your old name?

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Amaretto_

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#1 Amaretto_
Member since 2006 • 25 Posts

Wellz?

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kintzer

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#2 kintzer
Member since 2003 • 806 Posts
Good question.  I'd like to know that, too.  Anyone?  Bueller?
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gatsbythepig

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#3 gatsbythepig
Member since 2003 • 11917 Posts
My understanding is no.  I think you need to sign in with some sort of code don't you?
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bobbysox0070

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#4 bobbysox0070
Member since 2003 • 769 Posts
yes if you change your name some else can get your old gamertag, however if you create a silver account no one can use that gamertag so in retrospect you could change your name and create a silver account using your old name so that no one would use it
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S1L3NT-K1LL

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#5 S1L3NT-K1LL
Member since 2007 • 25 Posts
Yes. If someone has the name (example) Barney the flying hippy, and he changed his name and you wanted it, then yes, you can change your name to that if you wanted. Whenever you change your gamercard, it's almost as if your original name was never created, so it's up for grabs if someone wanted it.
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Archerboy106

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#6 Archerboy106
Member since 2008 • 25 Posts

are we 100% sure on this? because i made my gamer tag online using the name i ussually go by. but i didnt hit creat gamer tag on my xbox under my profile so i just made a new silver account using the name i wanted. that means that it has no gamer score or anything. if i paid to change the name to something else, can i take the name i want and hit creat gamer tag from my profile on the xbox360 using the original name i wnated?

please help!!!!

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Duckynevada

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#7 Duckynevada
Member since 2007 • 209 Posts
ya your old name can be taken I made a silver acc with my old friends name
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Bzlll

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#8 Bzlll
Member since 2008 • 41 Posts
I don't think so.
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Aaron89

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#9 Aaron89
Member since 2003 • 3377 Posts
I believe you can. But from what I've seen, there's no way 'you' can delete a Gamertag, it has to be on Microsoft's server. Although I can't remember the specific amount of time, I think it has to remain unactive for about 6 months (or one year?) and then it gets permanently deleted - thus, making it available for others.
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Archerboy106

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#10 Archerboy106
Member since 2008 • 25 Posts
no i got it to work. as soon as the name you want changes, you can take it.
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Czenkus

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#11 Czenkus
Member since 2003 • 667 Posts
My older brother had his first gamertag taken, Hollowpoint was his name from live launch, since changed and I seen someone with it the other day i swears
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69ANT69

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#12 69ANT69
Member since 2007 • 8472 Posts
I'm actually not sure.
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Strife88

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#13 Strife88
Member since 2005 • 6073 Posts
Yeah someone else can take it. I remember this real good sniper from Gears, he changed his name and the next day someone already took it claiming he was that guy.
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Avenger1324

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#14 Avenger1324
Member since 2007 • 16344 Posts

I believe you can. But from what I've seen, there's no way 'you' can delete a Gamertag, it has to be on Microsoft's server. Although I can't remember the specific amount of time, I think it has to remain unactive for about 6 months (or one year?) and then it gets permanently deleted - thus, making it available for others.Aaron89

Sadly I don't think there is any time period after which MS release unused gamertags, since not everyone is always connected to the internet, and some are still not linked to a 360, so are original xbox gamertags.

There is currently no way for us to delete a gamertag, though changing it to another name should free up the old one