Email doesn't exist

Question

i can't sign into my account, every time i try it just says: We couldn't find a Microsoft account. Try entering your details again, or create an account. I can't create a account with the same email because it says the username has been used already and i can't sign in with my personal gmail, it tells me that my username is the email i am trying to recover.

Answer 1

It is @hotmail.com and i'm pretty sure i logged on a month ago for personal reasons.

Answer 2

I just tried to enter my email on the account recovery form and it says that my email doesn't exist.

Answer 3

Good day Leonardo Bairua Macareno,

I hope you're well. May I know if you've got any chance to check my reply? If you have any further updates on this issue, please feel free to reach back. I'm happy to help you.

Answer 4

Hi Leonardo Bairua Macareno

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how frustrating and confusing this is, you're getting "Microsoft account doesn't exist" when trying to sign in, but you can't create a new account with that email because it says it's already taken.

Here's what you should do:

1. Make sure you’re using the correct sign-in username

A Microsoft account can be created with a non‑Microsoft email (like Gmail), and that email becomes the username you sign in with.  Also, if your account had aliases, you can sign in with any alias and they all share the same password.

Quick checks:

• Double-check spelling, dots, numbers. Carefully re-type the address and confirm the exact domain (e.g., @gmail.com vs @outlook.com)
• If you ever added another email/phone alias to the account, try signing in with that alias instead.

2. Check if your account was closed:

• Accounts inactive for 2+ years may be closed by Microsoft
• If recently closed, you might still be within recovery window

3. Try the Microsoft Account Recovery form (ACSR)

• Go to: https://account.live.com/acsr
• Enter the email address you're trying to recover and an alternate email where Microsoft can contact you.
• Provide as many accurate details as possible, such as old passwords, frequent contacts/subject lines and submit from a familiar device/location.
• Wait 24–72 hours for a response. You may refine and resubmit up to twice per day.   
• Please see this official guide to help you fill out the form more accurately: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form- Microsoft Support

For more details, you can see this official article: I can't sign in to my Microsoft account - Microsoft Support

To help me provide more specific guidance. can you also clarify:

• What type of email is it? (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @gmail.com, etc.)
• When was the last time you successfully signed into this account?

Please feel free to let me know how it goes. Thank you for your time and understanding.

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Answer 5

Has this account been inactive for 2 years?

If so, unfortunately it has been permanently removed and it is not possible to recover or create a new account using the same email address.
https://support.microsoft.com/topic/microsoft-account-activity-policy-7c0a9fa7-0982-b7c6-fd72-df852b63699f