recovery code not working

Question

Dear all,

I'm trying to recover my account and the recovery code should be sent to another hotmail account

The problem is that this code never arrives and I can't access my account anymore.

The phone number register is a old one from a different country and I don't have access anymore

Could you please help me?

Answer 1

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

Just to confirm, did you have two-factor authentication (2FA) active on the account?

Important: If you have an active 2FA, ACSR will inform you that your recovery request will be ignored. If you only receive a message that the recovery request is either successful or indicates insufficient information, this means that 2FA is disabled.

Also, may I know when was the last time you successfully signed in to your account?

Do you receive any error messages when resetting your password through your recovery email address?

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

Follow these steps based on the situation described:

1. Check why the code email is not arriving
   • Make sure the code is being sent to the correct alternate Hotmail address (primary alias or a verified email). Verification codes can only be sent to your primary alias or another email added as a way to verify sign in.
   • Check the Junk/Spam folder in that Hotmail account for a message from @accountprotection.microsoft.com and mark it as a trusted sender.
   • If that alternate Hotmail is also a Microsoft account, use a private/InPrivate browser window so both accounts can stay signed in at the same time:
     1. In a privacy/InPrivate window, start signing in to the locked account until it asks for the verification code.
     2. Open a second privacy/InPrivate window and sign in to the alternate Hotmail account.
     3. Find the email from the Microsoft account team, copy the code, and paste it into the first window.
2. Avoid being blocked from receiving codes
   • Do not repeatedly request new codes in a short time; excessive or repetitive requests can cause Microsoft to temporarily block sending verification codes.
   • If there is heavy compromised traffic from your region or unusual activity on the account, codes may be delayed or temporarily not delivered. These issues usually resolve automatically after some time, so wait before trying again.
3. If the phone number and current security info are no longer accessible
   • When prompted to verify identity and none of the listed phone/email options work, select “I don't have any of these” and follow the prompts to replace the security info.
   • If you still have access to at least one security method, sign in to the Advanced security options page and:
     1. Select Add a new way to sign in or verify and add a new email or phone.
     2. Verify it with the code sent.
     3. Remove the old phone number you no longer use.
   • If you remove or replace all existing security info, the account will be put into a restricted state for 30 days before full access is restored.
4. If you have lost access to all security info and/or don’t know the password
   • Start sign-in to your Microsoft account and, at Verify your identity, choose “I don't have any of these” and complete the process to replace security info. After replacement, you must wait 30 days before signing in normally.
   • If you also don’t know the password and have no access to any security info, use the account recovery form as described in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form and submit a request to recover the account.
5. If nothing works
   • Use the Sign-in helper to diagnose sign-in issues.
   • For additional technical help, go to Contact Microsoft Support, describe the problem, and select Get Help, then Contact Support if still needed. Note that support agents cannot send verification codes, password reset links, or change account details; recovery remains automated.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• My username and password have stopped working