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Old account recovery

Felipe Marcelo Bassan Benedetti 0 Reputation points
2026-03-06T21:44:12.7633333+00:00

I am from Brazil, and i wish i could recover an account i have used when i was 8. I think i did have acess one time after that time, now im trying to put the necessary information to identify, i put a lot of information and legit former password, adress.. , but the response is that unfortunately is not enough data to the recovery and my memory actually dont help more than that, but i suggest thats very clear the email owner is me and theres is some content i need and wish i could see it again, please

Salutes

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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  1. Winnie-B 7,770 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-08T03:31:53.8333333+00:00

    Hi Felipe Marcelo Bassan Benedetti

    Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand how important this is to you, especially since this account goes back to your childhood and contains content you still care about. I know how frustrating this feels.

    Please kindly note that this is a public user-to-user forum, I do not have the ability, tools to unblock, recover accounts or bypass security. Only Microsoft’s official recovery process can restore access.

    Could you confirm whether you’ve tried the steps mentioned in the Q&A Assist reply under your post? If yes, did you face any difficulties with those steps? Have you tried submitting the Microsoft Account Recovery form (ACSR)?

    Also, could you let me know when you try to sign in, do you see "We couldn’t find an account with that username / account doesn’t exist", or does it recognize the email and then fail verification?

    Please note that if the account hasn’t been signed in to for more than 2 years, Microsoft may close it for inactivity. In that case, the account can’t be restored. This is explained in Microsoft’s account activity policy here: Microsoft account activity policy - Microsoft Support

    If the account is still recognized but recovery says "not enough information". that means the system couldn’t match your answers strongly enough yet. In that case, you can retry the recovery request up to 2 times per day, and Microsoft recommends reviewing the recovery-form guidance to improve what you submit. Please see this official guide to help you fill out the form more accurately: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form - Microsoft Support

    Contact Microsoft Support directly

    If none of the above works, please try to reach out to Microsoft Support team directly for further assistance. For personal account/product, it mainly offers live chat and, depending on your subscription/region, an option to request a callback:

    • Go to Contact - Microsoft Support
    • In the search box, type the issue keyword related to Microsoft account recovery.
    • Click "Get Help", then scroll to the bottom and select "Contact Support”.
    • When prompted to select Products & Services, select "Other Products"; Under Category, select "Manage account security".
    • Look for and select "Chat with a support agent in your web browser" (during business hours) or a similar callback option (if available). Explain your situation clearly.

    User's image

    I truly appreciate your precious time and understanding.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-03-06T21:44:40.75+00:00

    For very old Microsoft accounts there are only two supported possibilities, depending on whether the account still exists.

    1. If the account still exists and the username is recognized
    • Use the standard recovery flow at Recover your account: https://account.live.com/password/reset (linked as Recover your account in the documentation).
    • Provide the email/phone/Skype name and choose where to receive a security code.
    • Enter the code, then set a new password if verification succeeds.
    • If the normal reset path does not work because the security info is outdated or unavailable, fill out the account recovery form (ACSR) from a device and location previously used with the account and include as much detail as possible (old passwords, approximate creation date, contacts, subject lines, Xbox/Minecraft/Store usage, etc.). Guidance is here: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form.
    • If the recovery request is rejected, it can be retried with improved information up to two times per day. See Account recovery unsuccessful.
    1. If the account no longer exists
    • If the account has not been signed into for more than two years, it may have been permanently deleted and cannot be restored, even by Microsoft support. See the note under I can't sign in to my Microsoft account and the Q&A example where a 10+ year inactive account is confirmed as permanently deleted.
    • When the system says the account “does not exist” and it truly has been deleted for inactivity, neither the recovery form nor support can bring it back, and the old email address cannot be reused.

    Given the description (account used as a child, likely many years ago, and recovery form responses saying the information is not enough), the only supported options are:

    • Keep trying the recovery form with any additional precise details that can be remembered (old passwords, exact subject lines, contacts, approximate dates, services used) from a familiar device/location.
    • If the account has been inactive for over two years and is no longer recognized, accept that it is permanently deleted and the old content cannot be recovered.

    No Microsoft support agent is allowed to bypass these processes, send manual reset links, or change account details.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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