Unable to Recover Hotmail Account - 2-Step Verification System Failures

Question

Hello Microsoft Community,

I'm desperately seeking help to recover my primary Hotmail account that I've been locked out of. Here are the details of my situation:

Account Background:

• I created this Hotmail account back in 2014 or 2015 (can't remember the exact year)
• I've been using this account regularly from France for almost 2 years without any issues
• This is my primary email address and contains years of important data
• I have two-step verification enabled on the account
• I forgot my password

Current Issues:

1. First verification step works fine - I receive the email code and successfully pass the first verification
2. Second verification step is failing:
   1. When I try to use my phone number, it shows: "Try another verification method - That verification method isn't working right now. Please try another method."
   2. When I try to use email verification again for the second step, it says: "This service is temporarily closed, try again later"
   3. After multiple attempts, I now get: "You requested too many codes, try again tomorrow"
3. Support Access Problem: Cannot access live chat support - When I try to contact Microsoft support via live chat, they're asking me to login first to access the services. But since I don't remember my password and can't recover my account, I'm stuck in a catch-22 situation where I need support to recover my account, but need my account to access support.

Current Workaround:

• I'm currently using my school account to post this question for my personal account recovery
• I cannot use my student email to contact Microsoft support for personal account issues

What I've Already Tried:

• Waiting 24 hours between attempts
• Using different browsers and clearing cache/cookies
• Attempting from different devices
• Trying incognito/private browsing mode

Questions:

1. Could this be a temporary system issue affecting 2-step verification across Microsoft's platform?
2. What other recovery options do I have since the automated recovery isn't working?
3. Has anyone else experienced similar issues with both phone and email verification failing simultaneously?
4. How can I access Microsoft support without being able to login to my account?

I understand Microsoft takes account security seriously, especially with 2-step verification enabled, but I desperately need access to this account as it's my primary email for work and personal communications.

Any guidance or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help!

Answer 1

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

While I haven't experienced the same issue but based on the error message you provided and since the password reset won't work, your account may have been temporarily blocked. According to the official Microsoft website: https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/troubleshooting-verification-code-issues-409090c4-92b5-42b9-8ae6-bcc97e62fc48#:~:text=If%20you%20received%20a%20Microsoft%20verification%20code%20that%20you%20did#:~:text=If%20you%20received%20a%20Microsoft%20verification%20code%20that%20you%20did

"Try another verification method

Sometimes you may encounter a block when trying to sign. We understand this can be frustrating and disruptive, but here are some of the reasons behind blocks, and guidance on how to overcome them.

1. Unusual activity. You may be blocked due to unusual activity. Microsoft works to protect you, your accounts, and our services by assessing the trustworthiness and credibility of every sign-in, sign-up, or customer interaction. If your actions trigger alerts or deviate significantly from your typical patterns, we might interpret it as potentially risky behavior, leading to temporary block.
2. High volume of requests. Excessive or repetitive requests to alternative emails or phone numbers can cause us to block you. This can result in temporary or permanent blocks.
3. Violation of Terms of Service. Engaging in activities that violate the account service's terms of service can result in an account block.
4. There may be heavy compromised traffic coming from your geographical location and to protect you, we may also block your account. While rare, these issues will be automatically resolved after a certain period of time.

How to resolve an account block:

1. Try another method: Sometimes the block may be tied to the verification method you are using. Try using another verification method connected to your account. For example, if you are using SMS to verify yourself and are hitting a block, try using an alternate email that is connected to the account to receive your authorization code.
2. Try another network: Try switching between Wi-Fi or cellular data on your mobile device, or select a different Wi-Fi network if possible.
3. Wait: Sometimes waiting a day can be enough to remove a block. Don't make lots of repeated attempts, as this may reset any time lock. If there's no change after 24 hours, wait a longer period - as long as possible up to 1 week.
4. Try the sign-in helper: For all sign-in issues, use this troubleshooter to help identify your problem and provide available support options. https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact?linkquery=Help%20me%20sign%20in%20to%20my%20Microsoft%20account "

Thank you for your kindness and understanding! Please feel free to let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,

Darhyl