This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(265.6, 20%, 35%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EJS%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I'm trying to access my old email that I used as a kid, but neither me nor my parents know what the password to it was, and I can't reset it because apparently the account had 2fa enabled so all reset requests are just ignored. This account is still linked to some of my current accounts but I cannot unlink it without access to the email to answer a verification email, but I can't do that because no matter what I try, I can't gain access to the account, it sends me in an endless loop of requesting password resets and gets an email to my current email that they ignore password reset requests but they wanted to let me know it was attempted.......
Hello
If you haven't used this account during the last two years, it is unfortunately closed permanently and cannot be recovered. Microsoft's account activity policy is explained here: https://support.microsoft.com/topic/microsoft-account-activity-policy-7c0a9fa7-0982-b7c6-fd72-df852b63699f
then why can I still request a password reset for it?
Can you confirm though - did you use this account at all during the last two years?
Try access it via browser incognito mode, what does it say ?
says the exact same thing, I enter my email, I enter what I remember my last password being, and it says "we can't sign you in right now, too many incorrect password attempts" or something along those lines.
Can you confirm the question I asked though - did you use this account at all during the last two years ?
I haven't directly logged into it no, but it should still be receiving emails/notifications and whatever else from being linked to multiple other accounts which might have kept it from being closed
If this account is say linked to Facebook for their notifications, it does NOT mean your account is being indirectly accessed. Any third party can send you ongoing emails, but it doesn't mean your account is being accessed.
However, if you have this account still linked to an active Microsoft subscription, or if you have remain balance from Microsoft product, then it can be still active.
Or, if this account is set up in an email app, like Outlook desktop app, or email app on phone, to sync emails,, then it can be considered access too.
Otherwise the two-year activity retention rule applies.
But if the account is indeed still active, and 2FA is enabled, the brutal truth here is - you need to have one of these, otherwise it is absolutely dead end:
You know your password
You have access to your recovery contact method.
You have a recovery code set up prior.
You might read about recovery form somewhere, but the form has a warning at the beginning - if 2FA was enabled, the form will not work.
