Need to recover a old, lost email

Question

Hello Team Microsoft,

I am trying to recover a Microsoft email that I lost and forgotten years ago. How I found out about it is where I receive an notification of "Credentials needed" on my phone that this email was one of the email I used back then for my diploma while taking a class for Microsoft Azure "A" level. Been looking for this email for quite some time now but forgot the password and email until I access my student email that was attached to the email I am trying to recover.

Answer 1

Hello @ISAAC ALHMARRIC

It sounds like you're trying to recover an old Microsoft email that you lost access to and are facing some challenges with it. Unfortunately, the recovery options for old email accounts can be limited, especially if the account hasn't been accessed in a long time.

Based on previous experiences, if the account was inactive for a period of two years, Microsoft may have permanently deleted it, which means recovery might not be possible. Here's what you can try in general:

1. Try to Retrieve via Microsoft Account Recovery: Go to the Microsoft account recovery page and follow the prompts to see if you can get access to your account using any recovery methods available.
2. Use Any Identifying Information: While recovering, ensure you have all the identifying information you can remember handy. This can include any alternate emails, phone numbers used for recovery, and answers to security questions.
3. Contact Support: If the recovery page doesn’t yield results, your best bet may be to reach out directly to Microsoft Support for further assistance.
4. Check for Notifications: Since you mentioned receiving a "Credentials needed" notification on your phone, check if you have any other linked accounts or services that could provide clues.

Hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck in recovering your old email!

References:

• Microsoft account recovery
• Trying to recover an email account

Answer 2

To recover your old Microsoft email, you can follow these steps:

1. Use the Recovery Form: Go to the official recovery form at account.live.com/acsr. Select "I forgot my password" and enter your email address. Follow the prompts to recover your account.
2. Two-Step Verification: If you have two-step verification enabled, ensure you have access to at least one of your security methods (like your phone or an authenticator app) to receive the verification code.
3. Troubleshooting: If you encounter issues receiving the code, make sure to enter your full phone number instead of just the last four digits. If none of your recovery options work, select "I don’t have any of these" and fill out the form with as much accurate information as possible, such as recent email subjects and contacts.
4. Contact Support: If you still need assistance, you can contact Microsoft Support through support.microsoft.com/contactus. Choose "Microsoft account & billing" and then "Password reset or account recovery". Depending on your region, you may have options for chat support or a callback.

Please note that if the account has not been accessed for a long time, it may have been permanently deleted by Microsoft, and recovery might not be possible.

---

References:

• Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A
• Attempting to access old email - Microsoft Q&A