Hi TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH ANTIGUA
Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand you’re seeing a message saying your Hotmail address "does not exist" when trying to sign in, and it feels like the account has disappeared.
When Microsoft says the account "doesn’t exist", it’s usually one of these situations: the sign-in name is being entered in a different form (alias/typo), the account was closed/deleted, or the sign-in name/alias was changed.
Here's what you should try next:
1. Check whether the account still exists in Microsoft’s system
Go here and enter the email address: https://account.live.com/username/recover
If Microsoft says “We can't find this email address”, it means the account has already been deleted from the system.
You can see this guide: Forgotten your Microsoft account username - Microsoft Support
If you have ever had aliases (for example, Hotmail + Outlook address on the same account), you can sign in with any alias. Please also double‑check the exact spelling and domain (e.g., @hotmail.com vs @outlook.com) before retrying.
2. If the system does recognize the address
You can attempt to recover access using the Account Recovery Form (ACSR):
- Go to: https://account.live.com/acsr
- Enter your original email and an alternate email where Microsoft can contact you.
- Provide as many accurate details as possible, such as old passwords, frequent contacts/subject lines and submit from a familiar device/location.
- Wait 24–72 hours for a response. You may refine and resubmit up to twice per day.
- Please see this official guide to help you fill out the form more accurately: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form - Microsoft Support
Please feel free to let me know how it goes. I truly appreciate your time and understanding.
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