Locked out of Microsoft Outlook account

Question

How do I recover my personal outlook account that I made on my laptop. I forgot the password and didn't have any alternative login methods, I'm still using the same IP Address since I am on a VPN and I'm still on the same laptop, however I wiped the laptop and reinstalled windows anew, so I got logged out of outlook, I already realized that I forgot the password a while ago and I even tried filling out a recovery form with some email addresses that I sent to and I tried to remember at least one of the Subject lines but I barely used the account and couldn't remember much, and I didn't get any follow ups on it.
I can find full email discussions/strings that I had between my outlook and my other Gmail or work emails if that would help in any way.

Are there any last resort recovery options available for me, especially since I'm afraid I activated office 2021 pro plus using that account on this same laptop and now after the wipe the product key doesn't work anymore, it is a retail key. I checked all my other Microsoft accounts and none had any subscriptions/keys attached to them.

Basically I have two issues,
1: Outlook Account recovery
2: Office Retail Key Activation is not being accepted on the same device after wipe.

Answer 1

For the Outlook account, only the standard self-service recovery options are available; there is no additional “last resort” path beyond them.

1. Use the Microsoft account sign-in and recovery tools

• If the issue is simply a forgotten password, use Reset your password: Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password.
• If the password is no longer recognized or the username is reported as not existing, use the Sign-in Helper tool: Sign-in Helper.
• If the username/email itself is in doubt, use Look up your Microsoft account: Forgotten your Microsoft account username.

2. Use the Microsoft account recovery form correctly Since alternative sign-in methods are not available, the recovery form is the only remaining option.

Before filling it out:

• Ensure access to a working contact email (can be any account, even a new Outlook.com account) as described in Step 1 of the recovery guidance.
• Gather as much information as possible about how the account was used (even if usage was light):
  • Exact email addresses of people contacted from that Outlook account (you can copy these from conversations in Gmail or work email).
  • Exact subject lines of messages sent from the Outlook account (again, copy them exactly from the threads in your other mailboxes).
  • Old passwords that might have been used on that account.

Key points from the recovery guidance:

• Use a device and location previously used to sign in to that account (same laptop and usual network, if possible).
• Answer as many questions as possible, and use the “add more” fields to paste additional contacts and subject lines.
• Wrong answers do not count against the request; incomplete information simply reduces the chance of success.

Relevant documentation sections:

• Overview and preparation: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• Step 2 (gather required information): see the “Outlook.com or Hotmail.com accounts” section for the types of questions asked.
• Step 3 (fill out the form): use the Account recovery form from a familiar device/location.

Important limitations:

• If two-step verification was enabled and none of the verification methods are accessible, support agents cannot override it or reset the password. This is explicitly stated in the recovery-form guidance.
• If the account has not been signed into for more than two years, it may have been deleted and cannot be reopened.

If previous recovery attempts failed, wait for the lockout/cooldown period (typically about 24 hours) before trying again, and then submit a new, more detailed recovery form using the information copied from your Gmail/work threads.

For the Office 2021 Pro Plus retail key activation, the context provided does not include any supported steps or policies for resolving retail key activation issues after a device wipe, so no additional guidance can be given here.

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References:

• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• How to get a Microsoft account recovery code
• I can't send or receive messages in Outlook
• Add an email account to Outlook for Windows
• Locked out of my Outlook account and recovery options not working - Microsoft Q&A
• Unable to change password in my Outlook - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to speak with a real person and it seems impossible. - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft old MCP ID recovery - Microsoft Q&A