Account Recovery

Question

Hello,

I have two Hotmail accounts. The verification email for Account A is Account B, and the verification email for Account B is Account A.

Today both accounts were flagged for security concerns and require verification codes to confirm my identity. However, since I cannot log in to either account, I am unable to receive the verification codes from the other account.

I tried to recover the accounts through the account recovery page: https://account.live.com/acsr but my request was immediately rejected, likely because the information I provided was insufficient.

Could you please let me know if there is any way to change the verification email address for Account A or Account B, so that I can at least access one of the accounts?

Answer 1

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

Since you can't access your verification methods for a password reset, I'm afraid the only way to recover/verify the account is through the account recovery web form: https://account.live.com/acsr

Important: If you have an active 2FA, ACSR will inform you that your recovery request will be ignored. If you only receive a message that the recovery request is either successful or indicates insufficient information, this means that 2FA is disabled.

You'll need to keep trying until you're verified by Microsoft, and you can do this up to 2 times every 24 hours.

If you didn't receive the results from the account recovery webform, please try submitting another request via Incognito/InPrivate window and using different devices and network services. Then please check your email inbox, junk, and spam folders.

If your Microsoft account recovery request was not granted, please review this link for tips on improving your chances of a successful recovery: https://support.microsoft.com/office/dc56c3e3-dff0-4ed5-8edb-60290eea6b53

Please be advised that Microsoft Support will not be able to assist you with manual recovery, unblock, and escalation for this case, as stated in this article, that they are not permitted to send password resets, access, or even change any details on the account:

https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/help-with-the-microsoft-account-recovery-form-b19c02d1-a782-dee6-93c3-dc8113b20c42

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

There is no way to change the security/verification email on either Microsoft account without first passing the existing security verification. When both accounts are locked and each is set as the other’s security contact, the only available path is the standard recovery and security‑info replacement process.

Use these steps, depending on what still works:

1. If at least one sign‑in still lets you past the password prompt but blocks on verification codes:
   1. Go to the Security basics or Advanced security options page for that account (after signing in as far as possible).
   2. Choose Update info or Add a new way to sign in or verify.
   3. Add a new email or phone that is not Account A or B.
   4. Confirm it with the code sent to that new method.
   5. After the new method is confirmed, remove the cross‑linked email from the security info.
2. If both accounts require verification and none of the existing security methods are accessible:
   1. Start sign‑in to the Microsoft account.
   2. At the Verify your identity prompt, select I don't have any of these.
   3. Follow the flow to replace your security info. This is the only supported way to change the verification methods when locked out.
   4. After successfully replacing the security info, there is a mandatory 30‑day waiting period before normal sign‑in is restored. During those 30 days, the old security info can still be used; using it cancels the pending change.
3. If the password is also not known or the recovery attempts are rejected:
   1. Use the Microsoft account recovery form as documented in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form.
   2. Provide as much accurate historical information as possible (old passwords, contacts, email subjects, etc.).
   3. If the form is rejected, it can be resubmitted with improved information, but there is no alternate manual override for consumer Hotmail/Outlook.com accounts.

If the recovery form and the “I don’t have any of these” path both fail, Microsoft support cannot bypass these protections or directly change the verification email for consumer accounts. In that case, access to those accounts cannot be restored.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account