my hotmail address has mysteriously swopped to a completely different email address.

Question

My email address has been changed from ******@hotmail.com to ******@outlook.com but still contains all my personal details.

My old email address is lost to me and all my contacts can't contact me, how do I get my old email address reinstated along with my personal details and and missing emails also how can I remove the current unwanted email address?

Answer 1

If the Hotmail address was removed from the Microsoft account and replaced with the Outlook.com address, the Hotmail alias is permanently deleted and cannot be reinstated or moved to another account.

Microsoft aliases work as follows:

• Email addresses and phone numbers on a Microsoft account are “aliases” that all share the same mailbox, contacts, storage, and settings.
• An alias from a Microsoft-owned domain such as @hotmail.com, @outlook.com, @live.com, or @msn.com, once removed, is permanently deleted and cannot be associated with any Microsoft account again.

Because of this:

• The original Hotmail address cannot be recovered or reassigned.
• Any emails or data that were only accessible via that deleted Hotmail alias and not present in the current mailbox are not recoverable via alias restoration.

What can still be done:

1. Keep using the current Outlook.com address (it is now the active alias with the existing mailbox and personal details).
2. Inform contacts of the new Outlook.com address so they can reach the same underlying account/mailbox.
3. If there are multiple aliases on the account, a different alias can be set as primary, but the deleted Hotmail alias itself cannot be brought back.

To remove an unwanted alias (not the only one on the account):

1. Go to Manage how you sign in to your account at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=842796 and sign in.
2. Under Account aliases, select Remove next to the alias that should be deleted.
   • If the alias is the current primary alias, another alias must be made primary first (select Make primary on the alias that should become primary), then remove the unwanted one.

Be aware: removing any Microsoft-domain alias (Hotmail, Outlook, Live, MSN) permanently deletes that address and it cannot be used again on any Microsoft account.

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References:

• Add or remove an email alias in Outlook.com
• How to add an email address or phone number to your Microsoft account
• Change the email address or phone number for your Microsoft account
• Deleted hotmail email address from account - can I get it back? - Microsoft Q&A
• MSN email issues - Microsoft Q&A