Cannot sign in to My Outlook Account

Question

I cannot sign in to my Outlook account as I’ve lost my password. I’ve tried to correct this for a week. I need verbal help. Microsoft doesn’t seem to offer this anymoreI’ve tried everything I know how to get my old password back. I’ve tried to get a new password, but now the system will only let me request my old password. And after 1 or 2 attempts I'm told to come back tomorrow! HELP! All my important information is sent to this address

Answer 1

To get back into the Outlook (Microsoft) account and set a new password, follow these steps and respect the lockout limits the system is enforcing:

1. Use the official account recovery/reset flow
   • Go to Recover your account: https://account.live.com/password/reset (from the article "My username and password have stopped working").
   • Enter the Outlook email address, phone number, or Skype name used to sign in.
   • Choose I forgot my password and continue.
2. Verify identity with a security code
   • Select where to receive the security code (alternate email, phone, or other method shown), then select Next.
   • Enter the requested information and select Send code.
   • Type the security code into Verify your identity, then select Next.
3. Set a new password
   • After verification, type a New password, then re-enter it in Re-enter password and finish the process.
   • This replaces the old password; the system will not show the old password.
4. If the account is locked or rate-limited
   • Too many attempts (password resets, verification, or recovery form submissions) cause a temporary lockout for security.
   • Stop all sign-in and recovery attempts and wait at least 24 hours before trying again. Additional attempts during this period can restart the cooldown.
   • When trying again after waiting, use a familiar device and network and go through the recovery/reset steps above.
5. If the username or password is still not recognized
   • Follow the guidance in My username and password have stopped working to:
     • Confirm the correct email domain (for example, .com vs .co.uk).
     • Check for typos in the email name.
     • Try another alias or phone number on the account if available.
   • If you still see “We couldn’t find an account with that username,” use the Sign-in Helper tool from the "I can't sign in to my Microsoft account" article.
6. If recovery options and codes are not working
   • Use the Microsoft account recovery form (linked as Help with the Microsoft account recovery form in the same article) and provide as much accurate information as possible (past passwords, recent email subjects, contacts, etc.).
   • If the daily limit for the form is reached, wait until the next day before submitting again.
7. If the account might be blocked for suspicious activity
   • If there are messages about unusual sign-in activity or the account being blocked, follow Unblock my Outlook.com account from the Hotmail/Outlook.com sign-in article.
8. Getting live help
   • For additional assistance with account recovery, use the Contact support option referenced in the "My username and password have stopped working" article. Sign in with any other Microsoft account (or create a new one) and choose Microsoft account & billing / account recovery to reach a support agent via chat or callback, where available.

During the next attempt, avoid repeated sign-in or reset attempts in a short period. Complete one full recovery flow, and if it fails and the system says to come back tomorrow, stop and retry only after the 24-hour window.

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References:

• My username and password have stopped working
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• How to sign in to Hotmail
• Can't sign in to the Outlook mobile app
• Why can't I log in to my Outlook account? - Microsoft Q&A
• Cannot login to my outlook account from iphone even though details are correct - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A
• Locked out of my Outlook account and recovery options not working - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to speak with a real person and it seems impossible. - Microsoft Q&A

Answer 2

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

If you do not have any linked verification methods for a password reset, I'm afraid the only way to recover/unblock 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 grant you access to your account.

Lastly, if the account recovery request is successful, yet you still can't sign in, your account may still be temporarily blocked due to the system detecting unusual activity.

If that happens, kindly perform these steps:

1. Perform a password reset/request an account recovery via Incognito/InPrivate window using different devices and network services.
2. If it doesn't work, wait exactly 48 hours to reset the password/request an account recovery.
3. If the issue persists, kindly wait exactly 1 week to request another account recovery. The idea is to wait for the account lock to expire first before you reset the password, as stated in this article: https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/troubleshooting-verification-code-issues-409090c4-92b5-42b9-8ae6-bcc97e62fc48#:~:text=If%20you%20received%20a%20Microsoft%20verification%20code%20that%20you%20did#:~:text=If%20you%20received%20a%20Microsoft%20verification%20code%20that%20you%20did

Important: Please make sure not to attempt to sign in or reset the password within that timeframe (48 hours or 1 week), as this may reset the lock cooldown.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl