Account deleted itself

Question

I've been using this my account consistently for nearly 6 years now and the other day I realized that all of my apps and websites that I used that email for had been logged out and when I tried to log back in they all said the account did not exist. No recovery forms or anything have worked. Is there a way to get my account back or at least get refunded for some of the many video games I bought on that account?

Answer 1

Thank you for the information.

Kindly double-check if the account name was typed correctly.

If the issue persists, the error you are experiencing is an indication that your account was compromised. The hacker was able to remove the account's primary email address/security info and replace it with their own email address, which is why your account is not recognized.

Since the security info has been replaced by the hacker, I'm afraid there is no other working method to recover the Microsoft account, and request a refund. Microsoft Support cannot help either.

Thank you for your understanding! Please feel free to let me know if you need anything else.

Best Regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

Based on the described behavior (“account does not exist” everywhere and recovery not working), the account is very likely closed or deleted.

Key points from Microsoft’s policies:

1. When a Microsoft account is closed manually
   • There is a 30‑day or 60‑day grace period during which the account can be reopened by signing in at https://account.microsoft.com and completing security verification.
   • After that grace period, the account is permanently deleted and cannot be reopened.
   • Subscriptions and content tied to the account are only available again if the account is reopened within that grace period.
   See: “If you close your Microsoft account, you will be offered either a 30-day or 60-day grace period… After that time, your Microsoft account will be permanently deleted.”
2. When a Microsoft account is deleted automatically
   • If there has been no sign‑in activity for more than two years, the account may be automatically deleted and can no longer be reopened.
   • Once deleted for inactivity, the account and its data (including Outlook.com mailbox and purchased content tied to that identity) cannot be restored.
   See: “If you haven't signed in to your account for more than two years, it may have been deleted, so you can no longer reopen the account.”
3. When the username “does not exist”
   • If sign‑in shows messages like “We couldn't find an account with that username” or “account doesn't exist,” the guidance is to use the Sign‑in Helper tool and the Microsoft account recovery form.
   • If those tools report that the account does not exist and there is no option to proceed, it indicates the account is no longer present in Microsoft’s systems.
   See: “If you see an error message that says "We couldn't find an account with that username" or "account doesn't exist" use the Sign-in Helper tool.”
4. Recovery options
   • If the account was only recently closed (within 30 or 60 days), try:
     1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com.
     2. Attempt to sign in with the affected email.
     3. If prompted, complete the security code verification to reopen the account.
   • If sign‑in and the recovery form both fail and indicate the account does not exist, there is no supported way to restore the Microsoft account or its Outlook.com mailbox.
5. Purchases and refunds
   • The context provided only explains that once an account is permanently deleted or automatically deleted after inactivity, it cannot be reopened. It does not describe any mechanism to transfer or refund digital purchases (such as video games) after the account itself is gone.
   • Because the account cannot be restored once permanently deleted, access to content tied to that identity is also lost.

Given that recovery forms and sign‑in already report that the account does not exist, this matches the “cannot reopen” state described in the documentation. In that state, the account and its associated content (including games) cannot be recovered through Microsoft’s standard account tools, and the documentation does not provide a path for refunds once the account is permanently deleted.

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References:

• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Reopen your Microsoft account
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• Deleted hotmail email address from account - can I get it back? - Microsoft Q&A
• Cannot Access Microsoft Account After Hacker Changed Email, Advice Needed - Microsoft Q&A
• MSN email issues - Microsoft Q&A
• hello my email was (Moderator note: PII removed)@icloud.com and now its (Moderator note: PII removed)@jerkoffmail.com can please someone help me and the team change it my username in xbox is (Moderator note: PII removed) please help me team and change it - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to speak with a real person and it seems impossible. - Microsoft Q&A