i recovered an old account

Question

last week i had someone hack into my old email that i had had for years since my teens ive had to set up a new email as they had delated all my emails very sad times! however today i filled out the recover your account form and got an email saying im successful put new password in all went well the tried to log in and said account locked! i am getting so stressed anyone help please.

Answer 1

Hi elisha sinfield,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how stressful this situation can be, especially after recovering an account that was previously accessed by someone else. Based on what you described, the behavior you are seeing is consistent with a security lock that can occur after account recovery or suspicious activity.

When the recovery form is approved and a new password is set, the account may still be temporarily locked while additional security checks are completed. In this state, sign‑in attempts can show “account locked” even though the recovery itself was successful. This is meant to protect the account and does not mean the recovery failed.

At this point, a few important notes:

1. Avoid repeated sign‑in attempts: Multiple attempts while the account is locked can extend the lock period. It is best not to keep trying different passwords or devices.
2. Additional verification can only be handled by Microsoft Support: Account unlocks and security verification cannot be completed from this forum. The next step is to contact Microsoft Support directly so they can review the account status and guide you through any required verification. You can reach a live chat agent by following below steps:
   • Visit the Microsoft Support contact page: Contact - Microsoft Support    
   • In the search bar provided on the page, type "Account Recovery" and press Enter.    
   • Click on the "Get Help" button that appears.    
   • Scroll down the page until you see and click on the "Contact Support" option.    
   • When prompted to select your product or service, choose "Other Products".    
   • For the category, choose "Manage Account Security".    
   • Look for and click on "Chat with a support agent in your web browser".    
   • When prompted, provide a valid contact email where Microsoft can reach you regarding your case.    
   • Explain your situation clearly: Be concise but provide all the relevant details.      

I hope this explanation helps clarify why you are seeing the account locked message and points you toward the right next step. Please take your time, and once Support completes the verification, access to the account should be restored.