Account recovery

Question

I am writing to report a failure in the account recovery system. I am attempting to access my account for ******@hotmail.com, and the system indicates a verification code is being sent to my recovery email: ******@icloud.com.

It has been over 15 minutes since my first request, and despite making numerous attempts to resend the code, nothing has arrived in my inbox or junk folders. Please investigate why these automated emails are not being delivered to my iCloud address so I can verify my identity and access my account

Answer 1

I totally understand your frustration, as I'm a Microsoft user as well.

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

Also, the workarounds provided above are described in the Microsoft article on "I see a Try another verification method message" > then under "How to resolve an account block."

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

Lastly, just a gentle reminder that we are only Microsoft users like you here in the community. We are not Microsoft employees, and we do not have tools to access any Microsoft system.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

A waiting period of 48 hours to a full week is completely unacceptable for an issue of this magnitude. I cannot afford to be without access for seven days. This delay is causing a significant disruption, and I am requesting that this matter be escalated to a supervisor for an immediate resolution.

Currently, your automated protocols are requiring a 48-hour wait period, with an additional threat of a 7-day lockout if the initial attempt fails. For a professional, a "whole week" without access to primary communications is not just an inconvenience—it is a total disruption of my business and personal obligations.

I have the following verification ready:

**• Primary Account: ****@hotmail.com

**• Active Recovery Email: ****@icloud.com

It is ridiculous that despite having access to my verified recovery email, I am being forced into a week-long "cooldown" period. I am requesting an immediate manual verification or a bypass of this automated delay.

Do you understand what a "whole week" means for a user in this position? I expect a response and a resolution that does not involve waiting seven days for my own data.

Answer 3

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

Since you can't receive the verification codes, please try these steps:

1. Avoid submitting multiple requests, since this could stop verification codes from being delivered.
2. Suspicious traffic from your geographical location may cause delays in delivering verification codes. These uncommon issues usually resolve on their own after some time.

If you still can't receive the codes, this may indicate that your account is temporarily blocked due to unusual activity. You will not receive any verification codes until the temporary block has expired, as stated by Microsoft: 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

Kindly perform these steps to fix the error:

1. Perform a password reset via Incognito/InPrivate window using different devices and network services.
2. If it doesn't work, wait exactly 48 hours to reset the password.
3. If the issue persists, kindly wait exactly 1 week to perform another password reset. The idea is to wait for the account lock to expire first before you reset the password.

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! Please feel free to let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 4

Follow these steps to troubleshoot and regain access:

1. Check that the correct mailbox is being used
   • Verification codes are only sent to the primary alias or an email added as a way to verify sign-in.
   • Confirm that the iCloud address shown on-screen is indeed added as security info for the account.
2. Check junk and filtering
   • Look in the junk/spam folder of the iCloud mailbox.
   • Verification codes come from an @accountprotection.microsoft.com address. Add this as a trusted sender in iCloud to prevent filtering.
3. Avoid repeated requests
   • Excessive or repetitive requests for codes can cause temporary blocking of code delivery.
   • Stop requesting new codes for a while and wait; temporary blocks and heavy traffic issues are automatically resolved after some time.
4. Consider regional or mailbox issues
   • If there are regional SMS/email delivery issues or the mailbox is full/misbehaving, codes may not appear. Free up mailbox space and ensure the iCloud account is working by sending yourself a test email.
5. If security info is still accessible
   • If there is access to at least one other security method (phone or another email), sign in to the Advanced security options page and add a new way to sign in or verify, then remove any outdated methods once the new one is confirmed.
6. If all security info is effectively unusable
   • If no verification method works, use the Microsoft account recovery process:
     • Start from the normal sign-in.
     • When prompted to verify identity, choose I don't have any of these.
     • Follow the steps to replace security info. After replacement, there is a 30‑day wait before normal sign-in is allowed.
7. If the password is also forgotten
   • Use the password reset flow and, if codes still cannot be received, complete the Microsoft account recovery form with as much accurate information as possible as described in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form.

If the issue is due to temporary blocking or traffic, waiting and then retrying with fewer code requests, after checking junk and trusted senders, is the expected path. If codes still never arrive and no other security info works, the recovery form is the only supported escalation path.

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References:

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