How do I rescue my hacked Hotmail?

Question

My Hotmail has been hacked and everything is in a different language, even Settings. Can I uninstall it and reinstall without losing all my emails? If not, how do I rescue my Hotmail account?

Answer 1

Please note that this is a user-to-user community. As moderators, I have limited access to internal development details. My role is to direct users to the appropriate support channels and resources. While I cannot provide backend analysis, I will do my best to assist you within my responsibilities.   

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Hi Grosser144

I understand you are having problem with your Hotmail/Outlook.com account being compromised (language changed, settings unfamiliar). 

Please follow these steps:  

• Restore the language so you can navigate Settings 
  • If you can sign in to Outlook on the web, open this direct settings page and change the language:  
  • In Outlook.com (web), select Settings (gear icon).  
  • Go to General > Language and time.  
  • In Language (Country/Region), choose your preferred language. 
  • Select Save. 
• Use Microsoft’s “hacked account” recovery flow and reset the password 
  • Start with the hacked/compromised account flow, then change/reset your password after you’ve scanned your device for malware. See: How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account - Microsoft Support 
• Remove attacker persistence in mailbox settings  
  • Review and correct account settings after a compromise, including connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies. 
  • Also check Outlook.com mail Rules and remove anything you did not create (attackers often use rules to move or delete mail).  
• Review sign-in activity and secure the account after you regain access 
  • Review “Recent activity” for unfamiliar sign-ins and take action on anything you don’t recognize, then strengthen sign-in protection (for example, turn on two-step verification once you’re back in control).  

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Answer 2

Uninstalling or reinstalling Outlook/Hotmail on a device does not affect the actual Outlook.com/Hotmail mailbox, so it will not “rescue” the account or remove the hacker’s access. The account and all emails are stored on Microsoft’s servers. To recover and secure the hacked Hotmail/Outlook.com account, follow these steps:

1. Clean devices before changing anything
   • Run a full antivirus/malware scan on every PC/phone/tablet used to sign in to this Hotmail account.
   • If using Windows 10/11 or 8.1, turn on and run Windows Defender:
     1. Select Start.
     2. Type Windows Defender in Search, or select Windows Defender.
     3. Follow the on‑screen instructions and run a full scan.
2. Recover and secure the Microsoft/Hotmail account
   • Use the official hacked/compromised account flow: select Start in the “How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account” article and follow the sign‑in helper.
   • After regaining access, immediately change the password using the change your password option in the article and choose a strong password.
   • If unable to sign in, use the reset your password option from the same article.
3. Fix language and settings, and remove hacker changes Once signed back in to Outlook.com:
   • Change the display language back to the preferred language in Outlook.com settings.
   • Check and repair key account settings that hackers often modify:
     • Connected accounts: remove any unknown or suspicious connected accounts.
     • Forwarding: turn off any forwarding or remove unknown forwarding addresses.
     • Automatic replies: disable any replies the hacker may have set up.
4. Check recent activity and add security info
   • Review the recent activity page at https://account.live.com/activity to see where and when the account was accessed. If anything looks unfamiliar, mark it as “This wasn’t me” where available.
   • Add or confirm alternate email addresses and mobile phone numbers as security info so recovery is easier if the account is ever hacked again.
5. Strengthen ongoing protection
   • Keep the computer/phone operating system updated and enable automatic updates.
   • Use up‑to‑date antivirus software and keep it running regularly.

These steps rescue the account itself; reinstalling an app or removing the account from a device does not by itself remove the attacker’s access. The key is to clean devices, reset the account password, review security and mail settings, and add strong security info.

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References:

• How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
• Unblock my Outlook.com account
• Help protect your Outlook.com email account