Repeated problem logging into Hotmail

Question

I have had a Hotmail e-mail address for in excess of 20 years.

Over the last few months I have repeatedly received the same automated message when attempting to login: 'You've tried to sign in too many times with an incorrect account or password'.

I am 100% certain I have not used an incorrect account or password; this occurs even after I have used the password reset facility.

Why am I receiving this message and unable to login to my e-mail? If this is a technical issue, when will it be fixed?

Answer 1

@Huw Griffiths said

Over the last few months I have repeatedly received the same automated message when attempting to login: 'You've tried to sign in too many times with an incorrect account or password'

Many, many, many other users are facing the same problem. No official word from Microsoft on the cause or when it might be fixed.

A few suggestions:

1 -- Add another sign-in method. As suggest by Kim Otterson, add one or more other ways to sign-in besides a password. At least an alternate email address and perhaps a passkey.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/microsoft-account-security-info-verification-codes-bf2505ca-cae5-c5b4-77d1-69d3343a5452

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/create-and-save-a-passkey-e92cd3e0-11fa-4630-a5ea-3ccc0396b3d9

2 -- The problem could also be caused by someone trying to repeatedly access your account and failing. i.e. They know your email and are trying different passwords to see if one works.

You can setup a Login Only Alias and disable Sign-In for your current email address. Then, if all the Bad Guys have is your email alias, they get "This username has been turned-off for sign in" at the very first step of the logon process and can not continue.

See the answer by "Hornblower409 on Feb 27, 2026" in
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5789093/i-get-a-few-2fa-notifications-from-canada-daily-us

Answer 2

I've been having the same problem. I did finally find a way to open my primary email (hotmail) on my computer. Only because I was signed in on my phone. (The phone has been set so I don't have to sign in all the time.) On the phone, I found the security settings for the account. My phone # was already there, but the system wasn't letting me get a code from the phone either. I set up a Proton email account and added that account as a sign in method. Using the Proton account to receive a sign in code, I can sign in to my primary email. (An account I've also had for over 20 years, used for everything, and was reasonably happy with until recently.)

As luck would have it, my phone wanted me to sign in to my email there this morning. I can't On the PHONE, the Proton email address gets flagged as "not the email we have associated with this account" or something like that. I darn sure IS!

Anyway, I'm suggesting you create a new way to verify your identity and see if you can use that. It's a pain, but it's been working on my computer for at least a day. Good luck! (It sure would be nice if they'd tell us what's going on. Looks like this has been happening for a while & that's not real encouraging.)