STOP HARRASSING ME TO MAKE A PASSKEY & MAKING ME CHANGE MY PASSWORD!! YOU ARE RUINING MY LIFE!!!!!!

Question

You keep locking me out of my email account & trying to make me make passkeys and change me password. If I keep having to change my password, I won't remember it & will be locked out my own email account forever! Its happened before!

#passkey #stopharrassment

Answer 1

There is no need to remember your passwords anymore. Easy-to-remember passwords may not be the most secure. Your browser can save passwords, and so can a password manager. I also strongly suggest you jot down or print out a complicated password and hide it in a safe place, in case you are asked to enter it when a password manager fails to autofill it.

With passkeys, all you need to remember is your PIN if you choose that option. Your credentials are stored on a chip on your computer or on a portable security key if you have set one up. With passwords, you have no stored credentials of your own, just a word that may be floating around on the web somewhere. I compare passkeys to an ATM card with a PIN. With passwords, you only have a PIN.

Perhaps you can use your password, or part of it, as your PIN? How about trying that?

Answer 2

Microsoft accounts sometimes require password changes or additional security (like passkeys or two-step verification) when unusual sign-in activity is detected or when security info has changed. These checks are designed to protect the account from being hacked or accessed by someone else.

To reduce how often this happens and avoid getting locked out:

1. Use a strong but memorable password
   • Follow the guidance for strong passwords: use a mix of letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols, and avoid personal info or simple words.
   • Create a password phrase that is easy to remember but hard to guess, then convert it into initials, numbers, or symbols.
   • Do not reuse the same password on other services, so security alerts are less likely to be triggered by breaches elsewhere.
   • See the guidance in Help protect your Outlook.com email account under “Create a strong password and don't share it.”
2. Store the password safely
   • Write the password down and keep it in a secure place, or use a reputable password manager so it is not forgotten when a change is required.
3. Use account recovery options so access is not lost
   • Make sure there is up-to-date security info (alternate email, phone number, or other verification methods) on the Microsoft account so it can be recovered if the password is forgotten.
   • If the username or password stops working, use the “Recover your account” process described in My username and password have stopped working to reset it and regain access.
4. Understand that some security prompts cannot be turned off
   • Microsoft will sometimes require password changes or extra verification if there is suspicious activity or if security info has been changed, and these protections cannot be fully disabled for consumer accounts.

If sign-in is currently blocked or the password is not recognized, follow the recovery steps in My username and password have stopped working, including using the correct email domain and any alternate email or phone number on the account.

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References:

• Help protect your Outlook.com email account
• My username and password have stopped working