Email issue

Question

Whenever I try to log into my account "******@outlook.com" it tells me that the email is taken. I created this email a while ago. How can I prove this email is mine?

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

Usually, that message appears when the Microsoft account already exists, but the sign-in details being entered may not match the original account.

To help narrow down the issue:

1. Are you trying to sign in on the Microsoft sign-in page, or are you trying to create the account again?
2. Have you tried signing in directly at https://account.microsoft.com to test if the account is still accessible?
3. Do you still have access to any recovery email, phone number, or device previously linked to that Outlook account?
4. What exact message do you see after entering the email address?

Any additional info about the issue you can provide will be helpful in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

Answer 2

To check whether the address is actually a Microsoft account and what can be done next, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Microsoft account sign-in page: https://account.microsoft.com
2. Enter the email address (******@outlook.com) and select Next.

Then check what message appears:

• If the message says "We couldn't find an account with that username" or "That Microsoft account doesn't exist", then that address is not currently a Microsoft account. In that case:
  • Confirm the spelling of the name and domain (for example, name vs nname, .com vs .co.uk).
  • It is also possible the account was closed. See the guidance under Learn more in the sign-in flow about closed accounts.
• If a password prompt appears, then the email is a valid Microsoft account. To access it:
  1. Enter the password if known.
  2. If the password is forgotten, select Forgot password? on that page and follow the recovery steps (using any recovery email, phone, or security info previously added to the account).

If recovery options no longer work (for example, old phone/email are defunct), use the Sign-in Helper offered in the sign-in flow to try to regain access by providing as much prior account information as possible. If ownership cannot be verified through those mechanisms, the account cannot be proven or recovered through self-service.

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References:

• How to check if your email address is a Microsoft account
• How to sign in to Outlook.com