No Response After Multiple Account Recovery Attempts – Locked Out for Over a Week

Question

I urgently need help recovering my personal Microsoft account. I’ve been locked out for over a week, and every time I try to reset my password, the system shows a phone number I don’t recognise. I’ve completed the account recovery form at least five times, providing as much detail as possible, but I never receive the 24‑hour follow‑up email the system says to expect.

I’m extremely worried because this account contains important personal information, and I have no way to contact a live support agent. Is there any way for someone to review my recovery submissions or escalate this issue? I can provide any additional information needed to verify my identity.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Answer 1

Thank you so much for clarifying that your recovery phone number is a landline number.

Since you can't receive verification codes from a landline number for a password reset, the only way to recover the account is through the account recovery web form. Please go to account.microsoft.com > click "Forgot Password" > select "I don't have any of these" > then you will be redirected to the ACSR form.

Important: If you have an active 2FA, ACSR will inform you that your recovery request will be ignored. If you only receive a message that the recovery request is either successful or indicates insufficient information, this means that 2FA is disabled.

You'll need to keep trying until you're verified by Microsoft, and you can do this up to 2 times every 24 hours.

Also, you mentioned that you didn't receive the results from the account recovery web form. Please try submitting another request via Incognito/InPrivate window and using different devices and network services. Then please check the "Contact Email" inbox, junk, and spam folders.

If your recovery request is successful, you will be asked to wait 30 days in order to update your security info (landline number) and recover your account.

During this time, you will not be able to sign in to sites or services with your account.

If your Microsoft account recovery request was not granted, please review this link for tips on improving your chances of a successful recovery: https://support.microsoft.com/office/dc56c3e3-dff0-4ed5-8edb-60290eea6b53

Please be advised that Microsoft Support will not be able to grant you access to your account.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

I'm sorry you are experiencing this.

You mentioned that there is an unfamiliar phone number linked to your account. This means that your Microsoft account was compromised. The hacker was able to remove the account's security info and replace it with their own verification method.

Since the security info has been replaced by the hacker, I'm afraid there is no other working method to recover the Microsoft account, and Microsoft Support cannot help either.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 3

There is no manual escalation path for reviewing Microsoft account recovery submissions for personal Outlook.com accounts. Account recovery and verification are fully automated and handled only through the official tools.

Based on the available guidance, the following steps apply in this situation:

1. Use the Sign-in Helper first
   • Before (or between) recovery form attempts, use the Sign-in Helper tool to confirm what options are available and whether the account is still recognized: Sign-in Helper.
   • If the username is no longer recognized or you see messages like "account doesn't exist," follow the guidance in My username and password have stopped working.
2. Verify the account details being entered
   • Ensure the correct Microsoft account sign-in name is being used, including the right domain (for example, outlook.com, hotmail.com, or country variants like .co.uk).
   • If one alias is not recognized, try another alias or phone number that may be associated with the same account.
3. Complete the Microsoft account recovery form correctly
   • Use a device and location previously used to sign in to the account (for example, home PC, usual network). This increases the chance the system recognizes the sign-in context.
   • Ensure there is a working email address available that can receive messages; this can be any active email (including a new Outlook.com address created via Create one at the Microsoft account sign-in page).
   • Fill out the recovery form here: Account recovery form.
   • Provide as much accurate information as possible (past passwords, contacts, subject lines, etc.). The form is intentionally detailed so that only the true owner can answer.
4. Understand the 24-hour response and limits
   • After submitting the recovery form, Microsoft sends the result to the working email address provided within 24 hours.
   • Outcomes:
     • If the account is verified, instructions to sign back in are sent to that working email.
     • If the account cannot be verified, the guidance is to try again, up to two times per day.
   • If no email is seen, check junk/spam folders and ensure the working email address was entered correctly.
5. If recovery is unsuccessful
   • If the recovery request is not granted, it is possible to keep trying, up to two submissions per day.
   • Before each new attempt, review the official guidance for filling out the recovery form to improve the chances of success.
   • If the additional security information (such as the phone number shown) is not recognized, and two-step verification is not enabled, use the Sign-In Helper as directed.
6. Important limitations
   • For security reasons, support agents and advocates cannot:
     • Send password reset links on request.
     • Access or change account details.
     • Manually unlock or restore a personal Microsoft account.
   • If two-step verification was enabled and none of the verification methods are accessible, Microsoft cannot override this.
7. Locked or blocked accounts
   • If the account is locked or blocked due to suspicious activity or multiple failed attempts, follow the prompts shown during sign-in (for example, links beginning with aka.ms/) and complete the requested forms.
   • If a temporary lockout or rate limit is in place (for verification codes or recovery attempts), wait for the cooldown period (often about 24 hours) before trying again, and avoid repeated attempts during that time.

Once access is restored, review and follow the security guidance in How to help keep your Microsoft account safe and secure to update security info, add trusted phone/email options, and make future recovery easier.

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References:

• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• Account recovery unsuccessful
• My username and password have stopped working
• Microsoft account has been locked
• Locked out of my Outlook account and recovery options not working - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to speak with a real person and it seems impossible. - Microsoft Q&A
• My Microsoft account is blocked. - Microsoft Q&A
• How do I send an email to Microsoft about my account being hacked and taken over by <removed> ? - Microsoft Q&A