How to reset Microsoft personal account password when normal method fails

Question

How to reset Microsoft personal account password when normal method fails

Bruce Crankshaw 20

Hi All

My dad has a cognitive memory problem and he basically forgets things after an hour. He has a laptop and he locked out his account and pin. I initially was able to reset his password by using the verification code that is sent to his phone which is linked to his logon account.

He then forgot the password again and the account was locked out again and now I don't receive the verification code anymore when I request it.

I tried to reset his password using the MS account recovery form but he also cant remember any of the questions. I did update the email section with the subject lines because we have received those but MS says thats not enough information.

How can I reset his password if Im not receiving the verification code to his cell phone? Do I just need to wait, it was a week ago that I last received a verification message from MS?

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Sin-D 12,235 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Bruce Crankshaw,

I understand how concerning this situation must be, especially when your father is dealing with memory-related difficulties.

Please kindly note that this is a public community forum, I do not have the ability, tools to unblock, recover accounts or bypass security. Only Microsoft’s official recovery process can restore access.

Since you've already tried the Microsoft Account Recovery form (ACSR) and it was unsuccessful, I'd like to clarify a few details:

Besides the phone number, was a recovery email address ever added to the Microsoft account?
Was Microsoft Authenticator or a passkey ever set up on another phone, tablet, or computer?
Is your father still signed in to this Microsoft account on any other device or web browser?

Microsoft is currently moving personal Microsoft accounts away from SMS-based authentication and recovery, so the available recovery methods depend on the security information that was previously configured on the account: Microsoft to stop sending SMS codes for personal accounts.

If the account is still signed in on another trusted device, please check whether you can access the account's security settings from that device and review the available recovery options. If no recovery email, authenticator app, passkey, or signed-in device is available, and the ACSR has already been rejected, I recommend trying the recovery form again and providing as much accurate information as possible, including previously used passwords, contacts, and Microsoft services associated with the account. Small additional details can sometimes help verify account ownership:

Go to: https://account.live.com/acsr
Enter your locked out email and an alternate email where Microsoft can contact you.
Submit from a familiar device/location.
Wait 24–72 hours for a response. You may refine and resubmit up to twice per day.
Please see this official guide to help you fill out the form more accurately: Help with the Microsoft account recovery form - Microsoft Support

If repeated recovery attempts continue to fail, your best option is to contact Microsoft Account Support for further assistance:

Visit  Contact Us - Microsoft Support
Select the product or service you're having issue with.
Click  Get Home Support
Type a brief description of your issue in the search box.
Click Get Help  and select  Contact Support  below.
Go to the Products and services tab, and choose the appropriate product.
On the Category tab, choose the appropriate category or an alternative option.
Go to  Confirm.
Look for and select "Chat with a support agent in your web browser" (during business hours) if available. Explain your situation clearly.

Before contacting support, please check whether your father still has access to any recovery email address, Microsoft Authenticator app, passkey, or another device where the account is already signed in, as these may help during the recovery process.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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Answer 1

Bruce Crankshaw 20

Thanks for the detailed response, I will go through everything you have suggested.

Bruce Crankshaw 20 Reputation points

2026-07-15T13:02:51.67+00:00

Hi All

I was able to resolve this problem and I thought sharing the solution might be helpful. My dad has an iPhone and he was using the iMessage service to receive SMS.

I disabled iMessage and just used the normal SMS service and then I received the MS verification codes. I was able to reset his MS password and logon to the laptop.

I have disabled any logons on his laptop to avoid this happening again.
Sin-D 12,235 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-16T04:11:37.5366667+00:00

Hi Bruce Crankshaw,

I'm glad to hear you were able to resolve the issue.

Thank you for taking the time to come back and share the solution. I'm sure it will be helpful to other community members who encounter a similar problem in the future.

It's great to hear that disabling iMessage and using standard SMS allowed you to receive the verification codes and regain access to the account. Thanks again for sharing your findings.