nable to Access Outlook Account – Contradictory Error Messages

Question

Hello,

I have been trying to regain access to my Outlook accountfor several years.

When I attempt to sign in or use the “Forgot password” option, Microsoft tells me that the email address does not exist or cannot be found.

However, when I try to create a new Outlook account using the exact same email address

Microsoft tells me that the email address is already in use and cannot be registered.

These two messages contradict each other, and I would appreciate it if you could verify the status of this account. Specifically, could you confirm whether the account has been deleted, disabled, reserved, or if there is another reason why it cannot be accessed but also cannot be recreated?

I would appreciate any guidance on whether this account can be recovered or if there are any further steps I can take.

Thank you for your assistance.

Answer 1

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

Based on the error message you received and since you haven't signed in to your account for several years, I'm afraid your account may have already been deleted/closed due to inactivity.

As stated by Microsoft, accounts that have not been signed in or have been locked for more than 2 years will be deleted due to inactivity, and they can no longer be recovered: https://support.microsoft.com/topic/microsoft-account-activity-policy-7c0a9fa7-0982-b7c6-fd72-df852b63699f

Also, since you mentioned that this is an Outlook account, please be advised that email addresses with Microsoft domains, such as Outlook, Hotmail, Live, or MSN, cannot be associated with any Microsoft account again once they have been removed or deleted. This is stated in the following article, particularly under the "Remove an email address" section:

https://support.microsoft.com/Outlook/add-or-remove-an-email-alias-in-outlook-com

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl