trying to access the password to an old hotmail account but unable to recover the password

Question

Hi i have my apple account and iyunes all linked to an old hotmail email address however when i enter the password it is not recognisable and so im unable to change/update the details. I have requested for an account recovery from microsoft but it keeps getting rejected for some reason...Please help!!!

Answer 1

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

Just to confirm, did you have two-factor authentication (2FA) active on the account?

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.

Also, may I know when was the last time you successfully signed in to your account?

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

For an old Hotmail account, the supported recovery path is:

1. Start with Reset password and select Forgot password?
   • Use the account you are trying to recover.
   • Check the email address carefully, including the correct domain such as hotmail.com, outlook.com, live.com, or country variants like .co.uk.
   • If the address is not recognized, try another alias or phone number that may be attached to the account.
2. If the password is known but no longer works, use the Sign-in Helper tool.
3. If recovery keeps being rejected, improve the recovery form submission:
   • Complete it on a device previously used to sign in to that account.
   • Submit it from a location commonly used before, such as home or office.
   • Provide a working email address that can receive Microsoft’s response.
   • Enter as much accurate account history as possible.
4. If access to security info is lost:
   • If access remains to some security info, sign in to Advanced security options, add a new sign-in or verification method, confirm it with a code, then remove the old one.
   • Do not change all security info at once, because the account may be restricted for 30 days.
   • If access is lost to all security info but the password is known, begin sign-in and at Verify your identity select I don't have any of these. After replacing security info, there is a 30-day wait before sign-in is allowed.
5. If the account has not been signed in to for more than two years, it may have been deleted and cannot be reopened.
6. If the message says “We couldn't find an account with that username” or “The Microsoft account you've entered does not exist”, use the Sign-in Helper tool and verify the spelling and domain first.

Important limitation:

• If two-step verification is turned on and there is no access to any alternate verification method, support agents cannot send password reset links or change account details.

Useful recovery links from Microsoft support:

• Reset password
• Sign-in Helper
• Account recovery form

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References:

• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• How to sign in to Hotmail
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• My username and password have stopped working
• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password