how do i change my password for Microsoft

Question

I received an email, supposedly from Microsoft, that someone tried to sign into my account from Mexico. I did not open it because I do not trust it. I want to change my password. How do I do that?

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Answer 1

Hi @Marjorie Kaye

You did the right thing by not opening the email or selecting anything in it.

Please open a new browser window and manually visit the Microsoft account Security page. After signing in, select Review activity and check whether the sign-in attempt from Mexico appears. If you do not recognize it, expand the entry and select This wasn’t me or Secure your account.

You can then return to the Security page, change your password to a strong and unique one, confirm that the listed recovery information belongs to you, and enable two-step verification if it is not already active.

You may also report the original message as phishing by using the Report option in Outlook. Avoid replying to the message or using any links or attachments it contains.

For more information, see What happens if there’s an unusual sign-in to your account.

I hope this helps keep your account secure.

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Answer 2

If the password is still known, change it from the official Microsoft account site instead of using the email.

1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com and sign in.
2. Open Security.
3. Select Change Password.
4. Enter the new password.
5. Select Save.

If signing in is not possible, use the Microsoft Sign-in Helper to identify the problem and recover access: Sign-in Helper

Because the email reported an unexpected sign-in attempt, also review account activity:

1. Sign in to the Security basics page.
2. Select Review activity.
3. If unfamiliar activity appears, choose This wasn't me or Secure your account.
4. Then change the password to a strong new one.

If the account may have been compromised, run a full antivirus or malware scan on the PC before changing the password.

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