Hotmail Acount

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

If you do not have any linked verification methods for a password reset, the only way to recover the account is through the account recovery web form: https://account.live.com/acsr

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.

If you didn't receive the results from the account recovery webform, please try submitting another request via Incognito/InPrivate window and using different devices and network services. Then please check your email inbox, junk, and spam folders.

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 assist you with manual recovery, unblock, and escalation for this case, as stated in this article, that they are not permitted to send password resets, access, or even change any details on the account:

https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/help-with-the-microsoft-account-recovery-form-b19c02d1-a782-dee6-93c3-dc8113b20c42

Lastly, you mentioned that this is an old account. If you haven't signed in to the account for more than 2 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

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Yes, it may be possible, depending on how long the account has been inactive and what exactly is not working.

1. First, check whether the email is still a Microsoft account:
   • Go to https://account.microsoft.com and enter the old Hotmail address.
   • If a password box appears, the address is still a Microsoft account.
   • If the message "We couldn't find an account with that username" or "That Microsoft account doesn't exist" appears, either the address was never a Microsoft account, is typed incorrectly, or the account has been closed.
2. If the account exists but you cannot sign in:
   • If the password is forgotten, follow Reset your password from the Microsoft account help page.
   • If the password is known but no longer works, use the Sign-in Helper tool.
   • If verification codes are not received, follow the verification code troubleshooting steps.
3. If the account has been inactive for more than 2 years:
   • If there has been no sign-in for more than two years, the account may have been permanently deleted and cannot be reopened.
4. If normal reset options do not work:
   • Use the Sign-in Helper first.
   • If still locked out, complete the Microsoft account recovery form with as much accurate information as possible (old passwords, contacts, email subjects, etc.). Microsoft reviews the form and responds to the contact email within about 24 hours.

If the account was deleted after long-term inactivity (over two years), it cannot be recovered and the email address cannot be reused.

References:

• How to sign in to Hotmail
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• How to check if your email address is a Microsoft account
• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• Attempting to access old email - Microsoft Q&A