I need to recover my old hotmail account.

To regain access to an old Hotmail/Outlook.com account, only the self-service recovery tools can be used; support cannot send a manual reset link or change account details.

Follow these steps:

1. Try normal password reset first
   Go to Recover your account at https://account.live.com/password/reset (from context) and:
   1. Enter the Hotmail address, phone number, or Skype name.
   2. Choose where to receive the security code (email/phone) and select Next.
   3. Enter the code, then set a new password.
   Tips from the guidance:
   • Make sure the domain is correct (for example, @hotmail.com vs @hotmail.co.uk).
   • Check spelling of the address (for example, rachel vs rachael).
   • If the email is not recognized but there is another alias or phone on the account, try that instead.
2. If the account is very old or the username is not recognized
   If the message “We couldn’t find an account with that username” appears even after checking spelling and domain, follow the guidance in My username and password have stopped working. If still unable to sign in, use the Contact support option from that article to explain that the username has stopped working.
3. If the account exists but the password/security info is lost
   If the normal reset path fails (no access to old phone/email, or codes are not received), use the Microsoft account recovery form:
   1. Ensure there is a working alternate email address that can receive messages (this can be any active account, including a newly created Outlook.com address). This address is only used to contact about the recovery request.
   2. Before filling the form, gather as much information as possible about the old account:
      • Exact subject lines of emails sent/received.
      • Names and addresses of frequent contacts.
      • Old passwords that might have been used.
      • Details of Microsoft services used with that account (Outlook/Hotmail, Skype, Xbox, etc.).
      • Remember that some domains are country-specific (for example, @outlook.co.uk).
   3. Complete the recovery form from a device and location previously used to sign in to that account (for example, home PC on home network).
   4. Answer as many questions as possible, as accurately and completely as possible. Wrong answers do not count against the request; leaving fields blank does not help. Use any “add more” options to provide extra details.
   5. After submission, Microsoft reviews the information and responds to the alternate email, typically within 24 hours.
4. If two-step verification was enabled and no security methods are available
   If two-step verification was turned on and there is no access to any of the verification methods (phone, alternate email, authenticator app), support cannot override this or send a reset link. In that case, the account cannot be recovered beyond what the recovery form allows.
5. If the Hotmail account has been inactive for years
   For very old Hotmail accounts that have not been signed into for more than 2 years, the mailbox may have been deleted. In that case, the email account and its contents are no longer available, and the address cannot be restored.
6. About speaking to a human
   For personal Microsoft accounts, agents are not allowed to reset passwords or bypass security checks. Contacting support (phone or chat) cannot force recovery if the self-service checks fail. The only supported path is:
   • Standard password reset flow, then
   • Microsoft account recovery form with as much correct information as possible.

If access to the Hotmail account cannot be restored through these steps, the Instagram account will need to be recovered using Instagram’s own recovery options (for example, using phone number, username, or in-app support), since Microsoft cannot send a custom link or manually validate ownership of the email.

References:

• Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
• How to sign in to Hotmail
• My username and password have stopped working