Managing personal Outlook.com account settings, security, and privacy
Use this recovery path for a Hotmail/Outlook.com account that shows "The Microsoft account you've entered does not exist":
- Check the account name carefully
- Verify the spelling.
- Make sure the email domain is correct, such as .com vs .co.uk.
- If the address is not recognized, try another alias or phone number that was added to the same Microsoft account.
- Use the Microsoft Sign-in Helper
- This is the primary tool for Microsoft account sign-in problems, including when the account is not found.
- It checks the email address or phone number entered and guides the next steps.
- If the password is the issue, start account recovery
- Select Recover your account and enter the email address, phone number, or Skype name used to sign in.
- Choose where to receive the security code.
- Enter the code, then set a new password.
- If the account still says it does not exist
- Read My username and password have stopped working.
- If still unable to sign in after that, contact support through the support option mentioned there and state that the username has stopped working.
- If the account has been inactive for more than 2 years
- The account may have been deleted and can no longer be reopened.
- If using the account recovery form
- Complete it from a device and location previously used to sign in, if possible.
- Results are sent to the working email address provided in the form within 24 hours.
- If verification fails, the form can be retried up to two times per day.
- Important limitation
- If two-step verification was turned on and none of the alternate verification methods are accessible, support agents cannot reset the password or change account details.
Because the OTP from the third-party website is sent to that mailbox, access to the Microsoft account must be restored first. If the account is truly not recognized, the fastest supported starting point is the Sign-in Helper tool.
- I can't sign in to my Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
- How to sign in to Hotmail | Microsoft Support
- Help with the Microsoft account recovery form | Microsoft Support
- How to sign in to Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
- My username and password have stopped working | Microsoft Support
- How to get support for Outlook.com | Microsoft Support