Cannot recover hacked account because all 2FA methods were changed!

G Franck 0 Reputation points
2026-11-05T01:26:01.26+00:00

Hi... I had (a different) live.ca account, and it was hacked a couple of days ago by a fake login page being presented (through the Minecraft launcher on Windows). It asked me to enter a login code which was sent to my secondary email address. Apparantly I didn't have 2FA enabled (although I thouht I did), because that was all that was required for the hackers to gain access to my account, change the recovery email, phone numbers, and authenticator app codes.

So, I tried to recover using the account recovery, and providing details to the questions asked. However, now I get an email back that says the following:

"It looks like you just used the Microsoft account recovery form (https://account.live.com/acsr?mkt=en-CA) to request a password reset for [@live.ca]. Because you've turned on two-step verification for your account, we ignore these requests but wanted to let you know." (emphasis mine)

So, how am I supposed to recover this account?? This request is stated to be IGNORED, even though I have this info! I am still logged in to the email account on my phone (proving it's mine). I've had the account for more than 10 years and NEVER changed all this info at the same time - I've never changed the recovery phone or email backup account! I changed passwords a number of times, but I also never changed the authenticator app!

The old account name, the location, the contents of emails, all contain my name which is part of my backup account email address - it's spelled out right on there! The hacker changed it to some gereric email based on my xbox ID!

There is NO WAY to talk to someone about this, no phone number, not even a chat with a real person available! These requests to reset the password are stated to be ignored, so what am I supposed to do!

Is there any help for this? It seems ridiculous that I have NO WAY to recover my hacked account!

Please.... please someone help or offer some insight!

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Answer accepted by question author
Lychee-Ng 30,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-11-05T07:39:16.0533333+00:00

I’m so sorry this happened to you, G Franck.

The particularly frustrating part is that the attacker appears to have enabled two-step verification after taking over the account, which effectively blocks the recovery form you would normally use. And unfortunately, the message you received is consistent with how Microsoft’s recovery system works. It's also stated under the first field of ASCR form:

User's image The only official route for compromised account is Microsoft's Sign-in Helper. It can identify your account issues and provide the appropriate self-help options. In addition, if you previously used the ACSR Form, there's a chance you can try Microsoft Account Recovery Form instead (particularly helpful if you use Xbox service).

User's image

Remember to not sign out or remove the account from the phone where the mailbox is still accessible. That existing session may be useful for preserving access to important messages while you work through the recovery options. Other than that, I have to be realistic here so you can have correct expectations going forwards:

  • Microsoft Q&A is just a public user-to-user support forum. Contributors, including moderators and external staff, cannot access your account data to verify or restore it.
  • The recovery system is automatic and can only proceed to the next stage after account ownership is confirmed. No one can manually review your proof or change account information.
  • Even if you contact Microsoft Support, they cannot skip this process. Microsoft prohibits its customer service representatives from sending links to reset passwords or bypass verification.

So in this case, repeatedly submitting the ACSR recovery form will not solve the problem while two-step verification is active. The Sign-in Helper is the only possible next step.

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