Hotmail account recovery

Microsoft’s username lookup only displays a masked hint, so use a device, Microsoft product, alternate alias, or old message where the account’s complete address is stored. ^1^

Find the complete address

Since the recovery-email lookup already produced pa*****@hotmail.com, move to these alternatives:

1. Search the recovery mailbox
   • Search all folders—including Sent, Archive, Junk, and Deleted—for:
     • hotmail.com
     • Microsoft purchase or subscription receipts
     • Messages exchanged with the old account
   • Open the message details to inspect the complete sender or recipient address.
2. Check a Windows PC previously connected to the account
   • Go to Start > Settings > Accounts.
   • Open Email & accounts.
   • Look for the full Hotmail username under accounts associated with the device.
3. Check Microsoft Office
   • Open Word or Excel.
   • Select File > Account.
   • Under Product Information, check the address beside Belongs to.
4. Check old mail applications and devices
   • Inspect account settings in Outlook, Windows Mail, Apple Mail, or a phone/tablet where the Hotmail mailbox was configured.
   • Also check saved credentials in the device or browser’s password manager.
5. Try another sign-in alias
   • If a different email address or telephone number was added as an alias—not merely as recovery information—it can be used to sign in to the same Microsoft account.

Microsoft documents the Windows, Office, email-receipt, alternate-address, and Xbox locations where a complete username may still appear. ^2^

After finding the username

Enter the complete address in Microsoft’s sign-in helper or password-reset process. Check the spelling and domain carefully because old accounts may use different Hotmail country domains, such as .com or .co.uk. If another sign-in alias or phone number belongs to the account, that can also be tried. ^3^

If password reset cannot verify the account, submit the Microsoft account recovery form:

https://account.live.com/acsr

Provide as much historical information as possible, such as previous passwords, contacts, and email subjects. The recovery form still requires an identifiable account address, phone number, or Skype name, so it cannot reconstruct the hidden characters by itself.

Important limitations

• Do not post the address, recovery email, phone number, passwords, or verification codes in this public forum.
• Microsoft Support agents cannot disclose the hidden username, send password-reset links, or change account details without the required account validation. ^2^
• Because this is an old account, inactivity may matter. Microsoft generally requires at least one sign-in within a two-year period, subject to documented exceptions such as certain purchases, active subscriptions, balances, and family-account conditions. An account closed for inactivity cannot be recovered through ordinary sign-in recovery. ^4^

If none of the connected devices, products, aliases, receipts, or old messages contains the complete address, there is no documented process for support to reveal the characters hidden in pa*****@hotmail.com.

References

1. Forgotten your Microsoft account username | Microsoft Support
2. Check products or services where you used your Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
3. My username and password have stopped working | Microsoft Support
4. Microsoft account activity policy | Microsoft Support