For a personal Outlook.com/Hotmail account, sign in through www.outlook.com rather than outlook.office.com, and complete verification in the regular Edge window where the code is successfully delivered.^1^
1. Use the correct sign-in path
- Personal account ending in
@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com: open www.outlook.com, select Sign in, and use the same password as your Microsoft account.^2^
- Work or school Microsoft 365 account:
outlook.office.com may be appropriate. If that is your account type, contact your organization’s Microsoft 365 administrator if the error continues.
Do not repeat the InPrivate test: Microsoft documents that private browsing can prevent security checks from using the browser data needed for validation. Since the code arrives in regular Edge, continue there.^3^
2. Complete verification without triggering another temporary block
Because you have been trying for many hours:
- Stop requesting additional codes for at least 24 hours.
- Keep the regular Edge window open when requesting the next code.
- Request one code and use only the newest code received.
- If offered, choose another verification method already registered to the account, such as alternate email instead of SMS.
- If using a VPN or proxy, disconnect it before that attempt. If possible, switch between your normal Wi-Fi and mobile cellular data.
Repeated code requests can trigger a temporary block. Microsoft advises waiting a day and avoiding repeated attempts because they may reset the time lock; some blocks can take longer to clear. Verification delivery can also be affected by regional traffic or limited SMS availability.^4^
3. If verification succeeds but Outlook still shows the request error
Check Microsoft’s public service-health page.^5^
- If Outlook shows an incident, wait until service health returns to normal.
- If no incident is shown, try the personal Outlook.com endpoint from a second device or a different network. This distinguishes an account/service problem from the current browser or connection.
- There is no confirmed public Microsoft notice in the available service-health information for a China-specific incident matching this exact error.
4. If you still cannot sign in
Use Microsoft’s sign-in helper from the Outlook.com support page. Outlook.com support cannot manually bypass sign-in protection or access the account; Microsoft directs users who cannot sign in to the account sign-in helper.^6^
If the helper cannot resolve it, use Microsoft’s support flow and select Get Help → Contact Support. Support agents cannot send password-reset links or directly change protected account details.^3^
References
- How to sign in to Outlook.com | Microsoft Support
- How to sign in to Hotmail | Microsoft Support
- How to fix 'Let's help you move forward' error | Microsoft Support
- Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues | Microsoft Support
- Microsoft service health status
- How to get support for Outlook.com | Microsoft Support