Cannot sign into my hotmail account

Select I don’t have any of these at the identity-verification prompt to replace the inaccessible email address with security information you can access.

If you know the Hotmail password

1. Start signing in normally with the Hotmail address and password.
2. At Verify your identity, select I don’t have any of these.
3. Enter a different, accessible email address or phone number and complete the prompts to replace the existing security information.
4. After the replacement is submitted, Microsoft requires a 30-day waiting period before you can sign in using the new security information. Signing in with the old security information during that period cancels the pending replacement.^1^

If another usable verification option appears—such as a phone number, Authenticator, or separate recovery email—select that instead. The 30-day replacement is for cases where none of the existing methods is accessible.

If you do not know the password

Use Microsoft’s account recovery process:

1. Open the Sign-in Helper from Microsoft’s recovery guidance and follow its recommended path.
2. Provide the locked Hotmail address and a different working email address where Microsoft can contact you.
3. Complete the recovery questionnaire from a device and location previously used with the Hotmail account.
4. Include as much exact information as possible:
   • Previous passwords
   • Names of contacts
   • Exact subject lines of sent messages
   • Older account-profile information
   • Details of any connected Skype, Xbox, or Microsoft purchases
5. Microsoft sends the result to the working contact address, normally within 24 hours. If verification fails, the form can be submitted again, up to twice per day.^2^

Important limitation

If two-step verification was enabled and every configured verification method is inaccessible, the recovery form cannot bypass it. Microsoft support agents also cannot manually send a code, reset the password, or change the account’s security details.^2^

Avoid repeatedly requesting codes: excessive requests can cause a temporary block and further delay code delivery.^1^

References

1. Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues | Microsoft Support
2. Help with the Microsoft account recovery form