Email problem

For a personal Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN account, use this path:

1. Start with the Microsoft account sign-in helper at https://aka.ms/sign-in-helper. It checks the email address or phone number and identifies common sign-in problems.
2. If the password is forgotten, use the password reset flow.
3. If the password is known but it stopped working, use the account recovery steps:
   • Enter the email address, phone number, or Skype name used to sign in.
   • Choose where to receive the security code.
   • Enter the code.
   • Set a new password.
4. If the account name is not recognized:
   • Check the email domain carefully, such as .com vs .co.uk.
   • Check for spelling differences in the address.
   • Try another alias or phone number connected to the account.
5. If Outlook.com signs in but mail access still fails, check the service status and try again later if the status is not green.
6. If unusual sign-in activity was detected, the account may be temporarily blocked and may require identity verification.
7. If the account has not been signed in to for more than 2 years, it may have been deleted.

If the message says the username cannot be found even after checking the address and aliases, use the support option in the recovery article for cases where the username has stopped working.

References:

• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
• Microsoft account sign-in helper | Microsoft Support
• My username and password have stopped working | Microsoft Support
• How to sign in to Hotmail | Microsoft Support
• How to sign in to Outlook.com | Microsoft Support