A hacker put a forwarding rule on my outlook email that I can't delete

Melissa Barnes 0 Reputation points
2026-10-13T02:03:50.39+00:00

I need to figure out how to delete or edit a forwarding rule on outlook that a hacker put there that I cannot edit or delete

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy
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  1. EmilyS726 279.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-13T02:53:53.7766667+00:00

    If you use Classic Outlook on any Windows device, do this on those devices

    Close Outlook completely.

    Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.

    Type outlook /cleanrules and press Enter to clear and reset client-side rule stores

    ===========

    Go to https://account.live.com

    Then go to Security > Manage how I sign in and make sure all contact information belongs to you.

    On that same page, scroll down to App passwords and remove any existing app passwords.

    Also on the same page, click on Sign out everywhere. This is intended to disconnect any active sessions that may still be connected. Please note that this can take up to 24 hours to fully take effect.

    Once you wait for the 24 hours to pass, go to https://www.outlook.com and sign in.

    Click the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings.

    Under Mail, review the following areas:

    Rules

    If any rules are listed, delete all of them.

    Conditional formatting

    If anything is set up there, delete it.

    Forwarding and IMAP

    If you see any entries or settings you did not create, remove them. Turn off POP and IMAP.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-13T02:04:04.7933333+00:00

    If the rule is in Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, remove both the inbox rule and any account-level forwarding, because either one can keep forwarding mail.

    1. Sign in to the mailbox in the web experience.
    2. Select the gear icon, then go to Mail settings.
    3. Open Mail > Automatic processing > Inbox and sweep rules.
    4. Update, turn off, or delete any rule that forwards messages to an unknown address.
    5. Then open Mail > Accounts > Forwarding.
    6. Select Stop forwarding and Save.

    If the rule shows as broken or editable in classic Outlook, use:

    1. File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
    2. If Outlook reports a broken rule, select OK.
    3. Select the rule marked with an error.
    4. Select the links under Rule description to edit it, then select OK.
    5. To change or remove a normal rule, select the rule, then use Change Rule or Delete.

    Important checks:

    • If forwarding is configured to multiple addresses, the rule might stop working if the account exceeds the allowed number of addresses.
    • Forwarded copies can remain in the mailbox and still count against the mailbox limit. If the mailbox is over limit, forwarding rules might not work until enough mail is deleted.
    • Suspicious forwarding rules are a security risk because attackers can use them to hide, delete, move, or forward messages.

    If the forwarding keeps coming back, check for any other forwarding setting in the mailbox and remove unknown rules again in the web settings first.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.

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