How to recover a lost Hotmail password / How to regain control of a hacked account

popowich · Monday, November 24th, 2008

Hello,

Did you forget the password for your Hotmail account?

Try the Hotmail Password Reset page. If that fails try the Windows Live ID Validation page.

Verify your account with a mobile phone (only available in some countries) - http://g.live.com/1rewlive4tup/tupp

Has your Hotmail account been hacked and/or compromised? Report a security vulnerability to Microsoft

After reporting your account scan for and remove spyware from your computer with McAfee Security and Malwarebytes

If none of the above links are a possibility for you go to the Windows Live Account Validation page.

The links available at the security vulnerability page are the best chance to regain control of your account.

You can also e-mail abuse@microsoft.com and secure@microsoft.com if someone else has control of your account.

Additional online troubleshooting steps are on the Microsoft account compromise page: http://windowslivehelp.com/solution....f-145b951dcb41

The Hotmail customer service phone number is 1.800.386.5550.

When you contact Microsoft directly also include as many subject lines from your email account as possible.

Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee that Microsoft will be able to help you.

After getting your account back immediately change your password, security question & answer, and your alternate email address.

To change your security question and answer go to Options -> More Options -> View and edit your personal information

Please do not forget that it is best not to keep important information in any free e-mail account since there is no guaranteed support for free accounts.

travlinggy · Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

I have same problem been locked out for well over 2 months going crazy all my letters saved!!!all my files are in folders.I dont know what alternative e-mail address in on file but its probably not my aol one.tried everything. need help!!!!
i have tried different answers to my personal question and even tried every one of my passwords

popowich · Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Hello,

Why are you locked out? Did you forget your password or do you think someone else has access to your account, for example are you the victim of a phishing scam. If you lost access to your account you can use the link to report a security vulnerability to Microsoft that was included in the first post.

-Raymond

travlinggy · Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

If i knew why i was locked out i could fix that.cant get in to change alternate e-mail address,question wont accept answer.only use a couple of passwords but wont accept them.i know who i am and my password yet i cant get in am locked out.If someone changed my password then that might be the problem but still need to get in to change anything.even had a friend who use to ck my mail for me when my computer was down and she could not get in either.why cant i e-mail someone tell them my information they verify and get me fixed up to where i can get in my msn.com?

popowich · Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

Hello,

The Hotmail customer service phone number is 1.800.386.5550.

Yahoo can fix accounts if you fax them your drivers license.

I'm not sure offhand if MSN/Hotmail will be able to do the same.

-Raymond

Joelkaru32 · Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Hello!

There is my problem.

I forgot my hotmail.com password. Entered few time wrong, then i used "forgot password tool": There are 2 way to reset password.
1.Use my location information and secret answer to verify my identity
When i use this, it says (This option is temporarily unavailable because incorrect information was entered too many times. Please try another reset option or try again later.). Tried later again but still same.
2.Send password reset instructions to me in e-mail.(I also don't remember alternate)
Now i had to use that way. The problem is.. that tool send a new password to my hotmail address but i still cannot log in because i cannot get my new password. Is there any way how i can send new password to my other mail address?

popowich · Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Hello,

If none of the automated tools are working for you I recommend trying to make direct contact. It may take some time, and it also may not solve your problem. If you prefer the phone try the phone number above. If you don't mind waiting a few days for a response you can try the email address in the first post. Are you sure you forgot your password or is it possible that someone got access to your account and changed your password and security questions?

-Raymond

Joelkaru32 · Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

I am sure that nobody havent access to my account. That is definitely my own problem.

About security, i forgot exact answer but i have 2 answers what im using in everywhere where i had to use security answers, that tool just won't let me try again. It says "try again later" but im waiting over 7 day.

I do not prefer phone.
Secure@microsoft.com? That was the email where should i write?

popowich · Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Yes, that is an email address you can contact.

Quick tip: For better security you can make up fake answers to security questions.

-Raymond

Joelkaru32 · Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

I got the answer. They gave me 3 links but i still can't find my answer about sending it second email if possible.

Link 1.
What to do if you think your account has been stolen
http://windowslivehelp.com/solutions/accounts/archive/2008/10/25/what-to
-do-if-you-think-your-accounts-been-stolen.aspx

Link 2.
Hotmail Online Solutions Center (new& replaces all newsgroup & email
format
support) Windows Live Help

Link 3.
Solutions for Common Problems Windows Live Help

Im confiused.

popowich · Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Hello,

Was it an answer that you received or the initial auto response that has links to more information about common problems?

I'd expect the actual reply from a human to take more time and be personalized as an answer to your specific problem.

-Raymond

Terri · Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Thanks for the suggestions, I will try the 1-800 number and the email address you posted. I will update you on the process so anyone having the same problem can know what to do.

sandi gold · Monday, November 8th, 2010

I do not have an "options" option under profile or sign in and do not know what to do. My account has been hacked and both my password and my security question have been changed. I can get into my account on my laptop only because I never signed out but I want to close this account ASAP because someone named "Concepcion" keeps logging on using a mobile phone and doing only God knows what. My problem is I can't delete the account w/o a password. I would just sign out but this means "Concepcion" would have total control of it plus I won't be able to know when people email me. I'd like to sign out but before I do, I'd like to create an autoresponder but I can not find "options" that I need to click on to do this. Microsoft has been no help at all and after one week will not even close the account. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

popowich · Monday, November 8th, 2010

Hi sandi,

The Options -> More Options is located at the top right of your Hotmail inbox.

I see today that my options drop down is mostly blocked by an advertisement.

Click options, and the last selection that you may not be able to see well is the more options line.

Here is a screen shot showing where to click :

How to recover a lost Hotmail password / How to regain control of a hacked account-hotmail-more-options.jpg

sandi gold · Monday, November 8th, 2010

Thank you but I know where "options" is supposed to be but there is nothing, no ad, no option, no nothing there. I was just reading something online and it may be because of the version of hotmail I have - classic as opposed to the latest? Thank you anyway. It's nice to know someone is indeed listening.

popowich · Monday, November 8th, 2010

Classic vs. latest makes it sound like you may have been reading a solution for Yahoo not Hotmail?

Is the secondary/alternate email address listed for your account still an address that you own?

If the regular password reset pages did not work for you try the Windows Live Account Validation page.

bursty · Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

okay guys/ladies..im a newbie learning new things here...
now i have a problem.. plain and simple i dont recall my password for my hotmail and i know i can reset it but i rather not..anyway to retrieve the password without changing/resetting it? i only had this email address at the time so i didnt link it to my yahoo..please anyone help :/ ASAP
turns out ive been getting mail from someone important to me but havent been able to read it.

any help is very much appreciated
thankyou.

popowich · Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Hello,

If you forgot your password the best thing to do is get it reset. Most email providers will not email you the current password for security reasons, but if you have alternate accounts configured you should be able to receive a link that can be used to get access back to your account.

to Email Questions!

mader · Saturday, March 12th, 2011

how do i go about resetting a hotmail account that has been blocked

popowich · Saturday, March 12th, 2011

Hello,

Try this link for the Hotmail forums - Hotmail Portal

In addition to the requested information also include the subject lines from several emails that existed in your account.

Please let us know if including the subject line help to speed up their response to your request.