A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation
When the sign-in page says an email “does not exist,” it usually means Microsoft no longer recognizes that address as an active Microsoft account.
Take these steps in order:
- Confirm whether the email is still a Microsoft account
- Go to https://account.microsoft.com and enter the email address.
- If the message is:
- “We couldn't find an account with that username.” or “That Microsoft account doesn't exist”, the address is not currently a Microsoft account. Check:
- Spelling of the name and domain (for example,
rachelvsrachael,.comvs.co.uk). - Whether the account might have been closed. See check if your Microsoft account is closed from the context article.
- Spelling of the name and domain (for example,
- If you instead see a password prompt, the email is still a Microsoft account; in that case, use Forgot password? and follow the reset steps.
- “We couldn't find an account with that username.” or “That Microsoft account doesn't exist”, the address is not currently a Microsoft account. Check:
- If the username used to work but is not recognized now
- Follow the guidance in My username and password have stopped working:
- Use the Recover your account flow at https://account.live.com/password/reset with that email, phone, or Skype name.
- If the email is not recognized, try any other alias or phone number that might be on the account.
- If you still see “We couldn't find an account with that username,” use the Contact support option from that article and tell support that the username has stopped working.
- Follow the guidance in My username and password have stopped working:
- Use the Sign-in Helper and recovery form
- If the account was hacked or security info changed, use the official tools only:
- Start with the Sign-in Helper tool from the articles:
- It can route to self-help or an agent depending on what is detected.
- If prompted, use the Account recovery form and fill it out from a familiar device and location, providing as much accurate information as possible (old passwords, services used, etc.).
- Start with the Sign-in Helper tool from the articles:
- If the account was hacked or security info changed, use the official tools only:
- If the account was hacked and then lost
- For hacked or compromised accounts, follow the official guidance in How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account and use the sign-in helper there.
- If the automated recovery (Sign-in Helper + recovery form) cannot find or restore the account, and the system treats it as non-existent or closed, there is no additional manual method for consumer Microsoft accounts beyond what these tools provide.
- If the account has been inactive for a long time
- If there has been no sign-in for more than two years, the account may have been deleted and cannot be reopened. See the note under “Steps to recover your Microsoft account” in the sign-in help article.
In summary, verify the email spelling and domain, try the standard Recover your account flow, then use the Sign-in Helper and the account recovery form from a known device/location. If all of those report that the account does not exist or cannot be recovered, the account cannot be restored.
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