I need help to contact support as there is no option - it loops back to community help

To reach a Microsoft support agent instead of being looped back to community help, use one of these supported paths and follow the on‑screen steps carefully until a contact option (chat/call) appears.

1. Using the Get Help app (Windows, personal Microsoft account)
2. Open the Get Help app:
   • Select Start and type Get Help, then open the app.
3. In Get Help, type a brief description such as “recover deleted emails” and press Enter.
4. When the automated suggestions do not solve the issue, look for and select Contact support at the bottom.
5. Follow the prompts:
   • Select the affected product or service.
   • If more options appear (category, issue type), select the ones that best match the problem, then select Confirm.
6. Choose a contact method (availability depends on region/product):
   • Chat with a support agent in your web browser – confirm contact details; a chat window opens with a live agent.
   • Provide your phone number and a support agent will call you – submit a phone number and wait for the callback.
   • For hardware issues only, there may also be Submit a repair request.

If the app initially only shows self‑help articles, scroll all the way down in the conversation until the Contact support button appears.

2. Using Microsoft 365 for home (consumer) support
3. Go to the Microsoft 365 support experience for home users.
4. Sign in with the Microsoft account used for Outlook/Hotmail.
5. Select Microsoft 365 for home.
6. Search or browse the online help; when the content does not resolve the issue, proceed to the Get Help / Contact support option.
7. Follow the prompts to reach a chat or callback option, similar to the Get Help flow above.
8. Using Microsoft 365 for business (if using a work/school account)

If the mailbox is part of a business/enterprise Microsoft 365 tenant, only a tenant admin can open a support case with Microsoft:

1. A global or support admin must sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. In the left navigation, select Support > Help and support.
3. Enter a description such as “recover permanently deleted emails beyond user restore window” and submit.
4. When prompted, select Contact support.
5. Choose a support option (typically callback or email) and complete the request.

If not an admin, contact the organization’s IT/Office 365 administrator and ask them to open a support ticket with Microsoft on behalf of the mailbox, explaining the FCA‑related urgency.

4. General “Contact us” entry point

If the above paths still loop back to community pages, use the general Microsoft Contact support entry point:

1. Go to the Contact support page.
2. Select the relevant product family (for example, Outlook or Microsoft 365).
3. Follow the guided steps until a Contact us / Contact support or Get help button appears.
4. Choose Chat or Call me back when offered.
5. If only community options appear

If only community options are shown and no contact method appears:

• Confirm that the account is signed in with the correct profile (personal vs work/school) and try again.
• For business mailboxes, ensure the request is made from within the admin center by an admin; end users often see only community/self‑help.

For FCA‑sensitive matters, using the admin‑center route (for business accounts) or the Get Help app with Contact support (for personal accounts) is the supported way to reach a live Microsoft agent.

References:

• Get Help for Microsoft personal account users
• Contact Microsoft Office Support
• IVR_ContactSupport_T1
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