Managing personal Outlook.com account settings, security, and privacy
The recovery form is designed specifically for situations where normal sign-in and security options (phone, alternate email, authenticator) are no longer available, so it does not require signing in or seeing current emails/contacts first.
To improve the chances of success when the form keeps getting denied:
- Prepare information before submitting again
- Follow the guidance in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form:
- Collect as much information as possible about how the account was used.
- For Outlook.com/Hotmail accounts, gather:
- Email addresses of people frequently contacted (friends, family, colleagues).
- Exact subject lines of messages recently sent.
- Folder names that were created or used.
- Think back to older details that might still be on file (old address, old name, etc.).
- List all passwords that might have been used on this account.
- This information can be obtained from memory, from people previously emailed, or from other accounts/devices where messages may still be visible; it does not require signing in to the hacked account.
- Follow the guidance in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form:
- Use the correct environment when filling the form
- Use a device and location that were commonly used to sign in to this account (home PC, usual laptop, usual network). This helps the automated checks recognize the sign-in as familiar.
- Make sure a working contact email (different from the hacked account) is available; this is where Microsoft sends the result.
- Complete the form as thoroughly as possible
- Answer every question that can be answered; wrong answers do not count against the request.
- Use the “add more” options wherever available to provide extra details.
- If the account has a country-specific domain (for example, @outlook.co.uk), ensure the full address is entered correctly.
- Retry with adjustments if recovery fails
- If the result says the account could not be verified, adjust and try again with more or more accurate information.
- Recovery attempts can be made as many times as needed, up to two times per day.
- Before trying again, review the guidance article and video linked in the recovery guidance to refine the answers.
- When the form succeeds
- If the account is verified, instructions to sign back in will be sent to the working contact email provided.
- After regaining access, immediately review security settings and follow the security guidance to:
- Change the password.
- Remove any unknown security info.
- Add strong, up-to-date security methods (phone, alternate email, authenticator).
If the recovery form continues to fail, the guidance indicates that the only supported options are to keep trying (up to two times per day) with more complete information, or use the Sign-in Helper if the additional security information shown during reset is not recognized.
References:
- Help with the Microsoft account recovery form
- Account recovery unsuccessful
- How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
- Unblock my Outlook.com account
- Microsoft account has been locked
- Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A
- My account got hacked. - Microsoft Q&A
- My account got hacked - Microsoft Q&A
- My personal hotmail account hacked by hacker with authentication app enabled. - Microsoft Q&A
- How do I send an email to Microsoft about my account being hacked and taken over by <removed> ? - Microsoft Q&A