Microsoft account deleted randomly

James Stanhope 0 Reputation points
2026-09-09T15:41:33.0366667+00:00

I went to log into my laptop and saw that it said I couldn't use my pin because my account was deleted, I looked at my emails and it said nothing but the passkey was removed earlier this day and I cant find anything saying why it would have been removed. Is there anyway I can get my account back as I had thousands of pounds worth of things on my Xbox linked to this account and many things on my OneDrive I cant get back so this is very urgent.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Account management, security, and privacy

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  1. Hornblower409 14,600 Reputation points
    2026-09-10T16:33:09.14+00:00

    @James Stanhope said

    just tried to sign in again and it now says the email is @outlook.com, how would i be able to recover this?

    Not sure I understand. Did your email used to be hotmail.com, msn.com, or live.com ?

    If you use the Sign-In Helper to lookup the other email address, does it exist?

    For any account recovery, start with the Sign-In Helper and follow any suggestions.

    Account Sign-In Helper

    • In a Private/Incognito browser session, open: https://aka.ms/sign-in-helper
    • Scroll down to "Choose how you normally sign in, then enter your details"
    • Click "With an email address"
    • Enter your email address and click [OK]

    but the passkey was removed earlier this day and I cant find anything saying why it would have been removed.

    Perhaps your account was compromised? See the steps to secure your account in
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/how-to-recover-a-hacked-or-compromised-microsoft-account-24ca907d-bcdf-a44b-4656-47f0cd89c245

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-09T15:41:50.9233333+00:00
    1. Start with the Microsoft Sign-in Helper tool. If the account shows errors like "We couldn't find an account with that username" or "account doesn't exist", that tool is the recommended path and can either guide self-help or offer the chance to talk to an agent.
    2. If the account may have been compromised, scan the PC for malware before changing or resetting anything. In Windows Security, open Virus and threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now. This is important because changing the password before cleaning the device can let the attacker regain access.
    3. After the scan, try to reset the password using Recover your account. When prompted, enter the email address, phone number, or Skype name used to sign in, choose where to receive the security code, enter the code, and set a new password.
    4. If the username is no longer recognized, check whether:
      • the email domain was entered correctly, such as .com vs .co.uk
      • the email name was typed correctly
      • another alias or phone number on the account can be used instead
    5. If the account has been closed, it can only be reopened during the 30-day or 60-day grace period by signing in at the Microsoft account site and completing the security code check. If that period has passed, it can no longer be reopened.
    6. If the account has not been signed in to for more than two years, it may have been deleted and cannot be reopened.
    7. If the username has stopped working and password reset does not work, use Contact support and report that the username has stopped working. Support agents cannot send password reset links or change account details without proper validation, but the support path is the documented escalation route.
    8. If access is restored after compromise, review account settings such as connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies, because those settings may have been changed.

    References:

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

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