My Hotmail account does not exist anymore..........

Question

My Hotmail account does not exist anymore..........

William Sautters 0

I attempt to login to my old Hotmail email account but the system indicates the account does not exist. I attempt to create a new account with the same login name but the system indicates that name has been taken. How can I get access to my old Hotmail account again?

Jaime Rene 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T11:55:57.1233333+00:00

new account
William Sautters 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T12:44:36.82+00:00

This is the comment I received from the login attempt: Recover your account

We can help you reset your password and security info. First, enter your Microsoft account and follow the instructions below.

Try entering your Microsoft account again. We don't recognize this one.

4 answers

Your answer

Jaime Rene 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T11:55:57.1233333+00:00

new account
William Sautters 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T12:44:36.82+00:00

This is the comment I received from the login attempt: Recover your account

We can help you reset your password and security info. First, enter your Microsoft account and follow the instructions below.

Try entering your Microsoft account again. We don't recognize this one.

Answer 1

If the sign-in page says the Hotmail account does not exist, first verify whether that address is still a Microsoft account:

Go to the Microsoft account sign-in page and enter the Hotmail address.
If the next screen asks for a password, the address is still a Microsoft account.
If it says “We couldn't find an account with that username” or “That Microsoft account doesn't exist”, use the Sign-in Helper or sign-in troubleshooter.

If the account is old, an important limit applies: if it has not been signed in to for more than 2 years, it may have been deleted and can no longer be reopened.

If the account still exists but access is lost:

Use Forgot password? from the sign-in page if a password reset option is offered.
If normal reset does not work, complete the account recovery form.
Fill out the recovery form from a device and location previously used with that account if possible.
Include as much accurate account information as possible.

Important:

If two-step verification was turned on and none of the alternate verification methods are accessible, support agents cannot send password reset links or change account details.
If the account truly no longer exists, it may have been closed or deleted, and recovery is not available through normal sign-in.

The “name is taken” result when trying to create it again does not by itself restore access. The supported path is to confirm whether the address is still recognized, then use the official recovery tools.

References:

Answer 2

TaoLi 112.1K Independent Advisor

Hi

When did you last successfully sign in to this Hotmail account? Also, have you ever changed or removed the email address used to sign in?

I can see why those two messages are confusing. I wouldn’t take “name is taken” as confirmation that the old mailbox is still active.

For now, please enter your full Hotmail address in Microsoft’s Sign-in Helper: https://aka.ms/sign-in-helper.

Let me know what it reports so I can help you with the next step.

William Sautters 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T12:50:34.3966667+00:00
Here is the response I get:

Username not found

Sorry, we were unable to recognize the email you entered as a valid Microsoft account.

If you are unable to sign in with an email address you know to be correct, it may be that the account was closed more than 60 days ago and cannot be recovered. If the account has been closed within the last 60 days, signing in will re-open it. If you can't remember the account credentials, choose from one of the help options below.

If you use your email address to sign in to a work or school account, click here.

If you sign in to your Windows PC with a local account instead of a Microsoft account, select Get PC Local account help below.

You can scroll to the top and try this tool again (up to 3 times per day), or look up your username manually.

Answer 3

TaoLi 112.1K Independent Advisor

Thanks, Have you ever removed this Hotmail address from your Microsoft account’s list of email addresses (aliases), perhaps after adding a different address?

Also, roughly when did you last successfully sign in to this account? Has it been more than two years?

William Sautters 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T13:04:25.2133333+00:00

I did not remove the Hotmail address from the list of email addresses but its been more than two years since I have logged into this email.

Answer 4

Thanks for confirming, Given the time without signing in and the “Username not found” result, the account was likely deleted due to inactivity.

Microsoft explains that accounts may be deleted after more than two years without signing in. Unfortunately, an account permanently deleted this way cannot be reopened: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/manage/reopen-your-microsoft-account.

The old address also remains unavailable for registration, which explains the “name is taken” message. You would need to choose a different address when creating a new account: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/manage/how-to-create-a-new-microsoft-account.