Help!!! Anyone use Outlook/Hotmail?...

I-Owe-You

I tried to sign into my Hotmail account last night (which I have held for 7+ years) and was met with "
That Microsoft account doesn't exist. Enter a different email address or get a new account."

I have checked and checked again the spellings/case etc... and it's 100% entered correctly but it seems like I have been locked out of my account/it has been deleted. I cannot request to reset password as I cannot get that far as it states my account does not exist.

I've exhausted all options including the rather unhelpful Microsoft online chat support (Nice enough Indian person with broken english who does not seem to understand my issue/unable to help and just typing from a generic troubleshooting script)...adding further to my frustration!

I'm desperate to access this account as its my main email address and has been for years - and also the one I have spent the last 3 months entering thousands of comps with!!

Does anyone have an experience with this/have any suggestions? I've tried calling Microsoft and after being put through to 5 different departments (including one in Canada!) was just referred back to the unhelpful online chat.

I'd be grateful if anyone has any experience or advice. I'm really desperate to access my account! Thank you in advance.

sax11

Are you on a macbook ?

mjm3346

Have you tried to create a new account using the old details?

You could try an e-mail to your hotmail account and see if it bounces back as undeliverable.

DASONIA

Have you tried a System Restore to a date just before you last had access to your emails.
Start / All programs / Accessories / System Tools / System Restore
This puts your system back to what it was on that date - not sure if it restores email access but its worth a try.
If it doesn't work just go to System Restore again and cancel the restore.

miss_p1981

I don't know if it is related but I had issues with my outlook/Hotmail comping email address yesterday. Someone had tried to access my account. I guess it is theoretically possible for someone to access your account and then delete it!

tattycath

I have 2 hotmail e.mail addresses. I tried to access them and they are both coming up as not existing.
I vaguely thought I had read somewhere that if you don't access them every so often (can't remember the exact details), that they would be deleted. I hope I'm wrong and it's just a glitch.

sax11

both of mine are fine - have you got the notifications on them where they need to be reset by a code?

I-Owe-You

Hi everyone thank you for your kind responses.

I'm on an iMac and I regularly access my account (many times a day) from both the desktop browser and my phone. I had access up until 4pm yesterday no problem, then realised when I went to check my email again that I had been signed out (I usually stay permanently signed in as I am the only user of my computer) when I tried to re-sign in I was met with the prompt that "That Microsoft account doesn't exist. Enter a different email address or get a new account"

I feel my password would not be easy to hack, it is a long random set of numbers and letters which make no sense nor would be easy to guess.

Unfortunately I can't re-register the address as it's @hotmail.co.uk and co.uk addresses are no longer available. I have been advised to complete an online support request form (from a link I was given from Mircosoft online chat) but to be honest I'm not confident the person I was talking to understood my issue and feel this is a waste of time. I've tried the online chat a few times to see if it throws up a different solution with no luck.

Someone is due to respond to this request within 72 hours but I'm sceptical I'm just going to get a generic troubleshooting reply.

It's so incredibly frustrating that there is not a call centre I can contact regarding this.

I've years and years of comping and online accounts connected to this email address and the thought of having to start again/amend every log in is depressing the heck out of me!

Thank you again for taking the time to reply to me

sax11

Search for 'outlook account disappeared' on google

first page is all MAC relevent - seems to be a problem but there are workarounds mentioned

Blulu

Ouch! That would have to hurt. If it happened to me I would try to focus on the fact that one way or another it will be sorted and fine in a few weeks. Either by getting it back or by starting over. Re comping, it's not that often I've had to reply to a WEM to get a prize. Keep Googling your name. Winners names are often published online. I know it feels like a major pain, but in the course of a lifetime, you'll look back on it only as a minor glitch. A silver lining is, think of all that junk mail you won't be getting anymore. There is something to be said for starting over.

GL

Blu X

Blulu

I emailed my friend, Barry, who knows much more than me about computers and stuff. He said to check out this:

http://ask-leo.com/why_am_i_repeatedly_locked_out_of_my_hotmail_account_and_what_can_i_do_about_it.html

And/or perhaps to do a system restore to an earlier date. As mentioned above.

HTH

Blu X