Microsoft account and new Windows computer: am I at risk?

Voyager2002

I have had a Hotmail account for years, and it mainly attracts SPAM. However, it seems to have 'morphed' into a Microsoft account and is also what I use for Skype (on which I have a very small credit). So when I recently bought a new Windows 11 computer and found that I needed to sign in to a Microsoft account in order to set up the computer, I used this account.

Anyway, I am now locked out of this account. Am I at risk? For example, is my computer going to stop working, or will I be unable to install new software? Or can I just ignore the problem.

GDB2222

https://www.bitrecover.com/blog/is-hotmail-still-active/

Does that help?

Voyager2002

GDB2222 said:

https://www.bitrecover.com/blog/is-hotmail-still-active/

Does that help?

Thank you, but that is not the issue. My Hotmail account became Outlook, and I could sign into it on Live.

And then when I tried to sign in I got an error message saying that my account had been suspended because it had breached the Microsoft Terms of Service. (This was after a couple of weeks during which I had not used it at all, but had taken my laptop to Cuba and then used a VPN to connect to the internet... may be the MS 'bots did not believe the information about my location?).

FlorayG

Cuba...and Microsoft belongs to a USA company...hmmm...

km1500

I also had the exact same message on my long standing Hotmail account two weeks ago. Have not managed to regain access.

Voyager2002

FlorayG said:

Cuba...and Microsoft belongs to a USA company...hmmm...

Indeed. As with Apple, I would expect access to be blocked (that was why I used a VPN). However, now that I am home it ought to be possible to use the account again.

My main question is whether this actually matters?

km1500

not sure what you are asking - if your account is blocked you won't be able to sign into it. 

Devices that are already signed iny continue to work but you won't, for example, receive any more emails or be able to send any emails.

Voyager2002

km1500 said:

not sure what you are asking - if your account is blocked you won't be able to sign into it. 

Devices that are already signed iny continue to work but you won't, for example, receive any more emails or be able to send any emails.

Cheers.

My new Windows computer was set up around this account. My fear is that at some point there will be a "routine" sign-in check and then nothing will work...

Neil_Jones

Voyager2002 said:

km1500 said:

not sure what you are asking - if your account is blocked you won't be able to sign into it. 

Devices that are already signed iny continue to work but you won't, for example, receive any more emails or be able to send any emails.

Cheers.

My new Windows computer was set up around this account. My fear is that at some point there will be a "routine" sign-in check and then nothing will work...

So set up a local account and the problem will be solved.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/manage-user-accounts-in-windows-104dc19f-6430-4b49-6a2b-e4dbd1dcdf32

You don't need an MS account (a Hotmail account has always been a Microsoft account considering they own Hotmail and have done since 1997)

400ixl

Yep, create a local account. Actually a couple, one with admin rights and one with user rights. then use the user account day to day and the permissions of the admin account when you need to do tasks with admin rights.

Voyager2002

400ixl said:

Yep, create a local account. Actually a couple, one with admin rights and one with user rights. then use the user account day to day and the permissions of the admin account when you need to do tasks with admin rights.

And of course it would not allow this!