How do I restore my blocked hotmail account?

Question

I have a hotmail.co.uk e mail account that I have used for all my personal affairs for many years. It has been blocked by Microsoft after I received messages to say that unusual activity had been detected. I was abroad at the time which maybe was the trigger for the messages?

I followed the steps to try to verify but failed. The account has now been blocked and I can't restore it.

I have tried several times .. i am directed to the Authenticator app. I enter my password and get a screen that tells me I need to verify my account. I then get a request to approve a code on my mobile device but I haven't got one. So I press "Having trouble?".

The I press "get a code a different way". Of the next two options, I don't have the e mail listed any more as it was an old work one and I've left! The authenticator app option doesn't work (suspect I haven't set it up properly). So then I press "I don't have these any more" and then press "verify online".

On the next screen I put a different e mail address in for contact and I get a code sent which works fine. Then it asks me to fill in personal details (name/birth date/security question). All fine. Then I give details of previous e mails sent on the blocked account. Again all this is fine.

Finally I submit all this and get a message that Microsoft will contact me in around 24 hours to tell me if I have given enough information.

Despite this, and several attempts, I have not received any messages back.

I did see a message along the way that said I can't recover this way if I have set up two step verification but I don't think I have done that.

Please can you help me? I have years and years of personal messages and information in this Hotmail account which I desperately need to get back. Is there any way I can speak to someone who can talk me through what to do?

Answer 1

See MS Support:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/account-has-been-locked-805e8b0d-4141-29b2-7b65-df6ff6c9ce27