Hotmail log in problem, frozen account?

[dizmo]

This doesn't really fit anywhere else, so I'll put it here.

 

Today I tried logging into my Hotmail account. It said something about verifying my security information, and wanted to send a code to the email address I'd provided as a back up one.

I haven't used the back up email address in years, didn't know the password anymore. So they said I could send the code to another email address. I did that.

Now they've frozen my email account for 30 days, and at the end of that 30 days I can have access again when they email the new address I provided.

 

Has anyone else had this happen? It's extremely frustrating as I've had this Hotmail account for over 15 years, and it's never asked for anything like this before.
Why the hell would you freeze the account for 30 day? A little fucking extreme Microsoft, especially since I was logging in with the correct password.

 

Is there a link or something where I can contact Microsoft about this? I looked and I couldn't find one. The only support they really provide is for software you've purchased.

Unless I'm just missing it because I'm so pissed off.

 

[Sors]

This doesn't really fit anywhere else, so I'll put it here.

 

Today I tried logging into my Hotmail account. It said something about verifying my security information, and wanted to send a code to the email address I'd provided as a back up one.

I haven't used the back up email address in years, didn't know the password anymore. So they said I could send the code to another email address. I did that.

Now they've frozen my email account for 30 days, and at the end of that 30 days I can have access again when they email the new address I provided.

 

Has anyone else had this happen? It's extremely frustrating as I've had this Hotmail account for over 15 years, and it's never asked for anything like this before.

Why the hell would you freeze the account for 30 day? A little fucking extreme Microsoft, especially since I was logging in with the correct password.

 

Is there a link or something where I can contact Microsoft about this? I looked and I couldn't find one. The only support they really provide is for software you've purchased.

Unless I'm just missing it because I'm so pissed off.

 

Yeah I don't think MS have any telephone or email you can use to reach someone to fix an issue in hotmail.

 

I had a problem like this 2 years ago, a client had her account stolen, and there was no way to contact MS about it at all, the only thing you could do is follow their automated system, though back then it didn't froze the account.

 

The way I fix it was that they ask you for a list of the last emails you send, and the people those emails were send to.   Fortunately the client had send me an email a couple days before and i was able to get a lot of her contact's emails from that 1 message.

[the_devil52]

Yeah that just happened to me. You can still use your email account if you route it through another email account. I used my Gmail account.

[dizmo]

Yeah that just happened to me. You can still use your email account if you route it through another email account. I used my Gmail account.

You mean get emails by sending them to a different account?

Unfortunately that doesn't really help me. I need access to this account.

 

I sent them a message. It took a while to find the right link.

[GeTecknics]

this happened a year ago to me when the backup email did not exist when i finally got it back i just put my cell phone as the verification good luck hope you get it back soon. the support team is also not that great they just ask you the same as the automated compute

[the_devil52]

You mean get emails by sending them to a different account?

Unfortunately that doesn't really help me. I need access to this account.

 

I sent them a message. It took a while to find the right link.

 

Nah you can still send and receive emails from your frozen account. Basically you can use your frozen account by logging into gmail.

[JamsCB]

I'm not surprised.  After the recent high profile news stories of account hacks and twitter handle blackmail, locking the account for 30 days definitely gives a legitimate owner the opportunity to challenge an account takeover before it cascades over to all of your other accounts.  It is however, unfortunate when you are trying to reset it yourself.  I had to go through all of it a few years back when I hadn't logged into my hotmail in a while and couldn't remember the password.  Since then, I've switched over to a password manager and made sure that the 'backup email addresses' are all current and accounts that I can access.

[dizmo]

@JamsCB I shouldn't get locked out of an account that I'm signing into with the proper password. Period.