You can try to perform an account recovery, but after two years, the chances are slim.
If it’s been over two years since you’ve logged in, and the system tells you that your password is wrong or that your account doesn’t exist, your account has likely been deleted and your email address possibly recycled. Given that it’s not possible to create a new email address right now, the chances of it being recycled are slim, but clearly, if you let your email address expire, all bets are off.
In the event your inbox or Microsoft account is closed either by you or by Microsoft pursuant to these Terms, the email address or username may be recycled into our system and assigned to another user. The (or or email address that you use to create your Microsoft account will be unique to you for as long as your inbox or Microsoft account is still active. This is all spelled out in painful detail here: Microsoft Services Agreement – the interesting portion being section 14.h: But they will have the email address that used to be yours. They won’t get your content it’ll be a new, empty account to them. That means that after two years of your not using the account, someone else may be allowed to get your email address. What surprises many people is that once your account is closed - presumably for any reason - your email address may be “recycled”, as Microsoft puts it. Microsoft doesn’t provide any mechanism to recover the data if the account hits that two-year mark and is deleted. That means more than just email it includes your contacts, any files you have stored in OneDrive, and any files in Microsoft Office Online. It’s important to know that if your account is closed due to inactivity, anything in the account will be deleted. It probably does - at least I would hope so - but for purposes of keeping your account active, I wouldn’t rely on it unless Microsoft clarifies.īottom line: sign in to at least once every two years, and you’ll be fine.
It’s also unclear if logging in to your PC using a Microsoft account qualifies as “activity”. I wouldn’t count on this not changing in the future. Apparently, if you qualify under one of the exceptions, your account will never be closed for inactivity. There’s a list spelled out in the Microsoft account activity policy. For example, if you’ve purchased something from Microsoft using the account, it will not be closed for inactivity. If you do not sign in to your Hotmail or other Microsoft account, (all now managed using ) at least once every two years, the account is considered “inactive” and may be removed. Protect yourself by checking your email at least once every two years, and make sure to back up the data stored in your account. This means anything in the account will be deleted, and your email address may be “recycled” and assigned to someone else. If you don’t sign in to your Microsoft account at least once every two years, the account is considered “inactive” and may be removed.