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If you think someone else accessed your Microsoft account, first scan the device you’ll use to recover it, then change or reset your password, check for changes the intruder may have made, and revoke active sessions. If you’re locked out, use Microsoft’s official recovery flow—not a third-party recovery service. These steps apply to personal Microsoft accounts, including Outlook.com.
1. Scan the device before changing your password
Microsoft’s guidance for a hacked or compromised account is to make sure antivirus protection is current and run a full scan before changing the account password. This helps reduce the risk of entering a new password on a device that may be infected; a completed scan does not guarantee the device is clean. See Microsoft’s compromised-account recovery guidance.
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On Windows, open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now. Confirm Microsoft Defender or your other antivirus is running and up to date.
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If you suspect another computer or phone is compromised, clean or secure that device too before using it to sign in or reset credentials.
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2. Change your password or start account recovery
If you can still sign in
After the scan, sign in through Microsoft and change the password. Use a new password that you do not use on another account. If you cannot complete the normal change process, use Microsoft’s official password-reset flow.
If you are locked out
Start with Microsoft’s password reset page or its Sign-in Helper. You will need to verify that you own the account using a recovery method Microsoft offers for it.
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If those methods are unavailable, try the Microsoft account recovery form. Provide a working contact email where Microsoft can reach you. Microsoft recommends completing the form, if possible, on a device and from a location you commonly use for the account. Microsoft says it sends the result to that contact email within 24 hours; if an attempt is unsuccessful, you can try again up to two times per day. Recovery is not guaranteed.
If two-step verification is on and you cannot access any verification method, Microsoft says support agents cannot reset the account on your behalf. They also cannot send password-reset links or access and change account details; use the available recovery options rather than expecting support to bypass verification. See Microsoft’s recovery-form help and guidance for unsuccessful recovery.
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3. Check for changes and sign out other sessions
Review account activity and Outlook settings
Once you regain access, review recent sign-in activity. Report activity you do not recognize using the options on Microsoft’s security page; unfamiliar activity is a reason to secure the account, not proof by itself of who accessed it. Microsoft’s unusual-sign-in guidance explains how to review it.
Also inspect connected accounts, email forwarding, and automatic replies. An unauthorized forwarding rule or connected account can preserve access or divert messages even after you change the password. Remove settings you did not create.
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Revoke sessions you do not trust
On Microsoft’s Advanced security options page, use Sign out everywhere if someone else may still be signed in. Microsoft says this can take up to 24 hours and does not sign you out of Xbox consoles. Changing your password and signing out everywhere are separate actions; allow time for the latter to complete. Details are in Microsoft’s sign-out-everywhere instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.4. Restore security and recovery methods you control
Review the phone numbers, email addresses, Authenticator setup, passkeys, and security keys associated with the account. Remove methods you do not recognize, and add methods you can access and control. Microsoft says accounts can have up to 10 security-information methods; available choices vary by account. See Microsoft’s security-info and verification-code guidance.
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Be alert if you find that all security information was removed and replaced. Microsoft may place those changes in a 30-day pending period, during which the account is restricted. If you did not request the change, use the let us know option on the Security page to report it. Read Microsoft’s explanation of pending security-info changes.
5. Strengthen sign-in after you regain control
Turn on two-step verification or choose an available passwordless sign-in method. Microsoft lists options including Microsoft Authenticator, Outlook for Android, Windows Hello, physical security keys, and SMS codes in its passwordless guidance; the choices shown to you may vary. Passkeys are designed to resist phishing. Do not assume every method is equally resistant: in particular, SMS availability varies, and it is not phishing-resistant in the same way as a passkey or security key. See Microsoft’s account-security guidance.
A compatible physical FIDO2 security key is an optional sign-in method, not an account-recovery service or a requirement. Check that a key works with your account and keep another recovery method available in case the key is lost.
6. Save a recovery code for a future lockout
If the option is available in your Microsoft account dashboard, generate a recovery code and store it somewhere safe, offline, and separate from devices you use to sign in. The code is 25 digits. Generating a replacement invalidates the previous code, so update your stored copy when you make a new one. Microsoft describes the code as a fallback for situations where ordinary verification is unavailable; it does not guarantee immediate recovery. Accounts using two-step verification may still face a 30-day wait for security changes to take effect. See Microsoft’s recovery-code instructions.
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