Independent guide - not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. We never ask for your password, codes or account details. For official help use Microsoft's account recovery form or support.microsoft.com.

How to Reopen a Closed Microsoft Account

Published October 21, 2026. Updated October 21, 2026.

Closing a Microsoft account is not instant. Microsoft builds in a waiting period so that you, or anyone who closed the account without your knowledge, can change course. If you are inside that period, reopening takes a few minutes. If you are outside it, the account and everything stored in it are gone for good. This independent guide explains how to tell which situation you are in, how to reopen the account, what returns with it, and what to do when sign-in itself is the obstacle. Every step below is based on Microsoft's own support pages, linked at the end. We never ask for your password or security codes.

Closed, deleted or just locked?

Several different problems look the same from the sign-in screen, so it is worth pinning down which one you have before you start:

Closed and still in the reopen window. Someone selected "Mark account for closure" in the account settings in the last 30 or 60 days. The account is pending deletion and can be reopened.
Closed and past the window. The 30 or 60 days have run out. Microsoft says the account is then permanently deleted and cannot be reopened.
Deleted for inactivity. Microsoft states that if you have not signed in to an account for more than two years, it may have been deleted, and it cannot then be reopened.
Locked, not closed. A temporary block after unusual sign-in activity or a suspected terms violation is a different issue with its own fix. See our guide to a Microsoft account locked for suspicious activity.
Username not recognised. If you see "We couldn't find an account with that username", you may simply be typing a slightly different address. Our guide on a forgotten Microsoft account username covers the lookup.

How the 30 or 60 day reopen window works

When an account is closed, Microsoft's closure steps ask the person closing it to choose whether the reopen window should be 30 or 60 days. During that time the account is marked for closure but not yet deleted. Microsoft describes this period as a chance to change your mind; after it ends, the Microsoft account is permanently deleted, and, as stated in the Microsoft Services Agreement, its data and content are deleted too.

Two practical consequences follow. First, if you are not sure which window was chosen, assume 30 days and act quickly. Second, there is no paid service, form or support route that extends the window or restores data after it closes. Anyone who claims they can "undelete" a Microsoft account for a fee is not telling the truth.

Steps to reopen your account

Reopening uses the normal sign-in page; there is no separate reopen form.

Go to account.microsoft.com in your browser and select Sign in.
Enter the email address, phone number or Skype name of the closed account and its password.
Microsoft will ask where to send a security code. Choose a phone number or email that you can access right now.
Enter the code. Microsoft states that after you enter it, your account is reopened.
Check the account overview, then review your security info and subscriptions (see below).

Type the address carefully. Microsoft's sign-in pages treat different country domains, such as .com and .co.uk, as different addresses, and a single wrong letter in the name produces the same "couldn't find an account" message as a deleted account.

What comes back when you reopen

According to Microsoft, the subscriptions, profiles and content that were on the account before it was closed become available again. That explicitly includes Microsoft Rewards points, your Xbox profile gamertag, Gamerscore and purchased content. Your mailbox, OneDrive files and other data return with the account because they were never deleted during the window.

There are some exceptions to plan for:

Subscription time. Any time remaining on a subscription is still available, but you do not get back the time that passed while the account was pending closure.
Cancelled or expired subscriptions. If a subscription was cancelled outright, or its time ran out, Microsoft says you need to buy it again.
Services bought elsewhere. Subscriptions or services linked to the account but purchased from other websites may need to be reinstated with the company you originally bought them from.

When you cannot sign in to reopen

Reopening needs a successful sign-in and a security code, so a closed account combined with a forgotten password or an old phone number is a two-step problem. Fix the sign-in first, while the window is still open:

Forgotten password, codes still work: use Microsoft's sign-in helper, which Microsoft says can identify most sign-in issues and tell you what to do.
No access to any security info: fill in the account recovery form at account.live.com/acsr. Our step-by-step recovery form guide explains what to have ready, and our page on a recovery form that is not working covers declined requests.
You have a recovery code: a saved 25-character Microsoft account recovery code lets you prove ownership without waiting for a form review.

Keep an eye on the calendar while you do this. The recovery form can take days to process, and the reopen window keeps running in the meantime.

If you did not close the account yourself

An account closed without your knowledge is a strong sign that someone else had access to it. After you reopen it, treat it as a compromised account: change the password, check that every phone number and email in your security info is yours, and review the sign-in history. Our guide to recovering a hacked Microsoft account walks through those checks in order. Microsoft also notes that closing an account requires being able to sign in, and that if all sign-in verification details were recently reset, a 60-day wait applies before the account can be closed, which is one of the safeguards against exactly this kind of takeover.

If the account has already been deleted

Once the window has passed, or the account was removed after more than two years without a sign-in, Microsoft states that it can no longer be reopened. What you can do is create a new Microsoft account and rebuild from there. Purchases, Rewards points and Xbox progress tied to the deleted account do not transfer, so check whether anything important is linked to another account you still own. If you are unsure whether an address was ever a Microsoft account, Microsoft has a short article on checking that, listed in our username guide.

Avoiding accidental deletion

The simplest protection against losing an account to inactivity is to sign in now and then, for example once or twice a year. Keep your recovery phone number and second email current so that a security code always reaches you, and store a recovery code somewhere safe. If you do decide to close an account, choose the 60-day window: it costs nothing and gives you more room to reverse the decision.

A note on support and scams

Microsoft states that its support agents are not allowed to send password reset links, or to access and change account details, to protect your account. That also means nobody can reopen or restore an account for you over the phone or by remote access. Microsoft's recovery and reopen steps are free, and genuine Microsoft error and warning messages never include a phone number.

Frequently asked questions

Can you reopen a closed Microsoft account?

Yes, as long as you are still inside the reopen window you chose when you closed it. Microsoft offers either a 30-day or a 60-day window. Sign in at account.microsoft.com, enter the security code Microsoft sends you, and the account is reopened.

Can I recover a deleted Microsoft account?

Not once the reopen window has passed. Microsoft states that after the 30 or 60 days the account is permanently deleted, and its data and content are deleted under the Microsoft Services Agreement. No form or support agent can bring it back.

Why has my Microsoft account been closed or deleted?

Either someone closed it from the account settings, or it was not used for a long time. Microsoft says an account that has not been signed in to for more than two years may have been deleted, and it cannot then be reopened.

Do I get my Xbox gamertag and purchases back when I reopen?

Yes. Microsoft lists subscriptions, profiles and content that were on the account before closing, including Microsoft Rewards points, your Xbox profile gamertag, Gamerscore and purchased content.

What if I cannot sign in to reopen the account?

Reopening needs a normal sign-in plus a security code. If you have forgotten the password or cannot receive codes, use the Microsoft sign-in helper or the account recovery form first, then reopen once you are in.