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.

Step-by-Step: Recovering Your Microsoft Account with aka.ms/accountrecovery

Updated October 15, 2026.

Losing access to your Microsoft account can happen to anyone - forgotten passwords, a lost phone, a hacked mailbox. The short link aka.ms/accountrecovery leads to Microsoft's free recovery form at account.live.com/acsr. Here's how to use it effectively.

Before you start

Microsoft recommends trying its sign-in helper first, because the form can take a long time to complete and the helper can often restore access faster. The helper is linked from Microsoft's help with the recovery form page. Use the form when you cannot use any of the phone numbers, emails or apps on your account.

Also note: if two-step verification is turned on and you cannot use any alternate verification method, Microsoft says it cannot restore access through the form. Work or school accounts are handled by your organization instead - see aka.ms/sspr.

Filling in the form

1. Head to aka.ms/accountrecovery in your browser. Check that you are redirected to account.live.com before typing anything (our guide on opening the link safely explains what to look for).
2. Enter your account email, phone number or Skype name. If you don't remember it, Microsoft has a separate page for recovering a forgotten username.
3. Provide a working contact email that Microsoft can reply to - this must not be the account you are recovering. A friend's or relative's address works, or you can create a free Outlook.com address.
4. Answer the questions with as much detail as possible: your name as it appears on the account, birth date, the country where the account was created, old passwords, other email addresses or phone numbers linked to the account, contacts you emailed, exact subject lines of recent emails, and Xbox details if applicable.
5. Submit the form and watch the contact mailbox, including its junk and spam folders.
6. If approved, follow the instructions in Microsoft's reply to reset your password. If not, you can try again, up to two times per day.

Tips that improve your chances

• Use a familiar device and location. Microsoft suggests filling in the form on a device you have used with the account before, from a place where you normally use it.
• Guess rather than leave blanks. Microsoft says guessing is acceptable and wrong answers do not count against you.
• Check saved passwords. Your browser or password manager may still hold an old password for the account.
• Find device IDs for Xbox. On a console, Settings > System > Console info shows the Xbox network device ID that the form can use.
• Don't resubmit the same answers. Microsoft's guidance notes ask you not to send repeat submissions unless you have new information.

If your request has already been declined, our guide on what to do when the recovery form is not working goes through each common cause.

After you get back in

Once recovered, add an up-to-date phone number and a second email, set up two-step verification (see our MFA setup guide), and generate a Microsoft account recovery code to keep somewhere safe. With those in place you should not need the form again.

Frequently asked questions

Which email should I give as the contact address?

Any working mailbox you can open today that is not the account you are recovering. Microsoft says a friend's or relative's address is fine, or you can create a free Outlook.com address.

How soon will Microsoft reply?

Microsoft's help page says within 24 hours; its guidance notes say a reply may take up to 5 working days. Check the contact mailbox, including junk and spam.

What if my request is declined?

You can try again, up to two times per day, but only resubmit when you have new or better information. See our guide to a recovery form that is not working.

Source: Microsoft Support - Help with the Microsoft account recovery form.