Hi l b,
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum
Thank you for reaching out regarding the difficulty you re experiencing with recovering your Hotmail account. I understand how concerning it can be to lose access, especially when the system reports that the account "cannot be found."
This message typically appears for one of the following reasons:
- Account Inactivity: If the account has not been used for over two years, it may have been permanently deleted due to inactivity.
- Typo or Incorrect Email: Please double-check the spelling of the email address you are entering.
- Migration Issues: Some older Hotmail accounts were migrated to Outlook.com. If applicable, try signing in using an @outlook.com variation.
Steps You Can Try:
- Visit Microsoft Sign-In Helperto check if the account exists and explore recovery options
- If the account is recognized, use the Account Recovery Form to submit a recovery request. Be sure to include as much accurate information as possible.
- If the account has been deleted, unfortunately, it cannot be restored. In that case, creating a new Microsoft account may be necessary.
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Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks