In 1995, Jack Smith and Sabeer Bhatia launched a free online mail service known as Hotmail (with the capital H, T, M, and L as a nod to HTML). Microsoft acquired the company in December 1997. By 2001, Hotmail had amassed a user base exceeding 100 million. Presently, Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail) and various other Microsoft products are accessible for free with a Microsoft account.
However, users often wonder if they can access their old Hotmail accounts for signing in. No need to fret; this guide will walk you through accessing your old Hotmail account and the sign-in process. Let’s begin with the steps for signing in to your old Hotmail account.
Why Does the Hotmail Account Get Locked?
If your Hotmail account is a decade old, there’s a possibility it might have already been deleted. Microsoft’s policy dictates that an inactive Hotmail account can be automatically deleted if it remains inactive for five years.
According to Microsoft’s terms, Hotmail accounts that have seen no activity or logins within a five-year period might be subject to deletion. Consequently, the restoration of these expired Hotmail accounts may no longer be feasible. However, if you believe there’s a chance to recover it, the steps provided below might assist you in attempting recovery.
How To Know If My Old Hotmail Account is Active?
Determining the status of your old Hotmail account’s activity isn’t a complicated process, as Outlook has evolved from Hotmail’s era. To verify the status:
Begin by visiting the official Outlook website via your desktop browser.
Attempt signing in using your old Hotmail account ID and password.
If your account remains active, you’ll successfully access your old Hotmail account through the Outlook interface. However, if your account has been inactive for an extended period, it might be disabled, prompting the need to create a new account. The duration of inactivity could influence whether access to the old account is still viable or if a new one needs to be established.
Old Hotmail Sign In | Find Account
As previously mentioned, accessing and signing in to your old Hotmail account is outlined. But the primary concern is how to locate your old Hotmail account. Here’s a guide to help you in this process:
- Access the Recovery page for the account.
- Complete the form displayed by providing the Hotmail address, phone number, or name, along with the contact email address.
- Complete the captcha verification and proceed by clicking the next button.
- A verification code will be sent to your registered email ID. Enter the code and click Verify.
- Answer any requested questions and click the next button.
- Fill in the relevant details in the form and click next.
Should the information provided in the form suffice, you should regain access to your old Hotmail account. Otherwise, if the details aren’t sufficient, regaining access to your Hotmail account might be challenging or even impossible.
From Author’s Desk – Old Hotmail Sign In
If you’ve successfully recovered your old Hotmail account and regained access, we recommend utilizing the account regularly. Should the account remain inactive for an extended period of 2-3 years, it may face automatic disablement and removal from the Outlook servers. Consistent usage is therefore crucial to maintain the account’s accessibility.
This sums up the process of recovering an old Hotmail account and signing in. We trust this guide has been beneficial. Should you require further information regarding this guide, please feel free to comment below and let us know. We’re here to assist!