The definite solution for Hotmail error “your account has been blocked” #hotmail #microsoft #msn

Last Thursday I tried to login to my Hotmail account, I logged in but I got the famous error message “your account has been blocked”, the error indicated that my account has been used to send spam email and Hotmail team decided to block my account.

I was so shocked as I am using a very solid and complex password and I am so fanatic when it comes to my own security.

I tried to recover the account using the available method by sending the verification code to my alternate email account, I got the code successfully on my alternate email account, verified my account but when I login I get the same error.

I searched on the internet and found that I must go through the recovery process, same as forgotten password, I tried but that didn’t work although I passed the process successfully by sending the password recovery link to my alternate account.

the last resort was to shoot an email on the MVP private DL asking for the help, and I didn’t get disappointed as I got the instructions that helped me to recover my account from “David Bjurman-Birr – MCA Sn. Program Manager” so all of the credit goes to him.

to restore your account, and from what I understood from his email and my experience that it looks that account verification using the code will not work with most of the cases it might work but this will not work with most of the users, additionally the code must be sent using a carrier that is located in the US so you cannot use this method if you are located outside the US.

To recover your account, you have to go through the account recover process “as if you lost the password” but don’t use the answer the security question method or send recovery link, you will need to use the customer support method:

in the above screen you will have to use the “reset your password method” , then enter your email and the verification code that you will get then you will get the following screen:

once you get the above screen, don’t use the email me a reset link, or answer the security question, you MUST go to the customer support option.

when you choose the customer support option you will get a form that asks you for the blocked email account and to enter an additional email account where the reset link will be sent. enter your blocked hotmail account and another valid email to get the reset link on it and clock next.

in the next form you will get a lengthy form that asks you a lot of questions that validate your ownership of the account, before answering the form get prepared by reading more information below:

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Please note that this flow asks for a lot of detailed information so that even if a hacker has changed the password, alternate email address, information to validate your family member as the account owner. For example: ISP, IP addresses for each computer that has been used to access the account, date/time of last successful log-in, folder names, contact names, mail subjects, etc. will help Support establish your friend as the account owner.

Here is some helpful information that may help you and your friend:

We take account security seriously and passing the validation process can be difficult but agents have to be very strict in the information they accept. They cannot tell you which items you may have answered correctly or missed, they only respond with a pass or fail. This is done to prevent hackers from using support to socially engineer their way into access.

The secret to passing the validation process is to provide as much information as possible. For questions that have multiple answers, like names of Hotmail folders, Hotmail and Messenger contacts, subjects of old e-mails, etc. provide 3 to 5 answers instead of 1. If the postal code could be one of 2 or 3, provide all of them. Provide precise information. Don’t say you have Facebook e-mail give the exact text ‘Facebook Notification – Friend request from John Doe.’ The more information and the more accurate you are with it the more likely you are to pass validation.

If the account has been hacked and information changed then agents validate the account based on the information associated with the account prior to the compromise so customers should use the information they believe they had associated with the account even if they know it has been changed.

Finally, if an agents responds that validation failed then add more information to the existing thread instead of creating a new one, this will allow agents to aggregate the provided data, which they can’t do across multiple threads.

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you will be asked about your first name, last name, ZIP or postal address, country and city, additionaly you will be asked to provide 5 folders names that you created inside your account, and enter the subject of 5 emails you recently sent, and 5 contacts you recently contacted and Xbox purchase information if you used your hotmail account in Xbox purchases.

please note that answering the form accurately and correctly is very essential to successfully unblock your account otherwise you will be able to do it.

once customer support receive your request, they will validate it and if it is correctly answered you will receive a link to reset your password, enter a new password and once done login and your account will be activated again…..

again, this is what have worked for me, please note that this might not work with you for various reasons, and if something worked with you please share it here for the benefit of the community.