Inactive email linked to my account

Hello RORY ABBOTT,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.



We understand that you are trying to recover your Microsoft account. Should you have known the password and the email of your Microsoft account, you can definitely sign into any Microsoft services. However, due to your email service being inactive you may be unable to verify your identity.

In that case, we would like to set your expectation, Microsoft account recovery is managed by a completely automated server, and we do not have manual access to it. Microsoft takes the security and privacy of our customers very seriously. We are committed to protecting your personal information, and the meticulous account recovery process is intended to protect you from any possible malicious activity. For now, please allow me to do the best I can to help you with the process.

There are two ways to recover your account: reset your password and fill out the account recovery form. These two ways will require the account security information. The lesser the security information the slimmer the chance to recover the account.

For more details, we recommend you the following:

• Fill out the form using a recognized device and location.
  
• Use a working email to recover the account.
  
• Should you have been adding your credentials on your browser or notes, please review it and make sure to add it on the forms for account recovery.
  
• Provide those details about Skype and Xbox console.
  
• You may submit up to two times per day for account recovery.
  

If you are ready for the account recovery, please proceed to this form - Account recovery form.



Account recovery is in your hands, we hope you will be able to access it back.



Sincerely,



Microsoft Community Moderator

Good day!



We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link: Create a new question (microsoft.com).



Thank you for your understanding.


Respectfully,



Microsoft Community Moderator

The real account associated with your email is the one that appears in the link I gave you, i.e. the one that was recently generated.

It is likely that your previous account has been blocked for inactivity, this happens when there is 2 years of inactivity.

Hey there Broom. Deactivating your email won't unlink your gamertag from that email. All it does it make your gamertag now linked to an inactive email. My advice would be for your friend to get his/her email account back (do a password reset or something
to get a new password). Then you can log into your account and change the email attached to your gamertag to the email of your choice.

No waste of time at all, happy to assist.