Toward the bottom of the page, you’ll see an option for “more security options.” Click that option. Access the security pageįrom the home page, click on the security page. You should do this on a computer or a mobile browser, not on a mobile app. To close the account, you need to sign in. Closing your Hotmail account will also affect your Microsoft account, so make sure you close up shop and that you’re comfortable with deleting all information associated with your Hotmail address. If you use Microsoft applications, your Hotmail account probably links to your Microsoft account, since the company owns it.
Update all associated accountsĪny accounts you have that use the Hotmail email address must be updated and given a new email address for contact and subscription purposes. Ready to delete your Hotmail account? Keep in mind that once you do, you can’t access other products and services associated with the account. » MORE: Easy as 1-2-3, make an online will in minutes. Not necessarily the same as closure, since Microsoft can reactivate it, but at least you don’t have to worry about an empty account quite as much. On the upside, if it’s been more than a year and your account remains unused, Microsoft will automatically deactivate your account. If you can access it, then you can reset your password, log back in, and successfully shut it down. If it’s your Hotmail address and you can't access it, then you’re out of luck.
The password reset will send an email to the email address on file. If you didn’t choose a secondary email for your Hotmail account, then this solution is a bit like going in circles. For this to occur, however, you need to have access to the contact email that you used to set up your Hotmail account. The option available is to reset your password.
You can delete your Hotmail account without a password - with a catch. Whether you want to delete your Microsoft account, close your old Hotmail account, or shut down nearly any other email-based account, you may find success even if you don’t have your password. You may have had the email from that account redirected, but trying to conjure up your old password can become next to impossible. Then one day, as you’re going through old files or paperwork, something reminds you of the old account.
Can You Delete an Old Hotmail Account Without a Password?Įveryone seems to have email accounts that were set up years ago, long since forgotten. We have a post-loss checklist that will help you ensure that your loved one's family, estate, and other affairs are taken care of. Post-planning tip: If you are the executor for a deceased loved one, handling their unfinished business like closing accounts can be overwhelming without a way to organize your process.
Doing so ensures your private information stays private and you won’t stay awake at night wondering if someone will access your account without you knowing it.
Rather than leaving these defunct accounts open and accessible to hackers, you may want to learn how to delete a Hotmail account entirely.