Password recovery What is my profile password?

Unfortunately, if you cannot remember your profile password you are going to have to reset the password to your Microsoft account online.

To reset your Microsoft account password online, go to the Get back into your account page and follow these steps:

1. In the first text box, enter your Microsoft account.
   Note If you don't know your Microsoft account, see Find your Microsoft account email address or password.
2. In the second text box, type the characters displayed on the screen. This is to verify that you aren't a robot.
3. Click Next.

On the next screen, you'll be given the option of having a reset link sent to you by email, or having a code sent to your phone.
Choose the option that works best for you:

• Email me a reset link: Choose this option to have a reset link sent to the alternate email address that's associated with your account. When you open the password reset email, click the link to reset your password.
• Send a code to my phone: Choose this option if you have associated a phone with your account where you can receive a security code by text or voicemail. If you choose this option, you'll be asked to re-enter the last 4 digits of your phone number as an additional security measure.

What to do if you can't use any of the password reset options
If you can't use any of the password reset options, you can still access your Microsoft account by completing an online account recovery form. To do this, go to Recover your Microsoft account and follow these steps:

1. In the Email address text box, enter the email address for the Microsoft account you're trying to access.
2. In the Contact email address text box, enter acurrent email address where we can contact you.
3. In the third text box, type the characters displayed on the screen. This is to verify that you aren't a robot.
4. Click Next.

To help maintain the security of your Microsoft account, you'll be prompted for several pieces of identification information that you provided when you initially set up your account.
Tips for completing the online account recovery form

• Provide an alternate email address. Make sure you have access to this email address so that we can send your account information to you.
• Answer as many questions as you can.
• Use the information you provided when you created the account or last updated it.
• Submit the form from a computer you frequently use.
• Keep in mind that your email address may be country-specific. For example, if you created your account in Sweden, your domain would be "hotmail.co.se" instead of "hotmail.com."

After you complete the online account recovery form, you'll receive an email acknowledging that your request has been received, and you'll receive a response to that request within 24 hours (generally much sooner).
Notes

• The password reset link will expire within 24 hours of delivery, so you'll want to keep an eye out for it. If you don't receive an email, check your spam or junk folder to see if any of the account recovery emails are there.
• We highly recommend that you take a few minutes to update your account so that you can easily reset your password if you need to do so in the future. To update your security info, see "Update your Microsoft account security information " below.

Enter a new password
Once you've received an email with a password reset link, click the link in the email to reset your password.
After clicking the link, you'll be prompted to choose a new password and enter it twice. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long and should contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
If you can't reset your password
If you've gone through the online password recovery process but haven't been able to provide enough information to complete the recovery, contact Xbox Support so that we can perform a deeper investigation into your account history and see if we can complete the verification process to provide you with a password reset. This process typically takes 24 hours, but it can be delayed if we are missing any information.
When you contact Xbox Support, have the following information available:

1. The Microsoft account email address.
2. An alternate email address where we can contact you if we have questions.
3. The gamertag associated with the Xbox Live profile.
4. The reference number from the email you received from Microsoft saying we were unable to verify your identification.
5. The console ID or device ID of the console you use most often.

• If you're an Xbox 360 user, provide your 12-digit Xbox 360 console ID. You don't have to be connected to the Internet or Xbox Live to collect your console ID. To find your ID:
  • Press the Guide button in the center of your controller.
  • Navigate to Settings.
  • Select Console settings.
  • Select System info.
• If you're in the process of upgrading from Xbox 360 to Xbox One, provide your Xbox 360 console ID (see above for instructions). The more account history we can review, the better our chances of successfully recovering your account.
• If you're an Xbox One user, provide the 16-character device ID. Your console must be connected to the Internet in order to access the Xbox Live device ID. To find your ID:
  • From the Home screen, press the Menu button on the Xbox One Wireless Controller.
  • Select Settings.
  • Select System.
  • Select Console info.