Good luck kazzmo. I am sorry you are going through this. Is it possible the account was closed because you never used it (as opposed to hacked)? You know, like a dormant bank account can get closed at some point.

I know nothing about this kind of thing, just throwing it out there.

It might change if they decided an auto-logout after a certain amount of time would be more "secure."
As for where to look, I'd have to Google it.

OK thanks Jenny. No need for you to do that. I'll look around some more but won't worry about it unless it keeps happening. If that's the case and I still can't find it, I'll ask for your help. I had only been on-line for a few minutes when it happened.

Jenny 100, If it is not okay to show this post, please delete. I just thought it was interesting. When you start typing my email address at Microsoft account the auto complete shows these letters and number(LXS5W) in front of my email address.

Interesting, Kazz... Sounds more and more fishy that someone has hacked your account for sure. I just wish you could get some support from MS about it. You never answered... were you ever able to get to the Support page where you don't have to sign in with a MS Live account? I've actually gotten some help there.

Draclvr, I have gotten to support without signing in to MS. One page has me to fill out the email and the first line of email sent. Since I very seldom send an email, this is difficult and MS tells me I not supplied enough information to true I am me, Skype ID and another email address this account was tied to in the past. The other site tells me I am over the limit in attempts to get a "code", even when I have just tried once that day. You can only try once and then you have to wait at least 24 hours before you can try again. This has affected my Outlook email also, it will not list your mail when you click on the envelope. You have to sign into Outlook, put in password, then you can see your Outlook mail. I wonder if I can simply close this account, I am going to try and believe me, if I ever get this fixed I will not have another MS account. This has taught me a lesson about MS.

Well that's obviously because the hackers are playing with it. Maybe there is more than one hacker and they are having a contest.


Is this an automated message or did you get through to a real person?

Where are all these over-the-limit attempts to get a code being sent? To your phone or email or to the hacker's phone or email?

Do you have any kind of proof of purchase for the Bioshock game or the Footsteps app? It seems to me those would be better proof than knowing the first two lines of some random email (that may have been sent by the hacker).

Jenny100, The message that tells me I have not supplied enough information is an email. The over-the-limit message is on the support site. I have no receipts. Microsoft does not keep track of the games, just want you to sign in to Windows Live to play, which I can not do since it is part of Microsoft Account. I sincerely hope that none of the other Boomers have their Microsoft account hacked, because Microsoft will not help you.

One other resource may be the Microsoft forums. I have actually gotten excellent help there - far better than from MS itself.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/sear...ypeScope=#////1

None of those really helps you, but if you create an account there, you can ask your new question. I'm not holding my breath though.

So no telling if you got through to a live person, and very likely you didn't.

Jenny100, Oh Jenny100, but I did. I talked to two different people. First one hung up on me after I explained my problems. The second person, whom I could not understand and would not let me get a word in edge wise hung up as well. They either do not know how to help or do not want to be bothered. It is really a mess and they do not want to take the time. I curse the day I signed up for this account.

Draclvr, I have been to that site. You have to be able to sign into your account and I can not sign in to my account.

Or possibly they're the ones who hacked your account.
Wouldn't surprise me.

I guess you can try filing a complaint at the Better Business Bureau.

EDIT...

Looks like How-To Geek had something similar happen to his Skype account, and he thinks it was Skype "support" that gave the hacker access.

https://www.howtogeek.com/236350/how-to-geeks-skype-account-got-hacked-and-skype-support-wont-help/

I just tried to use the "Support Assistant."

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus/

I typed in Microsoft Live Account Hacked and the "assistant" took me through a few steps up to a point where it asked if I wanted to recover my account. Don't know if it will help, but might be worth a shot.

Draclvr, Thank you for the link. That is one of many I have tried, but I will try again.

Hello, I do not know how I did it, but I got back into my MS account. I tried several times and it has worked every time. That does not mean it will work tomorrow. I am really thinking about closing the account. I will loose Outlook mail and all the MS apps., but I never used them much anyway. I do listen to iHeart radio some. Do you guys with Windows 10 use those apps? I would like to have two emails, have gmail now. Can anyone suggest another good email? I would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

Since you are "in," what I would do is enable two step authentication. I really do like some of the apps... dearly love the Mail app, the Weather app, and the Calendar app. I don't use the Mail app for my email, but I monitor 6 different email accounts for our American Legion and it makes it so easy to see at a glance if there is an email I need to forward to the appropriate person.

http://www.intowindows.com/enable-two-step-verification-on-outlook-com-live-hotmail-msn-account/

Draxlvr, Have you or any of the Boomers had trouble with your apps. stop working? I had this problem in May and they have stopped again. It may be due this time to my other problem. I used your link and set up the two-step-verification. Thank you.

Good to hear you got back in and good luck with it going forwards kazzmo!

No, I've never had my apps stop working. I use Outlook.com for a couple of different things and it works just fine as do all of the rest of the apps. But then, I've never had the issues you are talking about.

It's up to you if you want to keep the account.
But you know how bad their "support" is when you have a problem.
I wouldn't want anything to do with them, but it's up to you.

Did you ever get access to your Bioshock game?
Do you need the account to play it?

Jenny100, I want to thank all of you that have been helping me. I am really having a problem deciding what to do with this mess. Part of me wants to just chuck MS account and all the apps. with it. I wish I had someone that I could talk with about the pros and cons. I wish I did not have all this stuff on my computer, but since I have it, I want it to work. Bioshocks plays fine now, enjoying the replay.

I'd be torn too - I like some of the stuff, but their support is non-existent. One would think they would WANT people to be able to use their services and do everything possible to help you get your account back.

Maybe just live with it for awhile and see what happens.