If you are trying to sign into your Microsoft account but can't because you instantly get a "Your account is temporarily locked to prevent unauthorised use" message. It means that your account has been temporarily blocked while Microsoft checks that the sign-in attempt is legitimate. This can happen on any kind of Microsoft account, and it's designed to prevent bots and malicious actors from constantly brute-forcing email accounts. So follow along as we show you how to unlock your account again.
Takeaways:
- How do you get back into a locked Microsoft Account?
- How do you get back into a locked Hotmail Account?
Table of Contents
What Type of Microsoft Account Do you Have?
Before you try to fix this problem, you first need to know which kind of account you have, as the process for fixing this problem is a little different for each.
Personal Microsoft Accounts: If your email address ends in Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com, MSN.com, or is linked to Xbox or OneDrive, follow Microsoft's consumer account recovery process.
Work or School Accounts: If your account belongs to a company, university, or organisation, your IT administrator may need to remove the sign-in block or reset your password through Microsoft Entra or Microsoft 365.
How to Fix Your Account Is Temporarily Locked to Prevent Unauthorised Use on Microsoft Sign-In
Stop trying to sign in to your account, you are going to make things worse. Instead, close all Microsoft sign-in pages, Outlook windows, Office applications, Xbox prompts, and browser tabs that may be attempting to authenticate in the background. Basically, anything that you have open that is even slightly connected to your account. Then wait 10 to 15 minutes before doing anything else.
Reset Your Password
If you are using a personal Microsoft account, Microsoft's built-in recovery tools are usually the fastest solution.
- After a break, open the Microsoft sign-in page.
- Click Forgot password.
- Now complete the identity verification process using your registered email address, phone number, or another available recovery option.
- Now reset your password, and you can sign back in again.
Now Check Your Account Security
After successfully signing in, check your account activity to see why you were locked out. 99% of the time, it will be random account attacks from bots. This is why Two Factor Authentication is super important these days. If Microsoft reports suspicious activity that was not yours, change your password to something secure and safe. While you're at it, change any of the other information on your account.
Note: It's possible to lock yourself out of your own account if you use a VPN, so keep that in mind if you use a VPN sometimes.
Work or School Account Recovery
Organisation-managed accounts usually need administrator assistance to unlock. If self-service password reset is available, jump through the usual recovery process using your organisation's security information.
If you don't have this option, you'll need to contact your IT department and provide the exact lockout message. Administrators will check Microsoft Entra or Microsoft 365 settings, unblock sign-in, reset your password, and check conditional access policies or risky sign-in events. It might take a while, depending on how good your admin team is.
Use Microsoft's Recovery or Reinstatement Process
If the lock screen provides a reinstatement link or Sign in Helper, follow that process instead of submitting multiple recovery requests. Only submit one accurate recovery request and wait for Microsoft's response. Multiple conflicting submissions will delay the entire process. And as always, never share your password, verification codes, or recovery information with third-party services claiming they can unlock your Microsoft account.
