Solved Outlook security prevents access.

Window 11 Home 24H2.

I have a major problem (created by me?) whereby I can no longer get into Outlook. Provide a recovery email address – don’t have another one. Provide telephone number doesn’t work as the only one I have is what is held by MS.

W11 came with Outlook pinned in Start, which I unpinned otherwise I was straight into email without signing in. Set as a favourite link in Edge as Sign in to your Microsoft account to get Sign In window which worked for weeks. Today I clicked on link I am back to straight into Outlook without signing in!

Did something (?) on W11 PC (local a/c) which appears to be synch with W10 PC (local a/c) and cannot access on either PC. Made a restore point a few days back on W10 PC, would that resolve the problem?

Help. Thank you.

jw05 said:

I have a major problem (created by me?) whereby I can no longer get into Outlook. Provide a recovery email address – don’t have another one. Provide telephone number doesn’t work as the only one I have is what is held by MS.

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Have you tried adding Microsoft Authenticator to your Mobile phone as a 2fa login method?

if you download and add the App to your phone, you can add your Microsoft Account via the app and also setup security features. This should override what you are currently experiencing. I am not 100 percent sure as I added mine a long time ago



Alternatively, you could create another Outlook email account, you don’t need to use it but they can be reliant on each other for verification reasons etc


As for the auto log in; I believe I read that Microsoft by default, now keeps you logged in to your Microsoft Account online. I don’t know if I read it in here and if I did, cant remember which news article it was. I also can’t remember how to turn it off.

I’ll try to find it.

Now, the default behavior is to keep you logged in unless you actively choose to sign out; this means you should not be prompted to re-enter your credentials every time you access your inbox, as long as you have the "Keep me signed in" option enabled in your account settings.

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Short look online:

Key points about staying logged into Outlook online:

• "Keep me signed in" option:
  When you log in to Outlook online, you will usually see a checkbox labeled "Keep me signed in" which, when ticked, will automatically keep you logged in for a prolonged period.
  
  
• Managing your settings:
  If you want to change this behavior, you can access your account settings within Outlook to adjust the "Keep me signed in" option.

Thanks antspants.

I’m low tech, don’t use a mobile phone. I did create a recovery email, cannot remember what I actually did, but got to a point where a small window came up asking for the last four digits of my phone number including the last 2 it displayed, which I did, then got a window asking for a code. Thought this may have been sent to newly created a/c, but nothing. Gave up. This morning logged into email as usual Sign In – Password, remain signed in - NO. Attachment shows page which came up showing my MS account. At bottom LH clicked on link takes me into Hotmail. Logging into the new email also shows the MS account page.

Could this be tied up with what you say about keeping you signed in, despite clicking on NO?

When I sign out of Hotmail the MS account page remains open with no obvious Sign Out other than closing the window.

Hi there.

There should be a “Sign Out” when you click on your profile image at the top right of your account page at live .com

jw05 said:

then got a window asking for a code

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Did you perhaps get a text?

The security alert I think was triggered by me choosing to Sign In – a mistake. If a text was sent I have no way of seeing it, no mobile and home phone does not have text facility.

The Sign In steps are ‘normal’, except now there is an extra step via your MS A/C. In my previous screenshot I was befuddled and didn’t think to click on Reject Cookies, just clicked on Open Outlook.com. Now having rejected Cookies the full Window is seen with JW Sign Out, as you said, top RH to close MS a/c Home.

As you will notice I have done this in W10, cannot say I like W11!

Many thanks antspants for your help.