How to Deactivate Hotmail Account

Hotmail is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft. It was one of the first email services to be widely available on the internet, and it remains popular today. However, some users may wish to deactivate their Hotmail account for various reasons, such as security concerns, a change in email providers, or simply a desire to declutter their online presence.

Deactivating a Hotmail account is a relatively simple process, but it is important to note that it is a permanent action. Once an account is deactivated, all emails, contacts, and other data associated with the account will be deleted and cannot be recovered. As such, it is important to carefully consider the decision to deactivate a Hotmail account and to ensure that all important data has been backed up or transferred to another account before proceeding.

If you have decided to deactivate your Hotmail account, the following steps will guide you through the process:

how to deactivate hotmail account

Follow these steps to deactivate your Hotmail account permanently:

1. Backup important data.
2. Sign in to Hotmail.
3. Click on your profile picture.
4. Select "View account".
5. Click "Close account".
6. Enter your password.
7. Click "Deactivate".
8. Confirm deactivation.
9. Wait 60 days.
10. Account permanently deleted.

Remember that deactivating your Hotmail account is a permanent action and cannot be undone. Make sure you have backed up all important data and considered the consequences before proceeding.

1. Backup important data.

Before deactivating your Hotmail account, it is essential to back up any important data or information that you wish to keep. This includes emails, contacts, calendar entries, and any other files or documents that you have stored in your Hotmail account.

There are several ways to back up your Hotmail data. One option is to use the built-in export feature in Hotmail. To do this, follow these steps:

Sign in to your Hotmail account.
Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select "Options".
Under "General", click on "Export mailbox".
Select the type of data you want to export (e.g., emails, contacts, calendar entries).
Choose a location on your computer to save the exported data.
Click on "Export".

Your Hotmail data will be exported to a .zip file, which you can then store in a safe place on your computer or external hard drive.

Another option for backing up your Hotmail data is to use a third-party backup tool. There are many different backup tools available, both free and paid. Some popular options include:

Mail Backup X
CloudFuze
Backupify
Spinbackup
GFI MailArchiver

These tools allow you to back up your Hotmail data to a variety of destinations, including your computer, an external hard drive, or a cloud storage service.

Once you have backed up your important data, you can proceed with deactivating your Hotmail account.

2. Sign in to Hotmail.

To deactivate your Hotmail account, you will need to sign in to your account.

Open a web browser and go to the Hotmail website.

You can use any web browser, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.
Enter your Hotmail email address and password.

Make sure that you enter the correct email address and password for the Hotmail account that you want to deactivate.
Click on the "Sign in" button.

Once you have entered your email address and password, click on the "Sign in" button to access your Hotmail account.
You may need to verify your identity.

If you have enabled two-factor authentication for your Hotmail account, you may be asked to provide a verification code. This code will be sent to your phone or email address.

Once you have successfully signed in to your Hotmail account, you can proceed to the next step of deactivating your account.

3. Click on your profile picture.

Once you have signed in to your Hotmail account, you will need to click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen.

Your profile picture is a small circular image that represents your account. If you have not set a profile picture, a silhouette of a person will be displayed instead.

When you click on your profile picture, a drop-down menu will appear. This menu contains various options related to your Hotmail account, including the option to deactivate your account.

In the next step, we will select the "View account" option from the drop-down menu.

4. Select "View account".

In the drop-down menu that appears when you click on your profile picture, select the "View account" option.

This will take you to your Hotmail account settings page. On this page, you can view and manage various settings related to your account, such as your personal information, security settings, and storage usage.

To deactivate your Hotmail account, you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the account settings page and click on the "Close your account" link.

In the next step, we will click on the "Close your account" link to proceed with deactivating our Hotmail account.

5. Click "Close account".

At the bottom of your Hotmail account settings page, you will find a section called "Close your account". In this section, click on the "Close your account" link.

You will be asked to confirm your decision.

A pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to close your Hotmail account. Make sure that you read the message carefully before proceeding.
Enter your password.

You will be prompted to enter your Hotmail password. This is to verify that you are the account owner and that you are authorized to close the account.
Click on the "Close account" button.

Once you have entered your password, click on the "Close account" button to proceed with deactivating your account.
Your account will be deactivated.

Once you click on the "Close account" button, your Hotmail account will be deactivated. This means that you will no longer be able to access your emails, contacts, or other data associated with the account.

In the next step, we will discuss the waiting period that is associated with deactivating a Hotmail account.

6. Enter your password.

When you click on the "Close account" link, a pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to close your Hotmail account.

Locate the password field.

In the pop-up window, you will see a field labeled "Password". This is where you need to enter your Hotmail password.
Enter your Hotmail password.

Make sure that you enter the correct password for the Hotmail account that you are trying to deactivate. If you enter the wrong password, you will not be able to proceed.
Click on the "Close account" button.

Once you have entered your password, click on the "Close account" button to proceed with deactivating your account.
Your account will be deactivated.

Once you click on the "Close account" button, your Hotmail account will be deactivated. This means that you will no longer be able to access your emails, contacts, or other data associated with the account.

It is important to note that deactivating a Hotmail account is a permanent action. Once your account is deactivated, all of your data will be deleted and cannot be recovered. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you have backed up all of your important data before proceeding.

7. Click "Deactivate".

After you have entered your Hotmail password and clicked on the "Close account" button, a final confirmation window will appear.

This window contains a warning message that informs you that deactivating your account is a permanent action and that all of your data will be deleted. It also gives you one last chance to cancel the deactivation process.

If you are sure that you want to deactivate your Hotmail account, click on the "Deactivate" button.

Once you click on the "Deactivate" button, your Hotmail account will be immediately deactivated. You will be logged out of your account and you will no longer be able to access your emails, contacts, or other data.

8. Confirm deactivation.

After you click on the "Deactivate" button in the final confirmation window, you will be asked to confirm your deactivation request.

Check your email inbox.

Microsoft will send a confirmation email to the primary email address associated with your Hotmail account.
Open the confirmation email.

Locate the confirmation email in your inbox and open it.
Click on the confirmation link.

Inside the confirmation email, you will find a link that says "Confirm account closure". Click on this link to proceed with deactivating your account.
Your account will be deactivated.

Once you click on the confirmation link, your Hotmail account will be permanently deactivated. You will no longer be able to access your emails, contacts, or other data associated with the account.

It is important to note that there is a 60-day waiting period after you deactivate your Hotmail account. During this time, you can reactivate your account by following the instructions in the confirmation email.

9. Wait 60 days.

After you have confirmed the deactivation of your Hotmail account, there is a 60-day waiting period before the account is permanently deleted.

Your account is still active during the waiting period.

During the 60-day waiting period, your Hotmail account is still technically active. This means that you can still access your emails, contacts, and other data by signing in to your account.
You can reactivate your account during the waiting period.

If you change your mind about deactivating your account, you can reactivate it during the 60-day waiting period. To do this, simply follow the instructions in the confirmation email that Microsoft sent you.
Your account will be permanently deleted after 60 days.

If you do not reactivate your account within 60 days, it will be permanently deleted. This means that all of your emails, contacts, and other data will be erased and cannot be recovered.

It is important to note that the 60-day waiting period is a safety measure to prevent accidental account deletions. If you are sure that you want to permanently delete your Hotmail account, you can contact Microsoft support to request that the waiting period be waived.

10. Account permanently deleted.

After the 60-day waiting period has elapsed, your Hotmail account will be permanently deleted. This means that all of your emails, contacts, and other data will be erased and cannot be recovered.

Your email address will be released.

Once your Hotmail account is permanently deleted, the email address associated with the account will be released. This means that someone else may be able to create a new Hotmail account with the same email address.
You will not be able to access your account or data.

After your Hotmail account is permanently deleted, you will no longer be able to access your emails, contacts, or other data. You will also not be able to sign in to your account.
You may need to update your accounts.

If you have used your Hotmail email address to sign up for other accounts, such as social media accounts or online shopping accounts, you will need to update those accounts with a new email address.

Deactivating and permanently deleting a Hotmail account is a serious action that should not be taken lightly. Before proceeding, make sure that you have backed up all of your important data and that you are aware of the consequences.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about deactivating a Hotmail account:

Question 1: What happens when I deactivate my Hotmail account?
Answer 1: When you deactivate your Hotmail account, all of your emails, contacts, and other data will be deleted. You will no longer be able to access your account or any of your data.

Question 2: Is deactivating my Hotmail account permanent?
Answer 2: Yes, deactivating your Hotmail account is permanent. Once your account is deactivated, it cannot be reactivated.

Question 3: How long do I have to wait before my Hotmail account is permanently deleted?
Answer 3: There is a 60-day waiting period after you deactivate your Hotmail account. During this time, you can reactivate your account by following the instructions in the confirmation email that Microsoft sent you. After 60 days, your account will be permanently deleted.

Question 4: What happens to my email address after my Hotmail account is deleted?
Answer 4: Once your Hotmail account is permanently deleted, the email address associated with the account will be released. This means that someone else may be able to create a new Hotmail account with the same email address.

Question 5: What should I do before deactivating my Hotmail account?
Answer 5: Before deactivating your Hotmail account, you should back up all of your important data, such as emails, contacts, and calendar entries. You should also update any accounts that are linked to your Hotmail email address with a new email address.

Question 6: Can I reactivate my Hotmail account after it has been permanently deleted?
Answer 6: No, you cannot reactivate your Hotmail account after it has been permanently deleted. All of your data will be erased and cannot be recovered.

Question 7: How can I contact Microsoft support if I have questions about deactivating my Hotmail account?
Answer 7: You can contact Microsoft support by visiting the Microsoft support website or by calling the Microsoft support phone number.

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These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions about deactivating a Hotmail account. If you have any other questions, you can contact Microsoft support for assistance.

In addition to the FAQ section, here are some additional tips for deactivating your Hotmail account:

Tips

Here are some additional tips for deactivating your Hotmail account:

Tip 1: Back up your important data.

Before you deactivate your Hotmail account, make sure that you have backed up all of your important data, such as emails, contacts, and calendar entries. You can do this by exporting your data to a PST file or by using a third-party backup tool.

Tip 2: Update your accounts.

If you have used your Hotmail email address to sign up for other accounts, such as social media accounts or online shopping accounts, you will need to update those accounts with a new email address. Otherwise, you will not be able to access those accounts.

Tip 3: Consider the consequences.

Deactivating your Hotmail account is a permanent action. Once your account is deactivated, you will not be able to reactivate it or recover any of your data. Make sure that you are fully aware of the consequences before proceeding.

Tip 4: Contact Microsoft support if you need help.

If you have any questions or problems during the deactivation process, you can contact Microsoft support for assistance. Microsoft support is available 24/7 by phone, chat, or email.

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By following these tips, you can ensure that the deactivation of your Hotmail account goes smoothly and that you do not lose any important data.

In conclusion, deactivating a Hotmail account is a serious action that should not be taken lightly. However, by following the steps and tips outlined in this article, you can ensure that the process goes smoothly and that you do not lose any important data.

Conclusion

Deactivating a Hotmail account is a permanent action that should not be taken lightly. However, there may be times when it is necessary to deactivate an account, such as when you no longer use the account or when you are concerned about security.

If you have decided to deactivate your Hotmail account, it is important to follow the steps outlined in this article carefully. First, you should back up all of your important data, such as emails, contacts, and calendar entries. Then, you should update any accounts that are linked to your Hotmail email address with a new email address.

Once you have taken these steps, you can proceed with deactivating your account. To do this, you will need to sign in to your Hotmail account and click on your profile picture. Then, select "View account" and click on the "Close account" link. You will be asked to enter your password and confirm your decision to deactivate your account.

After you have confirmed your decision, your Hotmail account will be deactivated. There is a 60-day waiting period before the account is permanently deleted. During this time, you can reactivate your account by following the instructions in the confirmation email that Microsoft sent you.

If you do not reactivate your account within 60 days, it will be permanently deleted. This means that all of your emails, contacts, and other data will be erased and cannot be recovered.

Closing Message

Deactivating a Hotmail account is a serious decision. Before proceeding, make sure that you have carefully considered the consequences and that you have backed up all of your important data.

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