Note: If you forgot your account info and had to reset your security info, you must wait 60 days before closing your account.

Important: You don't need to remove old security information unless there is an account security risk (e.g. someone else has access to your old mailbox).

Notes: Meeting recordings won't capture whiteboards, annotations, shared notes or content shared in the stage view by apps, and also won't include videos or animations embedded in PowerPoint Live presentations.

Why accounts are locked and disabled. Microsoft accounts are usually locked if the account holder has violated our Microsoft Services Agreement.Here are some common reasons why accounts are locked, though not all account locks occur for these reasons:

Tip: If you're a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscriber you get Microsoft Defender, our advanced security software for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, as part of your subscription.Learn more at Getting started with Microsoft Defender.

An upgrade differs from an update in that it moves your PC from a previous version of Windows—such as Windows 10—to Windows 11. This FAQ is intended to answer questions about upgrading to Windows 11.

Info for Windows Insiders. If you’re an Insider and the current preview build isn’t working for you, select Start > Settings > System > Recovery .Next to Go back , select Go back.This won’t remove your personal files, but it’ll remove recently installed apps and drivers, and change settings back to their defaults.

If you try to add an IMAP account to Outlook, for example a Gmail account, Apple account, Yahoo account, or an account from your local ISP, and you're not prompted to enter your password, use the following steps to work around the problem.

Microsoft support is here to help you with Microsoft products. Find how-to articles, videos, and training for Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft 365, Windows, Surface, and more.

At Microsoft, we're guided by our AI principles, our Responsible AI Standard, and decades of research on AI, grounding, and privacy-preserving machine learning.Data privacy and security is a key principle of responsible AI. We aim to help our customers use our AI products responsibly, sharing our learnings, and building trust-based partnerships.