Important: Microsoft accounts, the Windows operating system, and other Microsoft products include passwords to help secure your information.This article provides some options that you can use to reset or recover your password if you forget it. Be aware that, if these options don’t work, Microsoft support can't help you retrieve or circumvent a lost or forgotten password.

Alternate command key. What it does. Help. Opens the Help system (if any) for the active window. Undo. Cancels the previous action. Redo. Cancels the previous Undo action.

When you need to protect the privacy of an email message, encrypt it. Encrypting an email message in Outlook means it's converted from readable plain text into scrambled cipher text.

Using Authenticator as a way to sign in. If you have turned on passwordless, two-step, or multi-factor authentication for your account, use the following steps to sign-in:

Notes: You don't need a smartphone to receive a security code. Text messages may come from either "MSFT", a short number, or a mobile number.If you have requested a security code, you can trust the message that arrives.

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Having a backup copy of your BitLocker recovery key helps to prevent serious issues later. It takes less than a minute to back up your key and this article will show you how.

Important: If you turn on two-step verification, you will always need two forms of identification.This means that if you forget your password, you need two contact methods. Or if you lose your contact method, your password alone won't get you back into your account—and it can take you 30 days to regain access.

Missed activity emails. In the Missed activity emails section, you’re able to set the frequency of summary emails detailing your missed activity, or turn this feature off.. Chats and channels notifications. Notifications for chats and channels can be managed at a granular level, allowing you to customize your notifications to your personal work style.

If you can't sign into your Microsoft account, most issues can be identified by our sign-in helper tool. The tool will ask you to enter the email address or mobile phone number you're trying to sign in with and check the details you provide.