How to Delete My Hotmail Account

Windows Live Hotmail has more than 370 million users worldwide.

As times and circumstance change, you may want to delete an old email account because you no longer use it anymore. Windows Live Hotmail, which is owned by the Microsoft Corporation, has a direct and simple way to cancel and delete your old or unused email accounts with just a few clicks of your mouse. To delete your account, you must have access to the account by having the exact email address and associated account password.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet connection
• Hotmail user name and password

Instructions

Deleting Your Hotmail Account

1. Log into the Hotmail account that you wish to delete by visiting www.hotmail.com and entering your user name and password into the appropriate fields.

2. Choose the "options" tab from the top right corner of the main Hotmail account screen. From the drop-down menu, choose "more options."

3. Under the words "Manage Your Account," choose "view and edit your personal information." The account page will then be displayed.

4. Choose "close account" under the "additional options" list on the bottom left corner of the screen.

5. Follow the instructions at the resulting prompt to close your account. Once completed, your Hotmail account will be closed.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not know the password that is associated with your Hotmail account, you can choose the "Forgot Your Password?" link on the main Windows Live Hotmail log-in screen. You will be able to answer personal questions and your password will be emailed to you at an alternate email account.

• Some email services delete inactive accounts that have been unused for several months or years. If you haven't accessed your Hotmail account in several years and are unable to log in, it is possible that your account was already deleted due to inactivity.

• Closing your Hotmail account will also close associated Windows Live account features, such as Windows Live Messenger. If you still want to use Windows Live Messenger, it is best that you do not close the associated Hotmail email account.

References

• Windows Live Hotmail