Microsoft automatically closes Hotmail accounts that have not been used in seven months, so the email address may now belong to someone else if that's what you mean by the account being old.
As to the password reset, even the old system asked for an alternative email account during registration, which is the account used to send the reset link to. If you did not provide one, or no longer have access to it, then you are indeed out of luck unless you are a paid subscriber, in which case you can prove account ownership to the customer support department.
John
i have an old windows live hotmail account.. i know the address but dont know the password. the account is old so i did not set up a secret question... also when i try to reset or change password it send the information into the accounts email i cant access!!!! what a great idea progamming genius's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so my question is how do i access this account or am i S.O.L.?????

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