If you keep clicking "try another way" on the recovery form after putting the email address in there and clicking Next, you should eventually get to a question you can figure out, e.g. "When did...
If you keep clicking "try another way" on the recovery form after putting the email address in there and clicking Next, you should eventually get to a question you can figure out, e.g. "When did you create this Google Account?" But failing that, the final option should be entering another email address where they can contact you later (which IIRC typically involves them asking you some other basic questions, like "do you remember any of the email addresses you sent outgoing email to from that account", "can you remember the contents of a specific email you received", etc.).
Outside the official means; Have you stored the password in a browser at any point? Often times you can access the password cache in them to recover them. If you can, and how to do that depends entirely on the browser you used though.
Like I just told swiftestcat, I can't find anything like that. I keep trying and hoping something like that will turn up, but it never does. I know all about that trick. I've even suggested it to...
If you keep clicking "try another way" on the recovery form you should eventually get to a question you can figure out, e.g. "When did you create this Google Account?".
Like I just told swiftestcat, I can't find anything like that. I keep trying and hoping something like that will turn up, but it never does.
Outside the official means; Have you stored the password in a browser at any point?
I know all about that trick. I've even suggested it to other people in /r/Help when they forgot their Reddit password.
However, I've installed a new operating system on my computer since I created that Gmail account. Everything I didn't deliberately save from before that installation is now gone - including this password.
When pressing "Try Another Way" did you eventually get to the one with this option? https://i.imgur.com/eWcqJSk.png If you enter another email address (prob best to use the recovery one you...
If you enter another email address (prob best to use the recovery one you mentioned having been linked to it), they will contact you with further instructions.
I have tried the 'Try Another Way' option. It asks me for a best-guess at the password, then asks me a security question (which I'm pretty sure I never provided answers for back in the day), then...
I have tried the 'Try Another Way' option. It asks me for a best-guess at the password, then asks me a security question (which I'm pretty sure I never provided answers for back in the day), then sends me a verification code to my recovery email address... and then tells me that they can't verify I own this account.
I've tried that a few times in the past few minutes, and now I'm being asked to complete CAPTCHAs. Obviously, their algorithms have flagged me as a bot or hacker.
And this is the same process I've been through every time I try to recover this account.
Hmmm. IIRC, if your account hasn't been accessed in 9 months then google has the right to (and usually does) delete it. And if it was a common/desirable username then someone else may have...
then asks me a security question (which I'm pretty sure I never provided answers for back in the day)
Hmmm. IIRC, if your account hasn't been accessed in 9 months then google has the right to (and usually does) delete it. And if it was a common/desirable username then someone else may have re-registered it in the mean time, which might explain why you're having such difficulty with the security questions. If it hasn't been 9 months, the account may have also been compromised at some point too which could also explain that discrepancy.
If either is the case then I don't really know what you can do about it since AFAIK there is no direct support contact available with google regarding gmail... only Google Drive and G Suite/Cloud. But another option you may have is trying to contact them via the Google Groups Help Forum for Gmail... although, in my experience, the ability of users there to assist you in any meaningful way is incredibly limited and there is virtually no official representative presence there... you just have to hope a google employee spots your post and decides to try to help you. :(
The account names are retired to protect the original owners from the possibility of identity theft or other malicious behavior if the wrong people were to obtain the old email addresses. Unfortunately, however, Google has no way of validating who the previous owners of the accounts were after all information about the accounts is deleted, which makes it impossible for Google to safely reactivate the account names for the original owners, too.
I know for a fact you can do it on hotmail, since I actually did so not that long ago in order to recover an old Everquest account I lost access to when the hotmail address attached to it was...
I know for a fact you can do it on hotmail, since I actually did so not that long ago in order to recover an old Everquest account I lost access to when the hotmail address attached to it was deleted by MS. But that's good to know google prevents that (or not so good in some cases). Thanks!
It was an account I used mostly for signing up to websites, rather than for sending or receiving emails, so I didn't access it frequently. I have sometimes wondered if someone hacked it and took...
It was an account I used mostly for signing up to websites, rather than for sending or receiving emails, so I didn't access it frequently.
I have sometimes wondered if someone hacked it and took control of it, but it's not likely: it wasn't an easy-to-guess password, and it's not a desirable name.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. It always sucks when you permanently lose access to old accounts (even if you only wanted them back just for nostalgia's sake... e.g. my old ICQ account). :(
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. It always sucks when you permanently lose access to old accounts (even if you only wanted them back just for nostalgia's sake... e.g. my old ICQ account). :(
Unless you're paying for something, it's essentially impossible to contact Google directly for anything. Even if you've bought something, they still try pretty hard to hide the contact page away...
Unless you're paying for something, it's essentially impossible to contact Google directly for anything. Even if you've bought something, they still try pretty hard to hide the contact page away (there's a small button in the top-right of the support page, but it only shows up if you follow a particular link to the page!)
I can't find it!!! I've been looking and looking and looking. Every few months or so, I go back to the account and try the sign-in process again, hoping that somewhere at the end of it there'll be...
There’s usually an option to contact support
I can't find it!!! I've been looking and looking and looking. Every few months or so, I go back to the account and try the sign-in process again, hoping that somewhere at the end of it there'll be a screen that says "You're really not getting anywhere with this. Would you like to contact us directly?" But I haven't seen anything like that at all, ever. :(
Try going to one of their websites, either google.com or mail.google.com and search around for a 'contact us' or similar section. I make it a rule to not go on any Google websites except for...
Try going to one of their websites, either google.com or mail.google.com and search around for a 'contact us' or similar section. I make it a rule to not go on any Google websites except for YouTube due to privacy concerns, so I can't find where exactly it is.
Google is known to be extremely hard to get in touch with (if you aren't buying ad space, of course). When I had issues with my google account, I couldn't find any contact either - they have no...
Google is known to be extremely hard to get in touch with (if you aren't buying ad space, of course). When I had issues with my google account, I couldn't find any contact either - they have no desire to waste time on free customers. There are plenty horrifying stories from android developers whose accounts were terminated for dump reasons (if your account is banned, all connected accounts are banned as well - this chains nicely). One of many stories.
That is very frustrating. Your best bet may be to start a thread on Gmail's forum. My understanding is that support issues are sometimes opened there (to mixed results it seems)....
That is very frustrating. Your best bet may be to start a thread on Gmail's forum. My understanding is that support issues are sometimes opened there (to mixed results it seems).
If you keep clicking "try another way" on the recovery form after putting the email address in there and clicking Next, you should eventually get to a question you can figure out, e.g. "When did you create this Google Account?" But failing that, the final option should be entering another email address where they can contact you later (which IIRC typically involves them asking you some other basic questions, like "do you remember any of the email addresses you sent outgoing email to from that account", "can you remember the contents of a specific email you received", etc.).
Outside the official means; Have you stored the password in a browser at any point? Often times you can access the password cache in them to recover them. If you can, and how to do that depends entirely on the browser you used though.
Like I just told swiftestcat, I can't find anything like that. I keep trying and hoping something like that will turn up, but it never does.
I know all about that trick. I've even suggested it to other people in /r/Help when they forgot their Reddit password.
However, I've installed a new operating system on my computer since I created that Gmail account. Everything I didn't deliberately save from before that installation is now gone - including this password.
When pressing "Try Another Way" did you eventually get to the one with this option?
https://i.imgur.com/eWcqJSk.png
If you enter another email address (prob best to use the recovery one you mentioned having been linked to it), they will contact you with further instructions.
edit: Or did you mean you can't find the "try another way" option at all? Maybe the gmail specific one doesn't have it, but the google accounts recovery form should:
https://accounts.google.com/signin/v2/recoveryidentifier?hl=en&flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin
I have tried the 'Try Another Way' option. It asks me for a best-guess at the password, then asks me a security question (which I'm pretty sure I never provided answers for back in the day), then sends me a verification code to my recovery email address... and then tells me that they can't verify I own this account.
I've tried that a few times in the past few minutes, and now I'm being asked to complete CAPTCHAs. Obviously, their algorithms have flagged me as a bot or hacker.
And this is the same process I've been through every time I try to recover this account.
(I'm off to bed now.)
Hmmm. IIRC, if your account hasn't been accessed in 9 months then google has the right to (and usually does) delete it. And if it was a common/desirable username then someone else may have re-registered it in the mean time, which might explain why you're having such difficulty with the security questions. If it hasn't been 9 months, the account may have also been compromised at some point too which could also explain that discrepancy.
If either is the case then I don't really know what you can do about it since AFAIK there is no direct support contact available with google regarding gmail... only Google Drive and G Suite/Cloud. But another option you may have is trying to contact them via the Google Groups Help Forum for Gmail... although, in my experience, the ability of users there to assist you in any meaningful way is incredibly limited and there is virtually no official representative presence there... you just have to hope a google employee spots your post and decides to try to help you. :(
I'm pretty sure one cannot register email that was once used, even when the original email was deleted.
Edit: Google support:
I know for a fact you can do it on hotmail, since I actually did so not that long ago in order to recover an old Everquest account I lost access to when the hotmail address attached to it was deleted by MS. But that's good to know google prevents that (or not so good in some cases). Thanks!
It was an account I used mostly for signing up to websites, rather than for sending or receiving emails, so I didn't access it frequently.
I have sometimes wondered if someone hacked it and took control of it, but it's not likely: it wasn't an easy-to-guess password, and it's not a desirable name.
Thanks anyway!
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. It always sucks when you permanently lose access to old accounts (even if you only wanted them back just for nostalgia's sake... e.g. my old ICQ account). :(
There’s usually an option to contact support after that, and they help you with the whole identification thing.
Unless you're paying for something, it's essentially impossible to contact Google directly for anything. Even if you've bought something, they still try pretty hard to hide the contact page away (there's a small button in the top-right of the support page, but it only shows up if you follow a particular link to the page!)
I can't find it!!! I've been looking and looking and looking. Every few months or so, I go back to the account and try the sign-in process again, hoping that somewhere at the end of it there'll be a screen that says "You're really not getting anywhere with this. Would you like to contact us directly?" But I haven't seen anything like that at all, ever. :(
Perhaps you should contact them directly? Tell them this via email.
I don't know how to contact Google directly, or I would've emailed them about this a couple of years ago.
Try going to one of their websites, either google.com or mail.google.com and search around for a 'contact us' or similar section. I make it a rule to not go on any Google websites except for YouTube due to privacy concerns, so I can't find where exactly it is.
Google is known to be extremely hard to get in touch with (if you aren't buying ad space, of course). When I had issues with my google account, I couldn't find any contact either - they have no desire to waste time on free customers. There are plenty horrifying stories from android developers whose accounts were terminated for dump reasons (if your account is banned, all connected accounts are banned as well - this chains nicely). One of many stories.
That's terrible, but it fits with Google's ideology well. I wish they'd change as a company.
That is very frustrating. Your best bet may be to start a thread on Gmail's forum. My understanding is that support issues are sometimes opened there (to mixed results it seems).
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/gmail
Reference: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-contact-gmail-support-1171990
Thanks.