How do I recover my password on Yahoo?

Hello, I've read your comments on recovering passwords or accounts like on Yahoo. I started investigating this when I suddenly found my own password was not working and the secret question had been changed by whoever hijacked the account. Do you have any advice for me aside from creating a new ID? I hate to say it but I'm considering trying to hijack it back.

Dave's Answer:

I understand what you're talking about and know that if you have the bad luck to have an easily guessed password and someone backs into your account, you definitely have a problem.

Indeed, while I also have a Yahoo account, I spend much more time using Gmail as it's one of my main web-based email system.

What's amazing is that once every few weeks I get a "how to reset your password" message, suggesting that I've tried to log in and clicked the 'forgot my password' link, but, of course, I haven't. It's someone else messing around trying to sneak into my account.

But the flip side of this is one that I've written about before too: how do I know if you're really who you say you are and how would Yahoo, more importantly, know that you're who say you are? (see Recover my Yahoo account password?) After all, one of the most effective methods of breaking security is through social engineering, pretending you're someone other than who you are.

I wonder if it isn't just a fundamental problem with web-based systems that can't use anything smart like biometrics for identity verification?

I have a biometric fingerprint scanner on the Lenovo IBM X41 Tablet PC I've been evaluating over on my Intuitive Life Blog, but that still doesn't address how I can verify my identity with a remote system.

Think about it: even if the fingerprint scanner sent the scan data to a remote server, there's nothing to stop that data being intercepted and then duplicated, emulating the live scan of my finger when in fact it's someone masquerading as me.

A difficult problem, unquestionably, and until we do have some good solutions in this area, I can only strongly encourage everyone to have the toughest, best possible passwords possible.

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Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 4250, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: biometrics, lenovo, password, scams, yahoo
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Reader Comments To Date: 871

john willson said, on August 12, 2011 12:16 PM:

dear sir
may be someone has locked my yahoo messenger id, so I'm not able to log on with my id . Pls can u help me, its urgent, I've some important profession caht with others for my job
thnx
john willson

sameer said, on August 15, 2011 11:05 AM:

Dear sir my paswerd is hack plz help me how i ge my passwerd

Dr.Beena Martins said, on August 15, 2011 10:40 PM:

I have Forgot the My dr.beenamartins@yahoo.com mail Password. Please can you send me the Password of my these mail ID Password.

Ahad khan said, on August 16, 2011 1:33 AM:

Sir,
please help me someone my password hacked and changed please tell me who i recover my password

umer said, on August 18, 2011 12:55 AM:

please recover my email

umer said, on August 18, 2011 1:04 AM:

please send password in my id umerqurashi333@hotmail.com

Omer Khan said, on August 18, 2011 1:36 PM:

Dear Dave Many Greetings from my side

My yahoo's account may be compromised by some one else and the result is i can not access it now. please send my password on omerkhankhel@yahoo.com

Jason said, on August 18, 2011 8:44 PM:

How can I get into my yahoo account if I can;t remember my securty questions, is there any other way that I can get into my yahoo account? If so may you pleas send me my, or a new password to y other yahoo account cryminallynx@yahoo.com, also once you send me my, or a new password for my account, and if I change my password, do you still have access to my personal information????

maefel said, on August 20, 2011 6:01 AM:

hi dave!..

Please help me with my yahoo mail, it was locked up!..and i forgot the answer of the security questions. This is my email: misscutieface@yahoo.com

Hope you can help me, i really need my yahoo mail coz i have my important contacts there :(

Edrich Smart said, on August 20, 2011 5:37 PM:

Hi Dave,

I'm not really sure if I could still recover my yahoo mail account. (kingkoy301@yahoo.com) I am so desperate to get back and trying to find means to do so. Please help me.

Mazhar said, on August 20, 2011 7:24 PM:

someone has stolen my password to my e-mail address, and i cant get in

Mazhar said, on August 20, 2011 7:35 PM:

someone has stolen my password to my e-mail address,

and i cant get in

Please help me to restore my account promptly

thanks,

Mazhar said, on August 20, 2011 7:44 PM:

someone has stolen my password to my e-mail address,

and i cant get in

Please help me to restore my account promptly

thanks,

A.k.shibu said, on August 21, 2011 7:56 AM:

my id is not open. wat I do. please help me. My id is shibu_ak07@yahoo.com

Damaris said, on August 28, 2011 9:44 PM:

I cant remeber my password and Hdmy info wont work

sina helper said, on August 29, 2011 12:56 PM:

hi dave please help me , my id account deactivated please reactive my id . my yahoo mail 33153@yahoo.com . please help please :((( fast . im just one yahoo id :(( please help me

Noureddine said, on August 30, 2011 5:59 AM:

i lost my yahoo password someone hacked it i no long log in,my yahoo is : nourghost2@yahoo.com, pls Mr Dave help me to get back my password.

jasmine said, on August 30, 2011 7:37 AM:

i forgot my password and security question answers.
it content some important files.plz send my password immediately in my other email id.

pinkyppp86@gmail.com

johnny said, on August 30, 2011 3:35 PM:

can u please get my moms password back for her email its kaismjd@yahoo.com thanks

ahmad said, on September 1, 2011 6:26 PM:

i have lost my password .. please can you help me on that ..

ahmad said, on September 1, 2011 6:28 PM:

please .. i have lost my password on yahoo email .. can you help me of that ... this's my E mail .. ahmadmaeof@yahoo.com ..

lizzie said, on September 2, 2011 4:03 PM:

i cant assess my yahoo account cos i forgot my password and the answer to the second security question

Ibrahim Alalawi said, on September 3, 2011 8:18 AM:

i have been hacked i cant access my email account could you plz help soon....

this is my email which has been hacked....

abuosamah510@yahoo.co.uk

srinivas.godavari said, on September 3, 2011 10:11 AM:

my secret answer forgeted

Jairo Granado said, on September 3, 2011 4:39 PM:

hello

i forgot my password and its asking me for my cellphone number . the problem is that i have a new number now .. what do i do ? please hit me back.

Kwesi said, on September 6, 2011 4:21 PM:

I recently changed my password and i have forgotten it. the user ID is right.when i try to recover it they keep on asking who my fave author is but i dont remember doing that on my security questions. Please help I need to get into my mail. yahoo id: murphblic@yahoo.com
previous passowrd:341aqwesi

an said, on September 6, 2011 6:56 PM:

Hello,

My yahoo ID was hacked by my old boy friend. And I don't know the personal info and the alternate email. You please help me to recover it because i don't want it be use in a bad purpose.
Many thanks

sharif said, on September 7, 2011 2:58 AM:

dear all
i fargot my yahoo id passward

af_igi@yahoo.com

marcyfordyce said, on September 7, 2011 11:42 AM:

please yahoo i am really trouble because i am unable to meet my friends on this very eamil address help me please to relocate to my old account i am thanking u for your favourable consideration.
i am your, truly.
marcyfordyce

ril said, on September 8, 2011 12:10 AM:

hai, some one has hacked my yahoo mail id and they changed the information which i gave at the time of registration.they changed recovery email address also.what can i do.please help me

hansani said, on September 8, 2011 9:10 PM:

hi plz help me some one has change my password and also my question answers plz help me to recover it

Kittu said, on September 9, 2011 5:10 AM:

Hi Dave,Somebody has deleted my password of yahoo ID,Please kindly help me to recover my old Password.Kindly can you forward the information to my another e-mail id that is kittutracels1973@gmail.com.Please do the needful.

Malayarasu said, on September 10, 2011 8:24 AM:

Hi,

Suddenly my yahoo account was not working. I have created this few years before. I does not have any security info other than my birth data and zip code. All my contacts are only in this ID. I need my account back. Please advice me on this...

AAMIR said, on September 12, 2011 3:02 PM:

MY OLD PASSWORD

Anam Khan said, on September 14, 2011 4:54 AM:

i have changed my posword but i have forget taht now how can i recover taht

Dinesh said, on September 18, 2011 11:14 PM:

Sir ,
kindly reply how to recover my Gmail id password as some one has changed it .I forget my answer for my secret question also . Kindly reply with the route how to proceed .
My Id : Nancy5js@gmail.com

bhuwan said, on September 22, 2011 8:27 AM:

i have problem of my account i couldnt find my passport give me sugg

moen said, on September 22, 2011 9:50 AM:

Dave,
can you help me get a password to a yahoo account, to check for suspicions?

Roshan said, on September 22, 2011 11:57 AM:

dear sir
yesterday i changed my password ,when i log password is incorrect message appears, i forgotten the security question also,id -sandeshprinters@yahoo.com.pls help me

Roshan

iulia said, on September 23, 2011 3:47 PM:

Please retrive my yahoo password, someone hacked my profile. send me an e-mail to pflower68@yahoo.com. Thx

Raj said, on September 24, 2011 3:00 PM:

Hi,

My Password was hacked and its been sometime, Now I know only one security answer. if you could please help thank you. The hacked account email ID is ms_yadav11@yahoo.co.in

Thanks and Regards

Raj

heath deen said, on September 24, 2011 10:32 PM:

Hello Dave, Please oh please help. I have had the sme email for over 15 years - heathdeen@yahoo.com

I changed my password at they suggestion of yahoo, then forgot my password. that was 3 months ago and since then not been able to access my account. I finally got thru to a rep at yahoo corporate but was not able to recall the "secrete quesitons and answers that I set up my account with over 15 years ago, therefore they would not give me my password.

ANY SUGGESTIONS?? Thanks,

Heath

sawsan said, on September 26, 2011 12:52 PM:

hello sir...
please help me by recovering the password for my yahoo account : lsuzen@yahoo.com.
i need to get to that account . and the information for the birthday/place of residence / postal code dont work.
i cant remember if i changed them also...please help me
thanks

Yogen said, on September 28, 2011 1:30 PM:

hi somebody has hacked by yahoo accounts and changed all my details even passward also what can i do... my email id which is hacked is yogendraacharya@yahoo.com.......

Naresh said, on September 30, 2011 3:04 AM:

I forget my yahoo password

Desiree said, on October 1, 2011 9:59 PM:

Same problems... Account has been compromised, different password, personal details all changed, and I cannot access my account no matter what I do! Please oh please help me! I need my account I have important documents saved in there!Account name is lecole143@yahoo.com

Anitha said, on October 3, 2011 3:36 AM:

i Forget my password and securtiy answer of @ out 1..
please help me out ..

that yahoo id is anithakanagu@yahoo.com

Allison said, on October 4, 2011 9:58 PM:

I have had my yahoo account hacked and the person that hacked it changed all my info so now I cant retrieve my info. If there is anyway you can help me please let me know the id is BOYZLUVME all in caps. Thanks

sam said, on October 6, 2011 4:36 AM:

I forgot my yahoo mail password.

paulsukhi@yahoo.in

gagan said, on October 8, 2011 2:05 AM:

my yahoo id locked by yahoo.I used dis from many years.I gave my id to many companies n many friends,so its so important for me.i also put my mobile number in the iddat wen i offline from computer den i online on mobile,plz help me I wanna my id back.

Bich Thao said, on October 8, 2011 8:42 PM:

Dear Dave,

I have lost my yahoo account last week. Pls help to send the instruction to recover it via my mobile phone number. My yahoo account is bichthaosunshine@yahoo.com. pls kindly help me since I have used this account more than 10 years. Thank you.

ricardo said, on October 8, 2011 9:18 PM:

Everything on and about my yahoo email account and my facebook account has been changed and now I cant log into either of them..please help

Timothy said, on October 9, 2011 6:14 PM:

I have very important messages pending and I need help. FistfulofXero@yahoo.com, I would appreciate it.

Victoria said, on October 12, 2011 2:33 PM:

i can't access my old yahoo account even when i put the right password in and i dont remember any of the secret information since i put it in over 2 years ago. PLEASE HELP ME BECAUSE MY SAT INFORMATION IS IN MY EMAIL AND I CANT APPLY TO ANY COLLEGES IF I CANT ACCESS IT my account name is daydreamingisfun@yahoo.com

kokello dennis said, on October 13, 2011 3:21 AM:

My account was hacvked on 4th of oct 2011please help .i rem the first security question but dont rem the second one..

dipesh pun said, on October 13, 2011 9:36 PM:

respected sir please help me find my hacked account id : dipeshnoob@yahoo.co.uk

rita mandal said, on October 14, 2011 1:33 AM:

i forgot my password & alternate email id how to recover

smartyshab said, on October 14, 2011 10:00 AM:

Hi Dave,
i had a orkut account created in 2008 wit gmail shabtheenchanted@gmail.com, my security question was my 1st mobile number which i dont remember,my problem is i broke up wit this guy coz he was creating havoc in my life. my ex had my pswd of the a/c & he uploaded our pics and changed all settings.now i cant delete my account, & worried as he is gonna misuse it.I just dont knw what to do. Frm last 3 yrs i am away frm this guy but my orkut frnds say that he is uploading all pics wit slutty comments. pls help me. i tried recovery, but as its nearly 3 yrs now(i last used my account in the month of march 2009)pls help me

kondamma said, on October 15, 2011 1:07 AM:

my password and personal information was hacked
to reset to my alternative email id

Vipin Upadhyay said, on October 15, 2011 3:50 AM:

I Forget my password and securtiy answer please help me

that yahoo id is vipin5upadhyay5@yahoo.com

nainraj dahal said, on October 24, 2011 11:58 PM:

hi Dav sir, please help me some one has change my password and also my question answers, plz help me to recover it.my aternet e-mail is nainrajdahal@yahoo.com.

prakash said, on October 25, 2011 10:14 AM:

I'm also facing the same problem. All my personal data was changed and nothing is working and my password also hacked. I've so many important work documents for my reference.

suresh said, on October 26, 2011 10:51 AM:

hey i have lost my password for my email it is an old one i dont remember it can you help me
email id is sverma200@yahoo.co.in

anthony king said, on October 27, 2011 11:27 AM:

i canot remember my password and answer to secret questions

adonis said, on November 2, 2011 8:42 PM:

hi Dav sir, please help me some one has change my password and also my alternate email and my registered mobile number

manish goyal said, on November 3, 2011 1:54 AM:

my yahoo account not working since 2 weeks i do complain so many time but still no respond from their side i m very much disappointed with yahoo customer services wen ever i try to log in on my yahoo account it shows your password is incorrect after so many time i check my password which i typed is correct this happen i faced before also but that time they do so fast i cant tell u but this time no help last time when this happen goes to me they send me email i like to share with u might be helpful to them if u pass that to them they wrote : The issue with your account has been resolved and you should now be able to access id . Please understand that the account may have been deactivated because of unusual activity that triggered yahoo!s anti abuse system.

darwin said, on November 3, 2011 8:52 PM:

my yahoo account was hacked and my password was changed, i forgot the answer of the security question, pls help

Fatima said, on November 3, 2011 9:31 PM:

Hi Sir,

please help me i do work for some company they have changed my yahoo password and other information as well..kindly help me. i am very upset..please recover my yahoo mail password which is patriot_paki7@yahoo.com and send me on my gmail account ..thanks..Regards

D.K. Williams said, on November 6, 2011 6:39 AM:

my exwife went into my acct on or aroun 10/15 or so~ she changed my password from ihunt4real and also changed my secret questions
`Please can anyone help me

perwaiz said, on November 7, 2011 10:45 AM:

i forget my paasword pls tel how r get old pasword plsssss

Prakash Acharya said, on November 8, 2011 4:25 AM:

hi i cant able to acess my yahoo account. somebody chaged my password and security question. pls help me out to recover it.my id neeta505@yaoo.com

Vijayakumar Nair said, on November 9, 2011 11:19 AM:

Dear Sir,

Please send the password of my id vijayakumar.nair@yahoo.com. Please send it in my another id lathanairdh@yahoo.co.in.

thanks a lot.

Vijay

smrita said, on November 9, 2011 11:09 PM:

i forget my password of create73@rocketmail.com .i tried to open many time but i cannot. i forget secret answer and birth date is not working. i want to access on this account. please help me

farah wahidah said, on November 10, 2011 5:51 PM:

hye ..somebody is already hacked my email account so how do i reset my pasword?it is impartant to me because my works use this email a lot.please help me.id trulyluve@yahoo.com tq

Hassan said, on November 13, 2011 2:47 AM:

i am unable to log into my account. my id is scentedred@yahoo.com. can some one please help me and recover that

cesar reyes said, on November 14, 2011 5:46 AM:

hi..i forget my password and security question please help me ,my yahoo id is cesarreyes@yahoo.com

cesar reyes jr m said, on November 14, 2011 7:47 PM:

please help me i cant open my yahoo account ,i forget my password so please help me..

sebastian said, on November 15, 2011 12:01 PM:

I also need my email password someone logg on to my email accoun help me plse

kamal said, on November 15, 2011 3:33 PM:

please send my pasaword on my new address mafuza1102002@yahoo.com . i forgot my its pasaword- kamal092002@yahoo.com

Mazoom said, on November 17, 2011 9:12 AM:

My cell phone factory password is lost please help me

ravi said, on November 17, 2011 2:39 PM:

i forgot my password for ID sat_bab_love@yahoo.com .i tried so many times to open but i cannot. i forgot secret answer and my birth date is not working. i want to access on this account. its my family and relatives and friends IDs are there. please help me..

Pooja Singh said, on November 18, 2011 3:59 AM:

Hello, I have forgot my Yahoo id Password and i dont have the answer for the security question.Kindly help me to reset the passwords..

Aniket said, on November 19, 2011 11:31 PM:

i forgot my password for ID Aniket_unm@yahoo.com .i tried so many times to open but i cannot. i forgot secret answer and my birth date is not working. i want to access on this account. its my family and relatives and friends IDs are there. please help me

saravanakumar C S said, on November 24, 2011 11:06 AM:

Hi ,
I forgot my password of my Yahoo account: cs.saravanakumar@yahoo.com, kindly reset my password and send to saravan_cs2002@yahoo.com
i forgot secret answer and my birth date is not working. i want to access on this account.

Please help me !!

ravi said, on November 24, 2011 7:22 PM:

i forgot my password for ID sat_bab_love@yahoo.com .i tried so many times to open but i cannot. i forgot secret answer and my birth date is not working. i want to access on this account. its my family and relatives and friends IDs are there. please help me..kindly reset my password and send to ravishanker_hyderabad1@yahoo.com

MBJ Pancras said, on November 25, 2011 2:36 AM:

Dear Yahoo Team,
I doubt my yahoo.co.in account 'mbjpancras@yahoo.co.in' is hacked by some culprit. I cannot access my account. Please help me to access. The culprit has changed the password also.

jigil said, on November 25, 2011 6:19 AM:

hi i need ur help some one changed my pass word and i cant find it and even chang my info what can i do to get my e-mail?
thank u

jayarani said, on November 25, 2011 6:28 AM:

hi....one of my close friend hacked my jaya.srani@yahoo.com...id....now we are enemies....plz help me to recover my mails from my loved one...thank you...

Sonal said, on November 25, 2011 6:37 AM:

I forgot my password for this account. Please send me the password on sonalkhot88@gmail.com

yatie said, on November 25, 2011 12:19 PM:

my yahoo account was hacked and my password was changed, i forgot the answer of the security question, pls help my id is yatie_rainbow78@yahoo.com

Isa said, on November 26, 2011 6:02 AM:

Hi my e-mail i.d. is isabela_olarescu@yahoo.com. I forgot my yahoo password and security answer. It asks me where did you spend your honeymoon and I never used that question and it does not ask for my alternate e-mail i.d. please help its very urgent that i get that e-mail ID working.

doaa said, on November 26, 2011 2:19 PM:

I wanna remove my accuint

Anwar said, on November 28, 2011 11:30 PM:

hi

my passward is not working for opening my mail.id pls help my id is anwa_y@yahoo.cm

shehzadanjum said, on November 30, 2011 9:37 AM:

Someone has changed my yahoo password and at the same time my personal inmformation has also been chaged so i am not able to recover my password.Could you please help me out?
my yahoo id is
sa_elect_eng@yahoo.com
plz send my password at shehzadanjum3@gmail.com

anneiry said, on November 30, 2011 1:29 PM:

hello, i had a google account but it was deleted because i never used it, and now i forgot my myspace password and i dont know how to chage email adress

khalil said, on December 1, 2011 2:11 AM:

my yahoo acount hacked my personal information has been changed but i know all my information which i gave by myself.
plz help me i have alot of information my address book with this account.my ID is sweetprince34@yahoo.com

Rani Esther said, on December 2, 2011 3:35 AM:

I was on maternity leave for 10 months, after that when i wanted to check my mails all my mails are deleted. Can you pls help me out to recover my old mails

Dave Taylor said, on December 2, 2011 7:29 AM:

I'm afraid I have no suggestion for you, Rani, other than try and contact Yahoo Mail customer support.

ahmed naseem said, on December 3, 2011 4:58 AM:

I was sitting on a chat room and suddenly a page showed on my yahoo saying you have been signed out because you have signed in into another device. I was like whaaaat??!! and I tried to hit forgot my password and I did all the steps but the hacker has changed all of my account info even the alternate E-mail and the security questions and every other thing. I love people I dont know why did they do that to me. my hacked E-mail is ahmed_ghost_0o0@yahoo.com (ghost is just a nick name in the yahoo chat) please please help me if you can this is like the most important thing to me I had in it like more than 600 contacts.
best regards

Ezekiel said, on December 3, 2011 8:33 PM:

harrisezekiel@yahoo.com someone hacked me and i can't get my account back. help please?

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

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How do I recover my password on Yahoo?

Reader Comments To Date: 871

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