Unless one sets security access settings in the email account, then one can be forever blocked from the email account. It is important to do this to retrieve a password
Here are some pictorial tips to help you
In order to carry out maintenance work on your computer, and read these instructions at the same time - it is advisable to reduce the size of the web browser window so that one can view the instructions by the side of the work that one is doing
Email Security Settings
It is important to set your security settings and security questions within your email account. If you forget your password, enter the wrong password too many times, get blocked, or your email account gets hacked then you will need to be able to get back into it.
But one can get back in by setting the security settings. This includes creating or using a second email account, and verifying that account with your main email account. Once the second email account has been verified, then the first email account can safely send a password to the second account.
But it isn't just a question of creating and verifying a second email account. One also has to set some simple questions that only you would know the answer to. The usual questions are things like; who was your first pet, what's your mothers maiden name, etc.
And please don't forget to write the details down in the same place that you have recorded your account user names and passwords.
Example of setting email account security in a Google Gmail Account
Example of setting up email account security for Microsoft Outlook

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Export (save) all your email account's contact list to your computer
Doing this bit of routine maintenance ensure that if you should get blocked from your account, that you still have all the email addresses of your contacts from your email account
How to export your contact's email addressed from a Google gmail account
How to export all your email addresses from a Microsoft Hotmail account
Microsoft is dropping Hotmail, and using Outlook as the default email account.
Note - Outlook is a different program to Outlook Express
Export or save all your contact's email addresses from Hahoo and Talk21.com