well i might
open a yahoo or windows live email account
use that to verify a new google account
change my address in preferences on the goodle alt account.
cancel or keep the ' yahoo or windows live

well first you really can not blame google or gmail for any of this because you your self placed the blame where it should be... YOU, if you are going to set up an email account then by all means write down the info you use especially the name and password where you can find it again, however you state that you are not even sure you did set up a gmail account. I don't know how to help with out knowing if you actually do have a gmail account or not???

I would begin with the supposed activation email find it and try to utilize that info to go back and see what you can determine, if they did send you an activation email and you never followed through and clicked on the link to activate then they would not have activated the account.

I think the best bet is to just start new with a new gmail account use some other email address for the referral one if you need to go grab another freebie for that try gmx.com or inbox.com but by all means write down your info, have a dedicated notebook for your pc that you can jot that stuff down in.
One other option is one of the programs that will search out user names and passwords saved to the pc and see if you could find it that way.
Nirsoft offers some good free tools to try
NirSoft

I feel for you as it has happened to me. I have multiple email accounts with gmail and keeping track is a nightmare. I now let FF save all my passwords.

I started over from scratch. Open another account somewhere - I used AOL, Outlook and hotmail. I used those to connect the gmail accounts to.

I don't use those accounts for anything important but was able to open 3 gmail accounts using them.

Don't drive yourself crazy (I did) just start over and WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN IN A BOOK! Don't write on a piece of paper (like I did). They get lost. I keep small address books near my computers with all my passwords.

One other point, you can open 3 different email accounts with one server. I opened 2 AOL accounts using different names. This way I could link gmail to those two. I'm embarassed to say that after opening a hotmail, I lost that password...thus the 2 AOL accounts!

Good luck,
Jane

Not sure if this will help but it may.

At the linked page .. scroll down to the button that says View Passwords.

Drag that button to your tool bar.

I may not be real good at explaining how to use this tool/button but .. I'll try my best.

This tool only works when you are using an automatic login feature like I do with Opera's password manager.

In Opera you click on a key on your tool bar and it logs you into gmail.

Here's the trick .. 'AS SOON' as you click on the login key .. Quickly Click on the View Passwords button and .. Your password will show up in a pop-up box.

"YOU MUST" click on the View Passwords button 'Before' you are completely logged in!

It may take you a couple of practice tries but I do it now without a hitch! 8)

As far as I know .. This tool is the only way to view forgotten passwords in gmail.

Here is a link that might be useful: VIEW PASSWORDS

The tool does work with 'any' automated login site.

If I understand your message correctly, you set up a Gmail account and forgot the user name and/or password. You can, as you have, try to guess. Remember that passwords are case sensitive - password is not the same as PASSWORD. The other, much simpler, option is to create a new Gmail account. Obviously, it can't have the same user name as the old account (which can be frustrating if you liked you old user name).

Once the new account is set up or you access the old account, Google has the option of linking your Gmail account to another email account. If you loose your user name, you type in the linked email address and Google will send you the user name and a link for creating a new password. You can also set up SMS (text message) recovery process if you prefer.

Good luck!

Wow; what a happining site you all have here. My garden sites don't move along like this. Thanks for the good information. I will find a new email to link with as suggested. Part of the reason I didn't already try that, was because I was concerned that someone might have been using my account somehow. Of course, I haven't seen any indication of damage other than the above problem of google saying i have and then dont have an account. I also was asked an unusual login question via utube when I attempted to start an account. That was what got me started on trying to reactivate in the first place. Since then my memory has kicked in a bit and suggested I might have used that unusual question after all. That probably means all is well. Maybe the utube attempt is actually the hang up. I may even try to get back to the utube startup and see if I can answer the unusual question to get me in from that side.

I suppose putting my logins and passwords in a book is a plausable idea, and it certainly would have prevented this thread. HOWEVER: to ravencajun and your accurate detection of my upset with google; may I at least claim 'contributary neglegence'. Loogin appears to be a major problem and it is absurd to require 'login' to get on the google help forum that is the only form of google help; and secondly re a book of logins; that seems to be a great way to get on a ton of threads of police, attorney's, banks and God knows what for ten years trying to recover your life savings, credit and whatever following a break in or a questionable friend.

I suppose a compromise is in order. I think I might try putting such a list in a real book in the book case and not the computer desk. Unfortunately that reminds me of a day several decades ago (when I actually had a functioning memory) when my young son opened up a random book and a pile of twentys or hundreds fell out from whence they had been placed for secure keeping several years before and been completely forgotten!

it is a forum just like this is a forum they require login that is not unusual, it is expected, same with say a forum for an antivirus program same procedure you sign in and have to log on to have full access to the forum.

My computer notebook which I have had for over 10 years that I keep my info in is kept in a locked secure location, if someone makes it into my home, manages to steal all of my computers and then also finds and steals my notebook then congrats to them and they win. The paranoia has to stop somewhere, I am a senior and simply do not have the memory to even think I can remember important things like passwords especially since I do use strong secure passwords, I do not save them with any programs or on the pc ever so if they can manage to come in and pry it from my hands they can have it LOL. Of course they have to get past the giant dogs and the Glocks & alarm systems. ;-)
None of my friends would have access and none that would be allowed in would be stupid enough to try to do that, but then they know me... :-)

Chas, my husband and I moved from our home of 40 years. While packing and throwing out a ton of junk, I found money stuck in the most ridiculous places (for safe keeping).

We were rich!

Good luck and don't worry so much. Computers are 'supposed' to be fun.

Jane

Chas many years ago we never had to log in to forums to post a comment. However as computers gained in popularity the numbers of trolls increased at an alarming rate. With anyone being able to post nasty/racial/porno type comments something needed to be done. Now we all have to register to post and the IP address of each member is recorded so that if an individual becomes a total pest then he/she can be banned and that IP address is red flagged. It is a simple control mechanism for the benefit of the majority.

Chas many years ago we never had to log in to forums to post a comment.

Many years ago we had to pay to participate in forums. Remember CompuServe?