Recovering an old Xbox Live profile can be tricky - especially if you let all of your information go stale. It's up to us to make sure all of the information on our accounts is up to date - Microsoft or Xbox Live will not contact us to make sure our old aol.com or school email address is still valid. Our accounts are 100% up to us - this keeps our privacy whole.
1) Find the email you used as your Microsoft Account ID (Windows Live ID)
2) Attempt to sign in to https://account.live.com - The main Microsoft Account management site
a) If you can sign in and the email you used IS NOT a Hotmail.com, live.com, outlook.com or msn.com address, and the email you used originally is no longer valid, change your primary alias to an email you use and check often - this email cannot already be a Microsoft Account. Check your email for a verification from Microsott Account Team.
b) If you forgot your password and cannot sign in, DO NOT CALL XBOX SUPPORT! Click the "cant access your account" link. Enter the old email address and the security characters. Click "next" to see what options YOU left YOURSELF to get back in to the account. If you did not set any security proofs or questions and your email is no longer valid, you must click on "I can't use the options". This will bring you to the ACSR form. Fill it out with your account information (hopefully you didn't use fake info because you thought this was a toy account). If the info you provide matches, the system will send you a password reset within 24 hours - usually it just takes a few. If you do not receive a response, check your SPAM folder. Again, DO NOT CALL XBOX SUPPORT! They cannot help with a password - this keeps your account safe.
3) If you could sign in to http://account.live.com, check your security information. At the bottom of your Account Summary, you will see a section that is titled Password and Security Info. Click the small blue link that says "edit security info". Even if the phone number and alternate email are valid, click this link anyway to make sure they do not say "verify" next to them on the next page. If they do, click verify and follow the steps - this will send a security code via text message for cell phones and email for email addresses. Once this page has a phone number and an alternate email and neither say "verify", you're good. At the top of this page, there will be mention of Two Step Verification. DO NOT TURN IT ON! Make sure it is off or just says "set up".
4) Now, to the console. On your Xbox 360, head to your settings menu without attempting to sign in. Choose System settings, then Storage. Head in to your memory unit or HD and delete any trace of your old profile. Choose "Delete profile only" NOT "Delete profile and items"! You want your game saves, don't you?
5) After deleting the old copy of the profile, press the Y button on your HD or memory unit on the Storage Devices screen. Choose "clear system cache". Do this 3 times in a row.
6) Re-boot your console.
7) Download your profile.
8) Game on!
These steps will also fix status codes 80151011, 80151012, 8015d002, 8015d003, 80048821