Problem: Email keeps getting blocked bc two step verification requires a non existent cell phone.  I considered using the landline phone, but that will never work, because when the phone rings, she will never be able to figure out what to do with the code. 

We had to revert to connecting outlook.com with the discontinued Windows Live email client. They connected properly, and it worked fine for the first few emails, but the next day when I logged on and attempted to send an email, it said the outlook.com account was temporarily blocked and made me do a captcha. Then it said a captcha isn't enough you have to use two step verification by adding an extra email account and cell phone number to the account. 

Well the extra email account had already been added, but outlook.com has decided to ignore that, and  my 80 year old mother does not and never will have a cell phone, and she certainly doesn't know what  verification app is, nor (rightly so) does she care to find out.

First Question: Why does Microsoft assume that everyone that matters is under 30?

Second Question: We need an alternative to two step verification. Requiring everyone who uses email to have a cell phone is just plain stupid. Surely the kids who run Microsoft could think of a better security protocol than that. (Two step verification is one of the reasons I have given up on using Gmail as well.) 

I followed the links from Outlook.com help (so cleverly buried in the hidden settings menu it took 15 minutes to find)  to sign in to contact Microsoft, but that is a dead end. 

I also cycled endlessly through this maze of forums, and found nothing relating to this problem. 

Is there an alternative to two step verification or do we just need to forget using outlook.com? 

My mother needs an email provider that can be used in Outlook 2010 or Windows live client

Using Windows 7 64 sp 1 Office 2010 Windows Live 2012

Thank you for any help you can provide.