URGENT: Recover deleted FREE Azure DevOps org - original account blocked

Question

Today I accidentally deleted my FREE Azure DevOps organization while trying to delete only a single project. This happened a few hours ago.

Critical problems:

1. After deletion, my original account is no longer recognized by the system
2. When trying to login to my original account, I get an error about identity provider and tenant directory
3. I cannot access organization recovery page because I can't log in with original account
4. The organization contained ALL my student projects, assignments, and coursework with no backup

Important context:

• I am a student using Azure DevOps for coursework, not a company.
• This organization contains all my academic programming assignments and projects.

What I've tried:

• Created a new account but can't access organization recovery with it
• Tried accessing from my other Azure DevOps organizations
• Called Microsoft Support phone line and was told they do not provide support for Azure DevOps through phone - only through portal submissions
• I cannot submit a portal support request because free accounts don't have access to technical support
• All self-service recovery options are impossible because they require login with the original account

Is there a technical solution for recovering a student's free-tier organization when account authentication is blocked by the deletion?

Answer 1

Hi naomi Code,

I understand the urgency of your situation. It seems like you accidentally deleted your FREE Azure DevOps organization and are now facing issues with accessing your original account. Since you are a student and your organization contains important academic projects without any backup.

When you delete an Azure DevOps organization, it actually gets disabled but remains available for recovery for up to 28 days. If the deletion occurred within the last few hours, you may still have a chance to recover it.

Given the circumstances you've described, here are some steps you can take to try to recover your deleted FREE Azure DevOps organization:

• Unfortunately, Azure DevOps does not provide direct phone support for free accounts. However, you can try to recover your organization by following the self-service recovery options available. Here are the general steps to recover a deleted organization.
• Sign in to Azure DevOps with any account that has access to the organization.
• Go to the organization settings. - Look for the "Deleted organizations" section.
• Check if your organization is listed there and follow the steps to restore it.
• If you had any automated backups or if there is a way to retrieve your projects from a previous state, explore those options to recover your academic work.

Please refer to these Microsoft documents for further clarification.

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/Recover-an-old-Azure-DevOps-organization/10669855?space=21&sort=newest

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/azure-devops-account-locked/257dee19-2f85-43fe-a634-466b7f2e4c09

Kindly refer to the document below, which provides a clear step-by-step explanation.

• Recover your organization

I hope this addresses your query. Please let me know if you need any further assistance or clarification.