Microsoft 365 Developer Program – E5 Sandbox Not Provisioned + Broken Support Link

Question

Issue Summary I signed up for the Microsoft 365 Developer Program and selected the E5 Sandbox environment. However:

The sandbox tenant has not been provisioned.

The support link on the Developer Program dashboard returns a 404 error.

What I’ve tried:

Cleared browser cache and cookies

Used multiple browsers and devices

Waited 48+ hours since registration

Expected outcome: The Developer E5 sandbox should auto-provision, and I should be able to access the tenant dashboard and resources.

Current blocker: I'm unable to proceed with any development or environment testing due to the broken provisioning and lack of access.Issue Summary

I signed up for the Microsoft 365 Developer Program and selected the E5 Sandbox environment. However:

The sandbox tenant has not been provisioned.

The support link on the Developer Program dashboard returns a 404 error.

What I’ve tried:

Cleared browser cache and cookies

Used multiple browsers and devices

Waited 48+ hours since registration

Expected outcome:
The Developer E5 sandbox should auto-provision, and I should be able to access the tenant dashboard and resources.

Current blocker:
I'm unable to proceed with any development or environment testing due to the broken provisioning and lack of access.

Any guidance from the Microsoft Dev Program team or community would be appreciated. Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi @Nick Strydom

Thanks for the effort you've already put in, trying different methods beforehand gives us a great head start in resolving this with you. I can imagine how frustrating it is to be ready to start working, only to run into issues like this.

To provide more accurate guidance, kindly clarify:

Do you have a Visual Studio Enterprise subscription, or are you part of a Microsoft partner program like ISV Success or Solutions Partner?

If not, and provisioning still doesn't work, Microsoft recommends using a paid Microsoft 365 Business plan as an alternative for development and testing.

If you're using a personal Microsoft account (like @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or regional domains like @outlook.cz), please be aware that these accounts are no longer eligible for the E5 developer sandbox unless they are linked to a qualifying Visual Studio subscription, or part of an eligible Microsoft partner program 

If that's the case, the sandbox may never provision or silently fail without showing an error. You may want to try signing up again with a work or school account that meets the eligibility requirements. 

I appreciate your inquiry. However, as a forum moderator, I do not have access to the necessary testing tools or internal systems required to fully investigate this issue. Given the complexity of the matter, I recommend reaching out to the Contact - Microsoft Support, where experienced professionals are available to provide more in-depth assistance and guide you through the appropriate steps to achieve the desired functionality.

Let me know if you need any further clarification, I'm here to help however I can

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Let me know if you need any further clarification, I'm here to help however I can. 

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