How to fix the “Try another verification method” error?

Question

My account got locked for security purposes and I’m still getting the error message after typing in my number. I even have used different numbers and same error message. I have waited 24 to 48 hours and still the same message. I have changed internet browsers, tried incognito browsers, cleared cookies, cache, and history resulting in the same error message. I even had changed country codes with accessible numbers. Still nothing works! I even used VPN’s as suggested by a Reddit user. This didn’t work either! I even tried on my desktop, different phones and different hotspots. I still get the same message! I researched this issue and so many people are having issues with this. PLEASE HELP! Why isn’t this problem being addressed and fixed! TO MAKE IT CLEAR I DIDNT FORGET MY PASSWORD OR INFORMATION!

Answer 1

Dear MaicaDQ

Thanks for your post in Microsoft Community.

I'm really sorry to hear that you've been locked out of your account and now you can't unlock it even if you remember the correct password. This situation is really frustrating, especially when you need to access those account urgently.

Understand why your account is locked

Account has been locked - Microsoft Support

If you have not violated any of Microsoft's terms of service, it may be related to the abnormality of your IP address.

Generally, the error message when trying another verification method is because Microsoft detects that your IP address is abnormal. We strongly agree with all the troubleshooting solutions you have taken after this problem occurs, but using a network proxy in this case will aggravate the impact.

Since you mentioned that your account was locked due to security issues, it is possible that Microsoft has detected unusual activity in your account, such as login attempts from unfamiliar locations, so your security verification method has also been marked by Microsoft. Therefore, it is recommended that you try changing to a new security verification method.

If you have only added one security message before, to replace it, you will need to wait for 30 days of pending.

Troubleshooting verification code issues - Microsoft Support

When all security info is removed from a Microsoft account, the account is put into a restricted state for 30-days.

While we understand this 30-day period might be frustrating, this is done to protect and alert you in case the security info was removed by someone who had unauthorized access to your account. 

We'll send notifications during the 30-days to the original security info, which could be a phone number or email address. These notifications are sent to alert you that changes were made to your security info.

As the account issue involves your personal privacy, as a public forum, in order to protect your privacy, if the above information does not help you, it is recommended that you contact Microsoft Online Technical Support by clicking the link below.

Contact - Microsoft Support

I understand your concerns and hope you can solve this problem smoothly!

Best Regards

Clara G| Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

I read everything you have wrote and this is a user wide issue. You can't even make changes to the account settings or update your security without receiving an error message. I am thinking about leaving outlook for gmail because this is terrible

Answer 3

Dear MaicaDQ

I understand that being unable to update your account settings and security information has caused you a lot of trouble, and this is definitely not a situation we want you to experience.

While this issue appears to be widespread, rest assured that we are working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. If you continue to receive error messages when updating your security settings, we recommend that you try accessing your account using a mobile device and data traffic for a longer period of time. Additionally, disabling VPN or proxy before trying again may help.

We value your feedback and hope you'll give us a chance to improve your experience.

Thank you for your patience, and please let us know if you have additional questions or need further assistance.

Best Regards

Clara G| Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 4

Dear MaicaDQ

Seeing that you marked my reply as unhelpful, I realize that you are frustrated with the current account issue, and I am very sorry. It is indeed very frustrating to be locked out of your account and unable to unlock it through security verification.

I understand that you are considering giving up your Microsoft account, but I would like to try to help you resolve this issue one more time. Together we can see if there are other possible unlock methods or if there are other ways to restore access to your account.

If you still decide to use a Gmail account, I respect your choice but would still like to support you and ensure that your other settings can transition smoothly.

You may try to unlock your account by filling out the recovery form and provide any information you have ever used.:

Help with the Microsoft account recovery form - Microsoft Support

Here are some tips that may help you successfully pass the verification. (It will be helpful if you use a device, you previously used to sign into your account and at a location where you commonly use the device to complete the form.)

• Please fill in the blanks with the personal information you entered when registering for this account, or any personal information you have changed.
• If your account has set up security issues, then the system will appear [Answer your Secret Question: The default Secret Question].
• Please enter multiple possible passwords in the field of "Other passwords you have used for this account" (e.g., ABC1234, ABC1234, ABC1234, ABC1234) and do not leave this item blank.
• Please select the Microsoft service you have used and fill in the following suggestions. However, if you are not using the relevant service, skip this question or do not need to check the relevant option.
• For Outlook.com section, you can ask family, friends, or business contacts for help in identifying their E-mail address and informing them of the subject line of any E-mail you sent them. If you can only get the email address of the recipient, but not the subject of the message, you can fill in [none] for the exact subject line of the email. Do not leave blank. If you have not sent an email but have received an email, try filling out the email address in your inbox with the subject line of the email.
• For Skype section (Tips: Please do not leave blank as much as possible.), please try to get the correct Skype user name from three contacts.
• For Xbox section, select the Xbox console you are using, then fill in the Xbox gamer ID and the relevant host/device ID.

Although there may be some difficulties in recovering your email account, don't give up hope. Keep trying to provide more information.

Be patient, sometimes it takes some time to recover a blocked account and avoid trying too many times in a short period of time, as this may be recognized as a security issue and result in the account being locked permanently.

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding and patience.

Best Regards

Clara G| Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 5

Dear MaicaDQ

I haven't received your reply for a long time and I'm concerned about your problem.

Is there any progress on your issue recently? We have received feedback from users in many language sections telling us that the issue has been resolved. We are excited to confirm with you.

 We look forward to hearing from you.

Wishing you all the best

Clara G| Microsoft Community Support Specialist