locked out of my email.

Question

Ive been having a problem for over a month signing into PII removed Its a office 365 business account I opened directly with Microsoft last November 2024. I upgraded a few days ago from windows 10 to Windows 11. However, now I cannot access my business emails at all on my lattop.

Im the administrator also it would never allow me to change my password because I didnt allow certain changes in the begining when I signed up for my subscription & now cannot check anything and All my data doesnt exist now?

Can you help please?

Ronald

Answer 1

Follow these steps in order. Stop when one step fixes it and report which step failed and any exact error message.

1. quick check — can you sign in on the web?

Open an incognito/private browser window.

Go to https://portal.office.com and sign in with your business email.

• If you can sign in on the web, the problem is your laptop/Outlook app. Skip to step 8. If you cannot sign in, continue.

1. try self-service password reset (SSPR)

Go to https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com → “I forgot my password.”

Follow the prompts.

• If SSPR is disabled, you will be told. Continue to step 3.

1. as admin reset password from another admin account or use support

If you have another global admin user, sign in at https://admin.microsoft.com → Users → Active users → select your user → Reset password.

• If you are the only admin and you cannot sign in, you must contact Microsoft support to recover the tenant (see step 12).

1. check subscription and billing (tenant suspension)

Sign in to https://admin.microsoft.com → Billing → Your products or Subscriptions.

Confirm the subscription is active and payment succeeded.

• If billing failed the tenant or mailboxes may be suspended. Fix payment then retry sign-in.

1. check user status and license (must have Exchange license)

Admin center → Users → Active users → find your account.

Confirm: account is not blocked, sign-in allowed, and an Exchange Online / Microsoft 365 license is assigned.

If license missing, assign it and wait a few minutes.

1. check MFA and authentication settings

Admin center → Users → Multi-factor authentication (or Azure AD → Users → Authentication methods).

If MFA is blocking you, use the recovery phone/email or the authentication app.

• If you cannot pass MFA and there is no alternate method, reset via another global admin or support.

1. view sign-in failure reason (diagnose cause)

Admin center → Azure Active Directory → Sign-ins (or follow link from admin center).

• Find your failed sign-in entry. Note the failure reason (invalid password, blocked, conditional access). Use that reason for next steps.

1. if web sign-in works but Outlook/desktop fails (client fix)

Sign out of Office apps: Outlook → File → Office Account → Sign out.

Clear cached credentials: Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials. Remove any Office/Exchange entries.

Create a new Outlook profile: Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles → Add → set up account.

Or remove and re-add the account in Windows Mail/Outlook.

• If still failing, run Settings → Apps → Microsoft 365 → Modify → Online Repair.

1. Windows 11 upgrade checks (device registration / conditional access)

Settings → Accounts → Access work or school. Ensure the device is Azure AD joined or registered if your tenant requires it.

• If Conditional Access policies require device compliance, you must re-enroll device into Intune or mark it compliant.

1. mailbox existence and recovery (if email/data missing)

Admin center → Users → Deleted users. If your user was deleted, restore it.

Admin center → Exchange admin center → Recipients → Mailboxes. Confirm mailbox exists.

• If mailbox deleted, it may be restorable for a limited time. Follow restore steps in admin center.

1. emergency options if you cannot fix access yourself

If you are locked out as the only global admin, use admin.microsoft.com → Support → New service request to open a Microsoft support case.

• Be ready to provide tenant name, domain, proof of purchase, billing info, and admin contact email. Microsoft may require identity verification.

1. final checks and next steps summary

If sign-in failures show “invalid password”: reset password (steps 2–3).

If failures show “license missing” or “account blocked”: fix license or unblock the account in admin center.

• If failures show “conditional access” or “device not compliant”: rejoin/register device or change policy, or sign in from a compliant device.

If web sign-in works but Outlook still fails: clear credentials, make new profile, repair Office.Try these steps in order and let me know which one stops you, or paste the exact error message if it still fails.Please.