Denied global administrator access although I am the only admin

Question

We had a power surge last week that shut down my mac computer at work. When I rebooted, Microsoft 365 required reactivation. When I attempted to sign in, however, the authenticator app did not allow me to enter the code. Activation cannot complete without verification, but verification cannot happen without prior setup. I have ... 1) quit all Office apps and reopened; 2) cleared cached credentials via Keychain; 3) used the Microsoft Office License Removal Tool; 4) tried to sign into the account from the web browser. I am the global admin, but I cannot access the account. When I call customer service, the automated assistant says that I am not the global admin and that I must contact my global admin. I am the only admin ... the only global admin, but Microsoft will not acknowledge me and will not let me access my account. What in the world can be done? I have been trying for 3 days to get through the customer service automated assistant to absolutely no avail.

Answer 1

Hello Hurley ChurchofChristThank you for reaching out to the Q&A Forum, and apologies for the late response.

As you are currently the only Global Admin in your tenant and are unable to bypass the AI support flow, please try contacting Microsoft Support again by phone using the numbers listed here: Customer service phone numbers – Microsoft Support, and follow the recommended support script.

If calling does not work, you can create a trial tenant using the following link: Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Microsoft 365. After creating the trial tenant, you will be able to access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and raise a support ticket from there.

Assuming that you have already created an account after registering a free trial and you can go to Microsoft 365 admin center and click "Help & support" icon to raise your ticket. During this process, please make sure to turn off the Support Assistant.

When submitting the ticket, clearly state that you are raising it on behalf of an affected tenant to which you currently do not have access. The support team will assist in creating the ticket under the affected tenant, after which the Microsoft Data Protection team will handle the case.

Please note that this process may take longer than usual (7-14 working days), as the Data Protection team receives a high volume of requests. As a forum moderator, I do not have access to Microsoft internal systems and am unable to expedite this process.

Also, please be aware that the trial subscription is valid for 30 days. Before it expires, remember to cancel the trial in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to avoid any charges. You can follow this guide for instructions: Cancel your Microsoft business subscription in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn.

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to share any updates once the issue is resolved, or send me the ticket number via private message so I can help track it.

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Answer 2

If you are the only global administrator and are unable to access your Microsoft 365 account due to issues with the Microsoft Authenticator app, you will need to contact the Microsoft Data Protection team for assistance. Since the automated customer service is not recognizing you as the global admin, it may be necessary to reach out directly to the support hotline for your region. Here are the steps you can take:

1. Contact Microsoft Support: Use the customer service phone numbers available for Microsoft Support to reach the Azure Data Protection team. Explain your situation clearly, emphasizing that you are the only global admin and are locked out of your account.
2. Provide Necessary Information: Be prepared to verify your identity and provide details about your account, including your administrator email address and any error messages you have encountered.
3. Alternative Methods: If you cannot reach the Data Protection team directly, consider setting up a new trial tenant as a temporary measure to submit a support request. This will not give you access to your original account but can be a way to communicate your issue to Microsoft support.
4. Follow Up: After submitting your request, keep track of any ticket numbers or follow-up communications from Microsoft to ensure your issue is being addressed.

These steps should help you regain access to your account. If you need further assistance, please let me know!

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References:

• Global Admin Locked out - Microsoft Q&A
• Solve account access problems