employee lost access to local login on a abandonded office 365 account

Question

Employee: Computer updated and now I am totally locked out of it. I can't login to my normal account with my normal PIN (microsoft says it doesn't exist??), but I also can't login to a personal account because it says I have to login to my work or school account.

I don't know an admin login for https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-administration

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Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For business | Windows

Answer 1

Dear @David Pitkin,

Good day. Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I am happy to help you!

First, could you please confirm whether the account you are currently using is an employee account provided by your organization?

Based on my checks, I can see that there are multiple IT Administrator accounts configured under your company’s domain. You can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support. 

If you are still unsure who the Global Administrator is within your organization, we kindly suggest reaching out to your internal team or the individual who originally provided your company account. They should be able to help connect you with the appropriate IT administrator, who can then assist with resetting your PIN or updating your sign‑in credentials.

I hope this helps! Please feel free to reply below if you have any update or further concern.  

Your understanding and co-operation are highly appreciated. Thanks for your precious time. Have a nice day!

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Answer 2

To recover access to the abandoned Office 365 account, the employee can take the following steps:

1. Verify Account Information: Ensure that the user ID is entered correctly. The employee should check that they are using the correct email format (e.g., ******@playableworldsinc.onmicrosoft.com). It's possible that they might be trying to log in with an incorrect user ID or that the account has been deactivated.
2. Reach Out to an Admin: Since the employee does not have access to an admin login, they should contact someone within the organization who has administrative rights to the Office 365 account. If no one is available, the employee may need to reach out to Microsoft support for help in regaining access.
3. Utilize Self-Service Password Reset: If the organization has enabled self-service password reset, the employee can try resetting their password by visiting the Self-Service Password Reset page: Self-Service Password Reset.
4. Submit a Support Request: If the previous steps do not resolve the issue, the employee can submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 support page. They should select the option indicating they cannot sign in or access their tenant and follow the prompts to verify their identity and ownership of the organization.
5. Local Login Troubleshooting: If the recent computer update has caused issues with local login, the employee may need to troubleshoot the local account settings. This could involve using recovery options available on the computer or seeking assistance from IT support.

If the employee continues to face difficulties accessing their account after following these steps, they may need to escalate the issue through the appropriate support channels.