How do i use the Microsoft Business Basic

Question

I bought Microsoft Business Basic more than 3 months ago but i havent been able to use it because of the Authenticator that i no longer have access to, each time i try to sign in,the system asks me to put a code from the Authenticator app but i dont get anything from the App. How do i reset the whole thing,so frustrating.

Answer 1

Hi @Admire Chiminya

Regarding your issue, may I kindly ask if you have other admin with at least authentication administrator role in your organization? If yes, you can ask them to either unblock your account or reset your multi-factor authentication (MFA) for you.    

They can follow these steps:   

1. Sign in to the entra.microsoft.com as at least Authentication Administrator.   
2. Select User -> All user.   Select the user (your account) to act on and select Authentication methods. then select Require re-register of multi-factor authentication.    

• Require re-register MFA: This disables all previous authentication methods. You'll then be prompted to configure a new MFA authentication method the next time you try to sign in, so you can set up from the start and add a new authenticator app.   

 

For more details, please refer to: Manage user authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication. 

Note: Once re-registration is triggered, all your existing MFA methods such as phone numbers, Authenticator app, or other verification options will be removed. You will need to set up new MFA methods during your next login. Please ensure you have access to a valid phone number or the Microsoft Authenticator app before attempting to sign in again.   

If you are the only global administrator and is locked out, the next step would be to contact Microsoft Data Protection team directly for assistance as they have tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts.      

You can find the appropriate customer service phone numbers at this link: Customer service phone numbers.

Please remember to provide them with your account details and explain the situation. Be ready to provide:     

• The company name used during subscription    
• Billing email address (even if it’s a personal Microsoft account)    
• Payment method details (last 4 digits of the card, billing address)    
• Any subscription ID or invoice numbers from billing email    

When you call the support number, you may hear an introduction of about 30 seconds such as "you can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until you are presented with the options. Then press "1" as a business email user, and again "1" for technical help.

To make the process smoother, here’s an example of how to respond when speaking to the automated system (IVR):     

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?     

You:  Authenticator.    

IVR: What kind of product do you use?     

You: Office 365 for business.     

IVR: education or company account?     

You: For companies     

IVR: Are you an administrator?     

You: Yes.     

IVR: Do you have the other administrator in your organization?     

You: No.     

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?     

You: Yes     

These prompts help direct your call to the right support team more quickly, especially when dealing with account lockouts and authentication issues. 

If you still cannot reach to agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription via this link Compare All Microsoft 365 Plans. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the provided prompts.    

• Follow the guided setup to create a new Microsoft account and a new tenant.
• This tenant will be completely separate from your existing Microsoft 365 environment.

Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant by logging into admin center and follow the steps in this article: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant.    

Include the following details:

• The administrator email address for the locked tenant
• The domain name of the locked tenant
• Any error messages you are seeing
• A description of the authentication or sign‑in issues
• Confirmation that you are the administrator of the locked tenant

Before submitting the ticket, make sure the Support Assistant is turned Off as several customers have reported that when the Support Assistant is enabled, the Contact Support option may not appear.

As shown in the screenshot, simply switch Support Assistant > Off, then enter your issue description. Once disabled, the Contact Support button should appear, allowing you to submit the ticket normally.

Important note:

• This new trial tenant does not provide access to any data, users, or settings from your original locked tenant. It is only intended as a temporary way to contact Microsoft Support.
• Once the issue with your original tenant is resolved, be sure to cancel the trial subscription to avoid any unintended charges. You can do this from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center by going to Billing > Your products and canceling the trial there.

Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges.

As forum moderators, we don’t have access to the detailed system needed to troubleshoot this effectively due to privacy and security constraints. To quickly resolve this and regain access, the most effective step is to contact Microsoft Support Team directly. Only they have the ability to help with your Authenticator issue.    

Hopefully it will help work with your issue and if you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.   

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Answer 2

To start using Microsoft 365 Business Basic again, the multi-factor authentication (MFA) / Microsoft Authenticator setup must be reset. The available options depend on whether this is a business (work) account where you are the only admin, or if there is another admin.

1. If there is another admin in the tenant

• Ask that admin to reset your MFA settings in Microsoft Entra admin center:
  • Go to https://entra.microsoft.com → Users → All users → select your account → Authentication methods.
  • Use the option to require re-registering multifactor authentication.
• After this, sign in again and register the Microsoft Authenticator app from scratch.

2. If you are the only administrator on the tenant Because access to the Authenticator app is lost and there is no other admin to reset MFA, the Microsoft Data Protection team must intervene. Forum moderators and normal support channels cannot bypass MFA or change your account directly.

Use one of these paths:

Option A – Call Microsoft support and ask for Data Protection team

1. Find the appropriate "Customer service phone numbers" page for the region.
2. Call and, when the automated system starts, ignore the initial message and wait for menu options.
3. When prompted, respond/press options along these lines (wording may vary by country):
   • Indicate this is about “Authenticator” or “lost account / MFA”.
   • Product: “Office 365 for business” / Microsoft 365 Business.
   • Account type: “Company account”.
   • Are you an administrator? “Yes”.
   • Any other admins? “No”.
   • Do you need a service request? “Yes – I need the Data Protection team to reset my authentication methods for my tenant admin account.”
4. The frontline agent should open a ticket with the Data Protection team, who will verify identity and reset MFA so sign-in can be completed and a new Authenticator registration can be set up.

Option B – Create a temporary trial tenant to open a ticket If reaching a live agent by phone is difficult:

1. Sign up for a new Microsoft 365 trial tenant (a separate environment).
2. After the trial tenant is created, go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for that new tenant.
3. Use Help & support to open a support ticket.
4. In the ticket, clearly state:
   • That there is a different, existing Microsoft 365 Business Basic tenant.
   • That this other tenant’s only global admin is locked out due to Microsoft Authenticator / MFA.
   • Provide the locked tenant’s domain and admin sign-in name and describe the MFA problem.
   • Request escalation to the Data Protection team to reset MFA on the original tenant.
5. After the original tenant access is restored, cancel the trial subscription on the temporary tenant to avoid charges.

Once Data Protection resets MFA, sign in again, follow the prompts to configure Microsoft Authenticator on the current phone, and then Business Basic services (email, Teams, etc.) will be usable.

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References:

• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Restore account credentials from Microsoft Authenticator
• How to sign out from Authenticator
• I cant log in to my business account because it is requiring Authenticator app which I do not have - Microsoft Q&A
• I have a Micrsoft business account and I am the admin and the only user registered under this account. I can't log in because i have replaced my phone and the authenticator doesn't work. - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A