MFA issue with the reset

Question

MFA issue....

How to recover/reset MFA for my Work/School account?

Answer 1

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Hi Ilie Tache

In your situation, you should contact your organization’s IT administrator first and ask them to reset your MFA settings by following this article: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn (Microsoft does not have direct access to reset authentication settings for school/organization-managed accounts)

If you are the only Global Administrator and you are completely locked out from the tenant. So, only Microsoft Support team can help you in this MFA issue. You might need to contact Microsoft via phone service number: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.  

• To connect directly with a real person when you call Microsoft support, the call must include the term AdminCenter, and the role must be specified as Global Administrator. 
• In the description of the request, the term AdminCenter must also be mentioned. 
• During the telephone dialog, if asked about another administrator, you can answer “no.” The call will then be forwarded to a real support agent, and a service request can be created. 

If you cannot reach a real person via a support call, you can try to use a Trial Business Account to Submit a Ticket. Please visit the Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365 and click Try for free to set up a trial account. 

(Note: We're not Microsoft support, this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators have no backend access and cannot directly intervene in Microsoft products. We provide only technical guidance and best-practice recommendations based on reported issues)

I hope this information helps.

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Answer 2

For a work or school account, MFA recovery or reset depends on how much security info is still accessible.

1. If at least one MFA method still works

• Sign in to the Advanced security options page of the work or school account using the remaining method.
• Select Add a new way to sign in or verify and choose a new method (for example, phone or another app).
• When prompted, enter the verification code sent to the new method and select Next.
• After the new method is confirmed, expand the old method that is no longer accessible and select Remove.
• Avoid removing all security info at once, because the account can be restricted for 30 days if all security info is changed at the same time.

2. If all MFA methods are lost but the password is known

• Start signing in to the work or school account.
• At the Verify your identity prompt, select I don't have any of these.
• Follow the instructions to replace the security info.
• After replacement, there is a 30‑day waiting period before normal sign‑in is allowed. Existing security info, if recovered during this period, can still be used and will cancel the pending change.

3. If neither password nor MFA methods are available

• Follow the guidance in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form and submit the recovery form using the provided Recover account link.

4. If sign‑in attempts are blocked after many tries

• Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication may temporarily block repeated attempts. Wait before trying again or use a different MFA method if one is available.
• If suspicious activity is suspected, contact the organization’s IT administrator and have them review Microsoft Entra sign‑in logs.

5. If the phone or number used for MFA is lost or changed and the account is an admin account

• Another cloud services admin must reset the MFA settings:
  1. Sign in to the cloud service portal as an admin.
  2. Go to the Azure Multi‑Factor Authentication user management page.
  3. Select the affected admin account.
  4. Choose Manage user settings.
  5. Select Require selected users to provide contact methods again, then Save.
• After this, the next sign‑in prompts the user to reconfigure MFA methods.

If none of these options are possible (for example, no remaining methods and no other admin), contact the organization’s IT help desk or Microsoft support to engage the Data Protection team, as forum moderators and tools cannot directly reset MFA.

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References:

• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Can't use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication to sign in to cloud services after you lose your phone or the phone number changes
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Reset Personal Azure MFA - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Authenticator app doesn't show 6-digit OTP code - Microsoft Q&A