remove or reset microsoft authenticator when accessing online shared files

Question

Hi, a partner sent me a shared link for an online excel file. When I access it from my computer, it asks me for a code that I receive on my email, I enter it and afterwards your system asks me to approve a connection request using Microsoft Autenticator app, but I no longer have that profile in my Microsoft Authenticator app and there is no way to reset that and to reconfigure the app.

Please advise,

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello Anca Georgeta Chimiuc,

Thank you for reaching out, and I completely understand how confusing this situation can feel. Allow me to clarify what is happening on the backend so you know exactly where things stand.

The MFA prompt you are seeing is not from your personal Microsoft account, it is from your partner's company tenant. Since the Authenticator was registered under their guest profile, only their IT administrator can reset it on their end.

Kindly ask your partner to contact their IT department and request a reset or re-registration of MFA for your guest account in their tenant. Once that is completed, you should be able to set up the Authenticator app again and regain access.

While waiting for the reset, you can check whether you have an alternative sign-in method available: 

1. Open the shared link and enter the email verification code. 
2. When prompted to approve the sign-in using Microsoft Authenticator, look for a link that says: “I can’t use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now” or “Sign in another way” 
3. If available, select that option. 
4. If you are offered a text message or phone call verification method, use it to complete sign-in. 

If none of those alternatives are presented and Authenticator is listed as the only available method, then the MFA configuration will need to be reset by their IT administrator before access can be restored.

I hope this brings some clarity to the situation and helps you move forward toward regaining access to the file. Please do not hesitate to reach back out if you have any further questions, I would be more than happy to assist you further.

Warm regards,

Answer 2

Hello,

I need to understand a bit better about the account types for both of you.

You are using personal account, right?

And the partner, is he on organizational account?

If the partner is on organizational account, this is not authentication regarding your own personal account, but authentication regarding your guest user in their organization tenant using your personal account. Kind of like the difference between you visiting your own home, vs. you visiting someone's office building. At your own home you use your own key. At the office building, your home key will not work, it would be security set up by the office building instead. Hence, it is important for me to understand both user types first, so we can troubleshoot the right problem.