Problem with MFA authentication

Question

Hello,

I am [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]  , I work in firm [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]  and we are resseler for Microsoft products.

The problem is logging into the global admin portal Office365 for our users because I don't get a code on the authenticator on my mobile phone. For some users, I don't even have an account in my authenticator. And for these users for whom I have an account, I don't get a code, as if their account isn't connected and linked to me. And I have to log into their account (because our company is the admin for our users) and accept the change of Microsoft distributor. Our distributor lost its license in Serbia, so now we are switching to another one and transferring our users.

Best Regards

Answer 1

we are resseler for Microsoft products.

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Since your are reseller, you may contact Microsoft Partner community for further assistance: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/category/PartnerCommunity

Answer 2

Hi @Dragan Petrovic, 

I’m really sorry to hear about the difficulty you’re facing. 

In a situation like this, where the only global admin cannot complete authentication, it typically requires involvement from the Microsoft Data Protection team.  

They are the only team with the ability to securely verify ownership and perform actions such as an MFA reset to help you regain administrative access. 

If you’ve been trying to contact phone support but haven’t been able to reach a live agent yet, there is a workaround you might consider. You can register a new Microsoft 365 tenant by starting a trial subscription here: Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365

Once the new tenant is created, you’ll be able to sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center and submit a support ticket from there. In your request, clearly explain that you need help with regaining access to an administrator account in your original tenant and ask to be routed to the Data Protection team. This approach typically ensures that the ticket is properly assigned and handled by a real support engineer rather than remaining stuck in automated flows. 

One small but important note, once your original issue has been resolved, please remember to cancel the trial subscription to avoid any unintended charges.   

I truly hope this gives you a clear way forward and helps you regain access soon to your administrator account so you can get everything back on track.  

Thank you for taking time to read my response.  

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Answer 3

The only global admin is locked, the SMS is not received on the mobile phone, I feel that the MFA reset must be done, I try to get support on the phone numbers, but I talk a little with the machine and not a single operator answers me to present the problem to him.

Answer 4

For users where the Microsoft Authenticator app is not receiving codes or appears not to be linked, the issue must be resolved from the tenant side by resetting or changing their multifactor authentication (MFA) methods. Because TEHNICOM DOO is the admin/reseller, the required actions are:

1. Use an alternative MFA/sign-in method for the affected admin account

• If the global admin account used to manage customer tenants has more than one verification method configured (for example, SMS, phone call, or another app), choose Other verification options on the sign-in page and complete MFA with a different method.
• If SMS or phone call is configured but not working reliably, try several times within a few minutes and ensure no third‑party security app on the phone is blocking calls or SMS.

2. Verify and correct phone numbers and MFA configuration

• In the Microsoft Entra admin center for the partner/admin tenant, go to Users → select the affected admin account → Authentication methods.
• Confirm that the correct phone numbers and methods (Authenticator app, SMS, call) are configured.
• If necessary, remove incorrect methods and reconfigure them.

3. Reset MFA for affected users so they can re‑register Authenticator For customer users whose accounts are not showing in Authenticator or are not generating valid codes:

• As an admin with access to their tenant, go to Microsoft Entra ID → Users → select the user → Authentication methods.
• Select Require re‑register multifactor authentication.
• Inform the user to sign in again; they will be prompted to set up Microsoft Authenticator (or another MFA method) from scratch.

4. Handle cases where the admin is locked out and cannot complete MFA If the global admin account that manages customers is itself locked out (no working MFA method, no alternative admin):

• If there is another global admin in the partner/admin tenant, that admin must:
  • Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
  • Go to Users → select the locked‑out admin → Authentication methods → Require re‑register multifactor authentication.
• If there is no other global admin (single‑admin scenario), contact Microsoft support and request Data Protection/Tenant Recovery assistance to reset MFA for the admin account. Use the regional Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support entry from the context and clearly state that this is a global admin locked out with no other admins.

5. When SMS or calls are not received For any account where SMS or voice calls are used as MFA and not arriving:

• Attempt up to five times within 5 minutes.
• Check that the phone number is correct in the user’s security verification settings.
• Temporarily disable any third‑party security apps that might block calls/SMS and try again.
• If text messages are unreliable, prefer Microsoft Authenticator or phone call as the primary method.

6. If repeated sign‑in attempts are made If many failed attempts were made, Microsoft Entra MFA may temporarily block further attempts as a security measure. In that case:

• Wait before trying again, or use a different MFA method if available.
• If malicious activity is suspected, review sign‑in logs and adjust MFA settings as needed.

7. After MFA is working Once MFA is restored for the partner/admin account and for the necessary customer users, proceed with logging into each customer tenant and completing the distributor change and license transfer operations.

If, after these steps, the partner/admin tenant still has no working global admin access and no alternative MFA methods, the only supported path is escalation through Microsoft support (Data Protection team) as described above.

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References:

• Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• You don't receive a text or voice call that contains the verification code for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication
• "Account verification system is having trouble" error message when you try to sign in by using a work or school account
• 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
• Global Admin Locked out - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Requesting a Tenant Admin MFA Reset - Microsoft Q&A
• Reset Personal Azure MFA - Microsoft Q&A