accidently removed locked device from account

Question

i locked my device remotely, cause i couldnt find it then accidently deleted it from my devices remotely. thinking it was a different laptop

Answer 1

If you remotely locked your device using the Lock function in the '[Find My Device section on your account online, there is no Unlock function available, when you try to log into the device now, you should see an Administrator needs to log into the device, is that correct?

The only way to access that device now will be to reset Windows:

Click the power button on the login screen.

Press the Shift Key and click Restart

Your PC will boot into the Windows Recovery Environment

Go to Troubleshoot - Advanced Options - Reset this PC

Answer 2

Removing the device from the Microsoft account devices list does not unlock it or undo the remote lock. The remote lock is enforced on the device itself. However, once the device is removed from the account, it can no longer be managed (for example, you cannot send another lock command or use Find my device on it), and it will no longer appear under the devices list.

For future cases where a device is lost or stolen and still present under the account, the correct flow is:

1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in.
2. Select the device and open the Find My Device tab.
3. Use Find to locate it on the map.
4. Use Lock to remotely lock the device and then, if needed, change the account password for added security.

If the removed device is later found, it will behave according to whatever lock or sign-in requirements were last applied locally (for example, it will still require the Windows sign-in password/PIN, and any BitLocker protection remains in place). Removing it from the devices list does not weaken the protection on the data already encrypted or protected on that device.

If the device is still missing and has been removed from the devices list, the remaining protection steps are:

• Ensure the Microsoft account password has been changed to a strong, unique password.
• Ensure two-step verification is enabled on the Microsoft account.
• If the device belonged to a work or school organization and was managed (for example, via Intune or Microsoft Entra ID), contact the organization’s IT/admin so they can mark it lost, wipe it, or block access at the tenant level.

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References:

• Find and lock a lost Windows device
• Manage your work or school account connected devices from the Devices page
• Use a screen reader to manage your account devices
• Manage devices remotely
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• Microsoft Entra device management FAQ
• Need help securing stolen laptop data. - Microsoft Q&A