I need MFA/verification methods reset for my personal account.

Question

I'm a departing Microsoft/LinkedIn employee. My corporate account ([Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@linkedin.biz) deactivates in approximately 3 weeks. I have a Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription (Subscription ID: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]) tied to my personal account, [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@me.com, with live Azure resources I need to preserve. I received notice this subscription will be disabled on July 15, 2026 because the benefit has expired. I am unable to sign in to the Azure portal as [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@me.com to take action. Multi-Factor Authentication is broken. I need this reset. I am unable to find where I can request this.

Answer 1

Hello @Garris Shipon

As this is a complicated issue related to multiple accounts, subscriptions and MFA issue to I need to break it down to make sure everything is addressed correctly to move forward:

• You are preparing to leave your company, and your work account (******@linkedin.biz) will be disabled in about 3 weeks.
• You also have a Visual Studio Enterprise subscription, which you believe is tied to your personal account (****@me.com)**, and it contains active Azure resources that you need to keep.

At the same time, three things are happening:

• You cannot sign in with your personal account because MFA is not working
• The subscription is scheduled to be disabled on July 15, 2026 because the Visual Studio benefit is expiring
• Your work account may still be connected to the subscription at the tenant level and will soon be disabled

1/ When you sign in to Azure with ******@me.com, do you see an option to select or switch directory (tenant)?

If yes, do you see anything related to LinkedIn or Microsoft?

This confirms whether your subscription is actually stored under a company tenant instead of a personal one. If a company directory appears, your access may still depend on it.

2/ How did you originally activate this subscription?

From the Visual Studio benefits portal or directly in the Azure portal?

This shows whether the subscription is benefit-based (linked to your job) or a standalone Azure subscription that you created yourself.

3/ When MFA appears, what options do you see?

Authenticator app, SMS, phone, or no alternative methods?

4/ Do you still have access to your work account (******@linkedin.biz), or is it already restricted?

If you still have access, there may still be time to adjust permissions or transfer ownership before the account is disabled.

5/ Was ****@me.com ever added as an Owner of the Azure subscription, or possibly just as a regular user?

If you still need my assistance, please come back with screenshots or any additional details so I can review it again and see if there’s anything more I can help you with.  

Kind regards,

---

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in "our documentation" to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread

Answer 2

For a personal Microsoft account where multi-factor authentication (MFA)/verification methods are broken and sign-in to the Azure portal is blocked, the only supported path is to regain access to the personal account itself by replacing or recovering the security info. Once access to the personal account is restored, Azure and any Visual Studio benefits tied to that account can be managed.

Follow the path that matches the current situation:

1. If the password for the personal account is known

If the password is correct but the verification step is failing because the existing security info (phone/email/Auth app) cannot be used:

a. If there is access to at least one security method

1. Go to the Advanced security options page for the Microsoft account: use the Sign in link in the "I've lost access to my Microsoft account security info" section here: Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues.
2. After signing in, select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
3. Add a new phone number or email and complete the code verification.
4. Expand the old security method(s) that are no longer usable and select Remove → Remove again to confirm.

Important: Do not remove all existing security info at once. Removing all methods at the same time can put the account into a restricted state for 30 days.

b. If there is no access to any existing security info

1. Start sign-in to the Microsoft account using the usual sign-in page (email + password).
2. At the Verify your identity prompt, select I don't have any of these.
3. Follow the prompts to replace your security info.
4. After replacement, there is a 30‑day waiting period before normal sign-in is allowed. During this period the account is in a restricted state.
5. If the old security info becomes available during those 30 days, it can still be used to sign in; doing so cancels the pending security info change.

These steps are documented under "I've lost access to my Microsoft account security info" in the verification-code troubleshooting article.

2. If the password for the personal account is not known

If the password is forgotten and none of the security info is accessible:

1. Review the guidance in Help with the Microsoft account recovery form: use the link from the verification-code troubleshooting article.
2. Submit the recovery request via the Recover account link provided there.

This is the only supported way to recover a personal Microsoft account when both password and security info are unavailable.

3. If the verification code is going to an old or incorrect email/phone

If the verification code is being sent to an email or phone that is no longer accessible and there is no alternative method available:

1. On the Verify your identity screen, choose I don't have any of these.
2. Follow the prompts to replace the security information.
3. Expect the 30‑day restriction period after replacing all security info.

This pattern is the same as in the scenario where the recovery email is defunct.

4. When MFA is enforced by an organization (work/school accounts)

The reset of MFA methods for work or school accounts (Microsoft Entra ID) must be done by a tenant administrator using the Microsoft Entra admin center (for example, by using Require re‑register multifactor authentication on the user’s account). However, this admin‑driven reset path applies only to organizational tenants and not directly to a standalone personal Microsoft account.

If the personal account is a guest in an Azure AD tenant and that tenant’s MFA is what is blocking access, a Global Administrator in that tenant must:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
2. Go to Identity → Users → All users.
3. Select the affected user (the personal account as a guest).
4. Open Authentication methods.
5. Select Require re‑register multifactor authentication.

After this, the next sign-in to that tenant will prompt for fresh MFA registration.

If there is no admin access to that tenant (for example, the tenant belongs to an employer), the reset must be requested from that organization’s IT/tenant admins or via their support channels. Forum moderators and general support cannot bypass verification or directly change MFA/security info.

---

References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• Common problems with two-step verification for a work or school account
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• Use a screen reader to set up and troubleshoot multifactor authentication
• Sign in to Visual Studio with accounts that require multifactor authentication (MFA)
• Reset Personal Azure MFA - Microsoft Q&A
• I need to reset my mfa methods - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft authenticator sending me into a spiral - Microsoft Q&A
• Azure has blocked myphone number for SMS verification due to a “bad reputation” flag - Microsoft Q&A
• Please confirm my e mail address as <removed PII>@outlook.com - Microsoft Q&A