global admin account locked out

Question

Hello

We have been locked out of our account for over 20hours, and we need Microsoft data protection team to help us

A case has been opened and necessary verification done by the Microsoft rep

how long would it take to restore out account?

Answer 1

Hello emmanuel akrashie,

Greetings! Thanks for raising this question in the Q&A forum.

Once a case for a Global Admin lockout has been picked up by the Data Protection team and identity verification is already underway, there is no fixed published SLA for the remaining steps, since resolution time depends on the severity assigned, the verification complexity, and current queue volume. Based on similar cases reported on this forum, resolution has ranged from several hours up to one to two weeks, so it's best to actively work the case in parallel rather than wait passively.

Confirm there is truly no other admin. If any other user in the tenant holds Global Administrator or Privileged Role Administrator, that account can reset MFA for the locked-out admin directly in Microsoft Entra ID under Users > [user] > Authentication methods > Require re-register MFA, restoring access without waiting on Microsoft.

Verify the case severity. Data Protection cases for a full tenant lockout should be classified as Severity A. If your case is still at a lower severity, call support and explicitly request it be raised, since normal-severity cases are processed much slower.

Call support directly instead of only waiting on the portal ticket. Use the regional business support number from Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support, or the US number +1 866-807-5850, and reference your existing case number when you call.

Have your verification details ready. Verification usually moves faster when you can immediately provide the tenant's primary domain name, the locked admin's UPN, proof of business ownership (invoice, subscription ID, domain registrar records), and a description of the lockout cause (lost MFA device, authenticator loop, etc.).

Avoid opening a second case for the same issue, as this can split the history and slow things down. If you need to reach support because you cannot sign in at all, mention clearly that you are calling on behalf of a different, already-open Data Protection case rather than starting a new one.

If a partner (CSP) manages your tenant, have them open or escalate the ticket on your behalf, since partner-opened tickets are sometimes triaged faster.

For future prevention once access is restored, register at least one backup Global Administrator account and enable a break-glass emergency access account excluded from Conditional Access policies, as recommended here: Manage emergency access accounts in Microsoft Entra ID.

If this answer helps you kindly accept the answer which will help others who have similar questions.

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix.