How can I reset an administrator account after the administrator has left the company?

Question

The administrator account for our organization belongs to an employee who has already left the company, and we no longer have access to that account.

I currently need to reset the password for another user account, but the system informs me that I must contact an administrator. Since the administrator account is no longer accessible, I am unable to proceed with the password reset.

What options are available to regain administrative access or assign a new administrator account? Could you please provide guidance on how to recover control of the tenant and reset user passwords in this situation?

Answer 1

Dear @Hill Stephanie

I understand how critical it is when the sole Global Administrator leaves your organization, leaving you unable to perform administrative tasks like resetting user passwords.

If There Is Another Global Admin in Your Tenant

Please ask them to follow the step in the instruction above to reset your MFA. 

For step-by-step details, see the official Microsoft documentation: Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multi-factor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID …    

If You Are the Only Global Admin (Sole Admin)

If there are no other administrators in your organization, you cannot reset your own MFA status. You will need to contact the official Microsoft Data Protection team safely over the phone. They are the only team authorized to verify your identity and reset your MFA backend configuration.

Find your local region's support number via the official Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support directory.

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:   

(When you call the support number, you may hear an introduction of about 30 seconds such as "you can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until you are presented with the options. Then press "1" as a business email user, and again "1" for technical help.)     

In some regions, the initial interaction may be automated, so here’s a general idea of how the conversation might go to help you prepare:      

What kind of problem are you experiencing?          

Answer: Authenticator          

What products do you use?          

Answer: Office 365 for business          

Is this for an education or company account?          

Answer: For companies          

Are you an administrator?          

Answer: Yes          

Are there any other administrators in your organization?          

Answer: No. I am the only admin in my tenant           

Do you need a... Service request?           

Answer: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me direct to the Data Protection Teams.       

During the phone call, you will need to provide the information associated with your subscription, such as your company name, billing details, phone number, and an alternate email address, etc. This information allows the Data Protection team to verify your identity and securely assist you in regaining access to your administrator account.     

If calling phone support hasn’t been effective and you’re getting disconnected, there is another option you can consider as a workaround to reach the right team. You can sign up for a new Microsoft 365 tenant by creating a trial subscription here: Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365  

Once that new tenant is created, you’ll be able to access the Microsoft 365 admin center and submit a support ticket directly from there. In the ticket, explain that you’re requesting assistance from the Data Protection Team for your original tenant, due to being locked out as the only admin with MFA issues. This method often helps bypass the automated loops because you’re able to submit the request from an authenticated admin center, even if it’s under a temporary tenant.

Note: Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges.

Also, just to set expectations clearly and transparently, this is a user‑to‑user support forum, so I don’t have the ability to intervene directly or unlock accounts. I can only suggest additional options based on my experience and what has worked for others in the community.

I hope this information helps you take the right steps to regain access to your account. If you have any updates or additional details, please feel free to leave a comment under this post. I’ll be happy to assist further within my scope.

Answer 2

If the former administrator was the only global admin, the supported recovery path is through Microsoft’s account recovery and data protection process.

1. Try self-service password reset first if it was enabled for the admin account.
   • Go to the sign-in flow and select Can’t access your account?
   • Choose Work or school account.
   • Enter the user ID, complete verification, and set a new password.
   • The direct work or school password reset portal is: https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com/
   • This only works if self-service password reset was enabled and the account was registered for it.
2. If self-service reset is not enabled or fails, contact another global admin if one exists.
   • A global admin or password administrator can reset the affected user’s password.
   • In Microsoft 365, an admin can reset an employee password from the Microsoft 365 admin center under Users > Reset password.
3. If no other global admin exists, use Microsoft support recovery.
   • If the company no longer has a global admin, the documented path is to contact Microsoft 365 support and ask to be transferred to the Microsoft 365 Data Protection team.
   • If already part of the tenant, use the regional support contact path from Get support - Microsoft 365 admin and request help regaining admin access.
   • If not part of the tenant, a colleague who is in the tenant should contact support and request help with password reset or assignment of the global admin role.
4. If the tenant was created or managed by a partner, contact that partner.
   • For Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program scenarios, the organization’s global admin must help.
   • For CSP indirect reseller scenarios, the indirect provider can create a new global admin in the Microsoft Entra tenant or reset the password by using delegated admin privileges.
5. If tenant access is broadly lost because the former admin left, use tenant recovery.
   • Go to the admin portal and try signing in with any previously used account.
   • If recovery prompts do not work, submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 support path for tenant access recovery.
   • Identity and ownership verification can be required, such as business documentation, domain ownership, or public organization registration data.
6. After admin access is restored, reset the affected user password.
   • Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with admin credentials.
   • Go to Users.
   • Select Reset password.
   • Choose the user and complete the reset.

Common blockers during password reset:

• Please contact your administrator: the password is managed by the organization, so admin or help desk action is required.
• Your account is not enabled for password reset: self-service password reset is not enabled for that account; use the Contact an administrator option.
• We could not verify your account: the account was not registered for password reset; admin assistance is required.

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