Stuck in a loop: unable to authenticate 1-person business account of which I am sole admin

Question

Hi,

A few months ago, I chose MS365 over Google as my service provider for a start-up company. Hence, I took a business subscription to 365 for one person (for now). As a result, I am the sole admin - important to my problem. I also acquired a domain name for the new company, and use the new MS business subscription for e.g. email.

This afternoon, I was suddenly logged out of my MS business account. I was also logged out on outlook, and no longer have access to my email. Both through the brows and outlook I was asked to enter a code through the MS authenticator app. However, that was on my old phone, and I do not have it on my new phone.

Hence, I click alternate methods, but only get two options:

Approve a request on my MS authenticator app

Use verification code.

Evidently, I cannot use either option, since I do not have access to the app. I get offered no alternate options. I did click on "approve request" and it displays a number. So I assume it still thinks I have the app. But like I said, I don't.

I then go to https://aka.ms/mfasetup

There, I get asked again "Enter the code displayed in the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device​"

Since I do not have it, I click "sign in another way", and again, my options to verify my identity are:

Approve a request on my MS authenticator app

Use verification code.

Luckily, I get offered the following options:

Enter a security code from your Microsoft account or authenticator app instead. If you can't use an app right now get a code a different way.

More information When I click enter security code, I get asked or the code in my authenticator app. When I click, get a code a different way, I get:

Approve a request on my MS authenticator app

Use verification code.

When I call the number in my jurisdiction, the (annoying) AI voice refers me to: https://aka.ms/mfasetup and the circle is complete.

When I want to login to business customer support, I get asked to sign in to may account, so the circle is again complete.

When I go through the help articles, I get encouraging information like "if you have two factor authentication, we don't have access" and "you'll just need to start a new account."

When I go to the Microsoft Account Sign in helper, and enter my email address with the business domain name, I get:

Account check failedSorry, we're experiencing issues checking your account. Since I am the sole admin, I obviously cannot login to fix the issue.

I also tried to find a way to chat or talk to an agent, but everything is geared towards not having to interact with a live person.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Dear Badr AL Mutairi,

Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

Based on your description, I understand that you are the sole Global Admin of a single-user Microsoft 365 Business tenant and have been locked out of your account because Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is still linked to your old phone's Microsoft Authenticator app. Since you no longer have access to that device, all available sign-in methods lead back to the Authenticator app, leaving you unable to access email, the M365 admin portal, or support channels.

Regarding your situation, this occurred because the Authenticator app wasn’t backed up or transferred to the new phone before the old device became unavailable.

If you're the only admin, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts.

Please note that I have no control over user accounts, especially when it comes to logging in to your account, resetting your password, changing your access, etc. 

Therefore, if you are the only administrator in your organization, then you need to involve Microsoft Data Protection Team. Please try to find the related hotline number to call the frontline let them raise a ticket for you: Technical or Sales support phone numbers (for Work account, scroll down to find your region's number) 

In some countries, this is an automated conversation: First, when you call the hotline, they will ask you what kind of problem you are struggling with. 

Answer: Authenticator. 

A: What products do you use? 

B: Office 365 for business. 

Verification: Education or company account? 

B: For companies 

A: Are you an administrator? 

B: Yes. 

A: Are there any other administrators in your organization? 

B: No. 

A: I need one.... Service request? 

B: Yes 

(Important Note to reach a live support agent: Sometimes, you would hear the computer-generated voice at first, please kindly wait for it to end, and if an agent is available, you would be directed to them and get your support. Depending on your country or region, 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.) 

As an alternative, you can create a new tenant account and submit your request from there.    

To set up a new tenant, please follow these steps: 

• Visit Compare Office 365 Enterprise Pricing and Plans | Microsoft 365, choose any plan and click try for free to start a free trial.    
• Follow the guided setup process to create a new account for a new tenant. 

Once your tenant is created, you should be able to access the support portal and submit your ticket referencing your locked account without further issues.

In the ticket's description, you could refer to this message "Hello,

I am currently locked out of my Microsoft 365 tenant because multi-factor authentication is enforced, and I am unable to complete the verification process. I am the only global administrator for this tenant, which means I cannot access my account or the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

To resolve this, I have created a new tenant and would like to be connected with the Data Protection Team to verify my identity and assist with regaining access. I am available to provide any required documentation or verification to support the recovery process."

Ticket Support: Log in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using the newly created trial admin account (not the currently locked one) > Support > Help & Support. You can raise support ticket at: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests   

• When you open a support ticket, please make sure to turn off the Support Assistant (AI) in the help panel.  
• Several customers have reported issues when the Support Assistant is turned on  the system sometimes fails to display the “Contact Support” option.  
• As shown in the screenshot, simply switch Support Assistant > Off, then type your issue description.  Once the AI is off, the “Contact Support” button will appear normally, allowing you to submit a ticket directly.

• After clicking on "Help & Support" button, you can type "I need agent support via phone or email". After that, you can click on "Contact support" 
• Choose contact method: "Phone" 
• Fill all the information in this contact support details, please describe your situation carefully so they will have enough information to help you. 
• Finally, click on "Contact me"
• After completing them, you will receive an email appointment for a meeting to review this issue professionally together. 
• For more details, you could refer to this article: Get support for Microsoft 365 for business 
• This new trial tenant will not give you access to any of the data or settings in your original locked tenant. It is solely a temporary means to contact Microsoft support.   
• Be prepared for Microsoft support to ask for verification of your identity and administrative rights for the locked tenant.   
• The resolution time might be longer as you are contacting support from a different tenant.   
• Remember to cancel the trial subscription for the new tenant once your issue with the original account is resolved to avoid any unintended charges. You can typically do this within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center under "Billing" > "Your products."

Kindly let me know when there are updates or if you need further assistance. Any updates you’re able to share would be really helpful.

I'm here and happy to help! Thank you for your kindness and patience! 

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