Multi factor authentication disable

Question

I am currently unable to access my cadet portal due to multi factor authentication and am unable to disable it. I use Microsoft Authenticator usually but I cannot add the account as it’s asking me to enter the code from Microsoft Authenticator which I can’t access because of that code. How do I go about disabling it?

Answer 1

Hi @Charlie Townsend

It sounds like you are locked out of your Cadet Portal account because Microsoft Authenticator is required for MFA, but the account is no longer available in your Authenticator app.

Could you please confirm whether you recently changed your phone, reset or reinstalled the Microsoft Authenticator app, or removed the account from the Authenticator app? If so, this may explain why the account is no longer available and why you cannot complete the MFA verification.

Also, when you sign in to the Cadet Portal, are you using a Microsoft work or school account or does the Cadet Portal have its own username/password account? This will help determine which system is managing the MFA.

The issue is that you cannot simply add the account back to Microsoft Authenticator because the setup process requires you to complete MFA first. This creates a loop where you need Authenticator to sign in, but you need to sign in before you can configure Authenticator.

Since this is an account managed by your cadet organization, you normally cannot disable or reset MFA yourself. An administrator for the organization would need to reset your MFA/authentication methods so you can register Microsoft Authenticator again. I recommend contacting your IT administrator and if this is a Microsoft Entra work or school account, you can refer them to this guide Manage authentication methods for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication - Microsoft Entra ID |… 

If you're unsure who your IT administrator is, please refer to How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support