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Can not sign in the admin account

Steven Fan 0 Reputation points
2026-06-03T02:04:49.7733333+00:00

Hi,

My company use the work and school account. At first my staff help to created the admin account. But now she has resigned and left. I can not contact with her. I want to log in admin account. it need Authenticator app code. But it is in staff's mobile. I try to recovery it, I found the email and phone all for herself. I just want to ask, how can I reset the admin account password and log in methods? Thanks

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] 

Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Other

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Windows
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  1. Darren-Ng 10,620 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-03T03:01:33.62+00:00

    Dear @Steven Fan,

    Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Based on your description, it seems that the only administrator account in your Microsoft 365 tenant is protected by MFA through the Microsoft Authenticator app installed on your former staff member’s mobile device. Since the recovery email address and phone number are also associated with that former employee, you are currently unable to complete the sign-in process.

    In this situation, please first check whether your organization has another account with administrator permissions (such as Global Administrator or Billing Administrator). If another admin account exists, that account can reset the affected administrator account’s password and remove or update the MFA methods.

    You can try signing in with any other company admin account at: https://admin.microsoft.com

    If there is no other admin account available, you will most likely need to contact Microsoft Support for tenant recovery assistance. Microsoft Support may ask you to verify ownership of the organization and domain before helping regain access to the administrator account.

    You might need to contact Microsoft Support team via phone service number: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. The agent will be able to create a ticket for you under the affected tenant and then transfer this ticket to Data Protection team who could help you to regain access.   

    To help you navigate the automated phone system (IVR), here's an example of what the conversation might look like:

    IVR: What kind of problem are you worried about?

    You: Admin account locked

    IVR: What kind of product do you use?

    You: Office 365 for business

    IVR: Does it count for education or business?

    You: For Business

    IVR: Are you an admin?

    You: Yes

    IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?

    You: No

    IVR: Need a service request?

    You: Yes

    This should help you connect with a live support agent who can help you directly.

    If you can't create a support ticket during the call, I recommend creating a temporary tenant account and submitting the support request from there. To create a new tenant, follow these steps:

    1. Visit Office 365 E3 - Enterprise Collaboration and Productivity | Microsoft    
    2. Select any plan and click Try for free.    
    3. Complete the setup to create a new tenant.    
    4. Ticket support: In the Microsoft 365 admin center>support>help & support. You can create a support ticket: https://admin.microsoft.com/#/support/requests     

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

    I hope your issue could be resolve as soon as possible. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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  2. Steven Fan 0 Reputation points
    2026-06-03T02:21:18.9166667+00:00

    Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. what is this number

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  3. AI answer

    2026-06-03T02:05:05.8566667+00:00

    Because the departed staff member is the only admin and all MFA methods (Authenticator, email, phone) are tied to that person, this is a locked‑out admin scenario and must be handled by Microsoft support/Data Protection.

    Use these steps:

    1. Confirm there is no other global admin
      • If any other user in the tenant has Global Administrator (or equivalent) rights, that person can:
        • Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
        • Go to the user list, select the original admin account.
        • Reset the password and update authentication methods (phone, email, Authenticator) to ones controlled by the company.
      • If such an admin exists, this is the fastest solution.
    2. If there is no other admin (only the resigned staff was admin)
      • This must be escalated to Microsoft’s Data Protection team; self‑service recovery will not work because all security info belongs to the ex‑staff.
    3. Contact Microsoft support by phone (primary method)
      • Call the appropriate number from Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.
      • When the IVR/automated system asks questions, respond along these lines (as in the documented examples):
        • Problem type: “Authenticator” or “lost admin account”
        • Product: “Office 365 for business”
        • Account type: “For companies”
        • Are you an administrator?: “Yes”
        • Are there any other administrators in your organization?: “No”
        • Do you need a service request?: “Yes”
      • Ask explicitly to open a ticket with the Data Protection team for a tenant admin MFA reset / account recovery.
      • Be ready to provide:
        • The tenant domain (for example, yourcompany.onmicrosoft.com or custom domain).
        • The admin username that is locked.
        • Proof that the company owns the domain and subscription (invoices, domain registration, etc.).
    4. Alternative: create a temporary trial tenant to open a ticket
      • If it is impossible to reach a live agent directly:
        1. Sign up for a free Microsoft 365 trial tenant using the public trial link (for example, from the Microsoft 365 plans page in the context).
        2. After the trial tenant is created, go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center of this new tenant.
        3. Use Help & support to open a support ticket.
        4. In the ticket, clearly state:
          • This new tenant is only for contacting support.
          • The real tenant (name and domain) where access is lost.
          • That the only global admin left the company and all MFA/security info is tied to that person.
          • Request contact with the Data Protection team to reset MFA and help transfer admin access to the company.
      • After the original tenant issue is resolved, cancel the trial subscription to avoid charges.
    5. After Microsoft restores access
      • Sign in as the recovered admin.
      • Immediately:
        • Change the admin password.
        • Remove the ex‑staff’s phone, email, and Authenticator from security info.
        • Add company‑controlled security info (shared admin mailbox, company phone, additional admins).
        • Create at least one more global admin account owned by the company to avoid this situation in the future.

    Self‑service password reset and normal recovery flows will not be sufficient in this case because all verification methods belong to someone who has left; only Microsoft support/Data Protection can re‑establish admin control.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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