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Cannot access my university account

Huzaifah Gangat 20 Reputation points
2026-05-04T10:43:56.87+00:00

I am unable to sign in to my account. It produces an error message. I’ve tried signing in on my phone and laptop, both the same. I cannot confirm my sign in through the authenticator app as I am currently signed out of my account.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For education | Other
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  1. Demi-N 15,835 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-04T11:23:09.2633333+00:00

    Hello @Huzaifah Gangat,

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

    Based on your description, the issue occurs because your Microsoft account is protected by Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Since your account is managed by your school, Microsoft cannot directly reset or revoke your multi-factor authentication settings. This action must be performed by your school’s IT administrator.  

    Please reach out to your IT admin and request that they revoke and require re-registration of your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings. They can do this by following these steps:  

    • Signing in to the Microsoft Entra Admin Center  
    • Navigating to Users > Your Account > Authentication methods  
    • Selecting Require re-register MFA  

    User's image

    Once this is completed, you will be prompted to set up MFA again during your next login, allowing you to configure Microsoft Authenticator on your device.

    If you are unsure who your IT administrator is, you can refer to this official Microsoft guide for assistance: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

    User's image

    Please contact your school’s IT team as soon as possible, as they are the only ones who can perform this reset. Once they have completed the process, try signing in again and let us know if you need further guidance.  

    Best regards,  

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

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-05-04T10:44:16.7633333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Because the account is a university (work/school) account protected by Microsoft Authenticator, access must be restored through the organization or an admin; it cannot be bypassed from the app alone.

    Use these steps depending on the situation:

    1. Try another verification method (if available)
      • On the sign-in screen, after entering the username and password, select Other ways to sign in or I can’t use my Microsoft Authenticator app right now.
      • Choose another method such as text message, phone call, or email if any were previously configured.
      • If the error shown is similar to “Sorry, our account verification system is having trouble,” make sure the response is correct for the method selected (for example, press # on a verification phone call, or enter the exact code received by SMS).
    2. If sign-in is blocked after multiple attempts
      • Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication may temporarily block sign-in after repeated failed attempts.
      • Wait and try again later, or use a different MFA method if one is configured.
      • If there is any suspicion that someone else is trying to access the account, contact the university IT help desk immediately so they can review Microsoft Entra sign-in logs.
    3. If no alternative method works or Authenticator is the only method
      • For a university account, only the organization’s IT/admin team can reset MFA methods.
      • Contact the university help desk or IT support and request an MFA reset / Require re-register multifactor authentication for the account in Microsoft Entra ID.
      • After the admin resets MFA, sign in again; the system will prompt to set up Microsoft Authenticator (or other methods) from scratch.
    4. If still unable to sign in after admin help
      • Ask the admin to verify that the account is not blocked by conditional access or device-compliance policies and that the phone numbers and methods on the account are correct.

    Until the university IT/admin resets the MFA or enables another method, access to the account cannot be restored.

    References:

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