Short version: Lady locked out of MS account, not able to verify it's her, business is suffering and seemingly no way to resolve. What can we do? Hi, I have a big problem with a Microsoft account. My friend has been locked out of her account due to logging in on a new device. She is not good with technology and I have done everything I can think of but I'm now lost. She knows the email address and password. But to verify it's really her, Microsoft wants to send an SMS to her phone. She has received these messages in the past on the same phone, but on this instance she is not getting them. (Phone number is correct) She can get SMS messages from other people, so I don't think it's a phone/network issue. She also has the choice to call a home phone, but that is an old number not in use anymore. We tried the option that gives a form where you answer questions about your account (recent email subjects, recipients etc) but for some reason or another, after waiting the 24 hours, it said she did not pass it. She has tried that form 3 times now, and the last two times she has gotten denial emails instantly. We spoke to an online assistant (not a robot), they could not do much, but they did give a UK phone number to call. We called it but after pressing the correct number choices for our problem, the phone system told us that it's a login issue and to go to the correct Microsoft help page, and the call disconnected. This is account is very important to this lady, she runs her business from it and for 4 days now has been unable to access her account, leaving clients and business contacts uncontactable. On her iPhone she uses the Hotmail contacts, and because this is inaccessible now she really does not have a way of getting in touch with all the people she needs to. If only there was a way of being able to talk to a real person who could help with this situation - I'm sure she would pay if needed - so that this problem can be sorted out. This lady is in a right state and we're powerless over what we can do. I appreciate any information. Thank you.
reboot the phone and make sure the WIFI is turn off. if everything else fails u have to create a new MS account.
Security questions aren't brilliant to easy to typo an email address and not realize (been there and done that!). Not sure if it will help but i tend to find when i complain to companies via Twitter they respond swiftly whether it be retailers or service providers. Might be worth a shot?! Hopefully you gain access swiftly.
This is difficult. Your asking for a way to by-pass security for a business account in which the user can not recall their password and can not answer any security questions accurately, and it is obvious that the sms message number is not the correct number (because if it was, they would get the text message to prove who they say they are) This does not look very good for your friend
Thanks for the help everyone. Yes maybe Twitter will be a good idea - just anything where a human can see this situation and then resolve it for us, rather can an automated machine that has a failure rate. Sorry - I made it clear the user does know their password. But MS want more verification it is really her. This has happened in the past, and we have received the SMS code and everything is ok. Possibly there is some problem with the phone network, not getting these SMS codes. It's all I can think of. The account is used for business but it's a regular personal account as far as MS know. No special subscription or payments to MS etc.
Wow, is MSFT really that bad not giving you any useful support? For some reasons their server does not send the SMS verification at all OR they did but to another phone number. She as the legit owner can answer details nobody else could. A simple call at their support should clarify the matter and identify the lady as the legit user of the account. At least they could confirm if the named account is associated with the phone number you can present when talking to them. I once had that issue with a bank. They resolved it within a few minutes (my phone number was not in their database anymore (blank) for some reasons)... ATM paypal also takes a long time until the SMS arrives....(almost 2 minutes)... Did you ask for support here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/12428/microsoft-account-security-info-verification-codes
Thanks Yen. I'll read the link you shared, and see if there is something that we haven't tried yet. It's a really strange problem, because if I go here (from what I understand this is not the correct form we want, it's for something different, but we tried it anyway, why not) - https://account.live.com/username/recover - we can get an SMS when I type in the phone number. But when using the account recovery page, no SMS received. It shows that MS can infidelity send an SMS to us. And we have received these verification ones a few months ago no problems. If we had enabled the option to also CALL this phone number as a verification option, we could use that. But too late for that now. Is there a phone number that we can call to connect to a real person? I found one but, following the voice prompts (press 1 for account issues, press 2 for recovery etc etc) - it simply told us a url to visit online ha. Thank you.
It looks like the phone number is wrong or not present at their location needed when you go through the account recovery pages. From the logical point of view they cannot ask you here (again) to type in the number manually, else everybody simply could take over the account knowing the password. (First factor). TBH I have no own experiences with MSFT support. At work we are enterprise customers and have an own IT section who cares about such issues. I think it depends on location where you live what numbers to call. Maybe you can have a live chat on the page I have linked to (bottom section: need more help?)...live chats I guess are with real persons...
If this account was compromised, then the password and sms number may have been changed/altered. You might have to also consider this option. Has this pc been checked for anything malicious ?
At this case the original password (first factor) would not work anymore. If I got OP right the PW is still valid, only the sent SMS does not arrive.
I think this is the issue... The original password does not work. It's the reason they needed an sms massage sent. If this was compromised then password/phone numbers to authenticate could be different. Another user at this business place or whatever could have made account changes
Reason for 2nd factor authentication: How exactly did the lock-out happen? I mean why exactly is it asking for the 2nd factor and you also cannot login from the original (old) device any more without it? Well I think it's common that a new device has to be authorized by presenting the 2nd factor. Gog gaming platform does the same. You have to present the 2nd factor which comes there via email, though. But when you cancel the process / or you fail once you do not get locked-out. The new device is simply not authorized then and the old one still works. I myself assume the password IS right, else it would not ask for the 2nd factor at all and would not send any SMS. (And it would prompt you with a wrong password message). But there is a message telling you that a SMS has been sent? You know definitely that one has been sent..to wherever? Usually the right PW (first factor) is mandatory to become asked for the 2nd, hence the name 2nd factor...Amazon and paypal does work that way, for instance. On Amazon you don't get further to the page where you have to enter your SMS PIN if the PW is wrong on the PW page already. Another way would be to assume that it has been compromised and to contact MSFT with that assumption to get better/quick help. https://support.microsoft.com/en-hk/help/10494/microsoft-account-how-to-access-a-compromised-account
hmm when i install any version of windows mainly after the advent of windows 8 is: i open run \ regedit \ hklm \ software \ microsoft \ windows \ currentversion \ policies \ system and in the right look for EnableLUA and mute the value to 0 and then restart the next machine I run again and call gpedit.msc and in the computer settings \ windows settings \ security settings \ local policies \ security options and on the right side look for: Accounts: block Microsoft accounts double click on this setting I read the explanation and determine users cannot add or log in with Microsoft accounts, then close Windows Settings and go to the bottom line Administrative Templates click on it and then on Windows Components and look for microsoft account click on it is on the right side enable Block all user authentication of Microsoft account IMPORTANT these operations must be done s right after the installation of the system disconnected from the internet still the installation of the Windows operating system as I said from Windows 8 MUST be done disconnected either Ethernet or Wi-Fi after everything done reboot the machine again do the necessary installs, programs, drivers etc. yes I will connect to the internet and my life will be another after these processes I will not have headaches, phone calls although we still have to make dozens of modifications to make Windows "usable" just my two cents
Ok, an update: I think the lockout happened when the MS account was logged into from my friend's other phone. (Not a new device, but, maybe not previously used/logged in to in a while) On the account recovery/verification screen when you are given options to send an SMS, you only see the last 2 digits of the phone number. When you select that phone number, you need confirm that by typing in the last 4 digits of the phone number. That phone number is the one my friend is using on her phone, I am certain. And she has received these SMS codes before, months ago when having to verify her account in a similar situation. (But of course, she received the codes, and could verify her account - no problem!) Strangely, she went on vacation on France a few days ago, and whilst there she tried the recover/verification page, to send an SMS. And now it works... either it is a phone network/carrier problem, and roaming, using a different country's network fixes the strange issue we had with the local carrier? I'm not sure. But, my friend is very grateful it started to work. Annoyingly, she had messaged all 900+ contacts that she is locked out of her outlook email account, and for them to use her gmail instead... Anyway thankfully it's all fixed now. Thank you for the help and support guys, you are much bigger MS geniuses than me!