Cannot access account with Authenticator because it wants me to use Authenticator to authenticate

Anonymous
2024-01-31T23:31:52+00:00

I can't post this from the account I'm having issues with, but I am trying to get an Authenticator account set up for my Office 365 account, but whenever I try to do that, it asks for the code in Authenticator. But since it isn't set up with Authenticator yet, I cannot give it a code. I'm stuck in a catch 22. I've heard I can get a new QR code if I login and look under security settings, but I cannot login without getting my code from Authenticator, which I don't have set up yet. And I called MS support and they sent me a link to do it, but it will not let me access without the Authentication code from Authenticator, which I cannot access, because it isn't set up yet.

Any help from anyone? Just switch to Google? The only reason I need to do this is because I changed the account password. It didn't need me to authenticate to do that. But it does need me to update that same password change on my phone. So stupid.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-01-13T12:07:56+00:00

    I experienced the same problem (an infinite loop at various stages) on two different accounts after I needed to restore my phone. In both cases, the admin of each account had to delete my access and issue me a new QR code, as nothing else seemed to help. Essentially, I had to follow the same procedure I used when access to my accounts via Microsoft Authenticator was initially set up a couple of years ago. In one case, the infinite loop while registering a Microsoft account was resolved by using the browser in private mode. Otherwise, the browser kept using the old access data, leading to an infinite loop.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-01-15T18:53:43+00:00

    Microsoft support helped me with this issue and it's actually quite simple:

    1. Open an incognito tab
    2. Login to your account
    3. It should ask you how to setup authentication.

    Done!

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-01-15T19:09:36+00:00

    Microsoft support helped me with this issue and it's actually quite simple:

    1. Open an incognito tab
    2. Login to your account
    3. It should ask you how to setup authentication.

    Done!

    I tried both Edge and Firefox and both wants me to enter a code from the authenticator.

    How did you contact Microsoft support?

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-01-15T19:25:11+00:00

    Firstly, I used Chrome with an incognito tab and it worked. Now, that said, it's possible Microsoft Support did something first. That I don't know.

    1. I called the support line and said business customer
    2. I said "problems logging into Microsoft 365" This is important because it puts the AI down a different track.
    3. Say you are a global admin, you tried to change password, and there was no error code.
    4. These answers got me to a live person.
    5. Now you can get a support number and in 2 weeks Data Retrieval (or whatever it's called) called me back.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-01-15T19:53:38+00:00

    Michael,

    Thank you. Those are the best steps so far.

    Since I have no trouble changing my password, I've been using "Can't access authenticator" or some variant.

    So I'll tell a little white lie to get to a hu-man <said in my best Ferengi voice>

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