Error 40901 When Creating Developer Account

Michael Arufe 0 Reputation points
2026-04-18T02:09:13.21+00:00

Would I be able to get assistance from someone at Microsoft regarding this error I'm getting when trying to create a Developer account?

We can't continue with the signup process for the following reason:

  • Your phone number is already associated with an existing developer account. For help with your Microsoft account, go to Microsoft account and verify your information. MS-CorrelationId: [Moderator note: personal info removed]

Code: 40901

Microsoft 365 and Office | Development | Microsoft 365 Developer Program
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  1. Anonymous
    2026-04-18T07:35:26.0066667+00:00

    Please note that Q&A forum is a public platform, and moderators will modify the question to hide personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

    Hello Michael Arufe

    Please note that, as a forum moderator, I do not have access to the internal systems required to investigate individual account‑related issues due to privacy and security constraints. Additionally, the qualification and renewal process for Microsoft 365 Developer Program tenants is fully automated and driven by predefined algorithms and telemetry. For this reason, I am unable to manually reset or override Developer Program eligibility.

    The 40901 error typically indicates that the phone number you are using is still associated with a previous or inactive Microsoft Developer Program account. The Microsoft 365 Developer Program now enforces a one‑phone‑number‑per‑account policy.

    • If you remember the old account, please try signing in to the Microsoft 365 Developer Program Dashboard using the account originally linked to that phone number. From there, you can select Delete Profile to remove the old account. After deletion, it may take up to 60 days for the system to fully release the phone number, allowing it to be reused for a new registration.
    • If you no longer have access to the old profile and need to create a new developer account immediately, you may wish to use a different phone number to complete the registration process right away.

    I also recommend reviewing the Microsoft 365 Developer Program FAQ, particularly the following sections, which provide more detailed eligibility information:

    I hope this clarifies the situation. Thank you for your understanding.

    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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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-18T02:09:24.4366667+00:00

    Error 40901 indicates that the phone number being used is already tied to an existing developer account, so the new signup cannot proceed with that same number.

    To move forward, use these steps:

    1. Verify whether there is an existing developer account
      • Sign in with any Microsoft account that might previously have been used for a developer account.
      • If access to that account is available, manage or update the existing developer account instead of creating a new one.
    2. Use a different phone number for the new developer account
      • If a separate developer account is required (for example, for a different individual), complete the signup using a different phone number that is not already associated with a developer account.
    3. Contact Microsoft for developer onboarding help
      • For issues specifically with the new individual developer onboarding flow (zero registration fees) in flighted markets, assistance is available by email at ******@service.microsoft.com. This inbox is only for problems related to the new onboarding process.
      • For all other issues related to developer account creation or management, raise a support ticket using the Windows developer support channel described here: https://aka.ms/windowsdevelopersupport.

    These support paths can review the account state and advise on how to proceed if the phone number must be freed or the existing account located.

    References:

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

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